Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials handed over a check worth P435,971 to Vincenzo Sagun Fish Ventures Association (VSFVA) in time of the launching of Phil-Jobnet center at the Capitol Compound here last Jan. 17.

DOLE Undersecretary Lourdes Trasmonte, Regional Director Ponciano Ligutom and Provincial Director Virginia Bonbon were joined by Governor Aurora E. Cerilles to award the check to V. Sagun Mayor Edilberto Adlaon with the association president Joy Rabon.

Trasmonte, who hails from Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, in her message emphasized to jobseekers and future entrepreneurs to utilize what are richly available in the province.  She encouraged to venture on agriculture products, fishery and natural resources development.

As he received the check, Mayor Adlaon thanked DOLE for the assistance given to VSFVA.   Tamban or lopoy dried fish is V. Sagun’s one-town-one-product (OTOP) which VSFVA is producing.  Dried Fish carries the pride of V. Sagun which is gradually gaining it popularity, the mayor said.

Adlaon said that VSFVA is a women-dominated group with 20 members at the start has already participated in the Regional Trade Exposition at SM Megamall in Manila as well as joined a trade fair in Davao City with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office.

“DTI has been assisting us in the packaging of our dried fish, with the DOLE assistance, we can now procure equipment for drying facility for mass production,” the mayor said.

Since their product is food, Adlaon assured that V. Sagun dried fish is safe to eat.  It is sanitarily prepared with low histamine content packed in a vacuum plastic cellophane.

Provincial Director Bonbon said that VSFVA is the latest recipient of DOLE’s workers income augmentation program (WINAP) of the Arroyo Administration. (Remai S. Alejado/ Zambosur Press Bureau)