Anabelle Caro almost gave up her business due to high product returns caused by rapid product deterioration and short shelf life until science and technology came to intervene in the business. In 2000, the company was established with a stall located at Iloilo Central Market and additional two mall stores. The owner was on the verge of giving up, given that the quality of the products deteriorated quickly and have short shelf-life, which resulted to an increased number of returned items. The company availed technical intervention and assistance offered by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program – Innovation System Support Fund (SETUP-ISSF) and Food Safety Consultancy, which helped the business improve the quality of their products, production efficiency and acquire a License to Operate from FDA. The intervention brought by DOST through the provision of equipment such as agricultural dryer, vacuum sealer machine, PE transparent bottom seal MAP bag, stainless steel table for dried fish and chest freezer, has significantly increased its production capacity by 130% on a weekly basis for dried pusit, guma-a, danggit, tabagak and isda-bato.

Gabiota, J. R. A. (2019, July 26). Dried fish market boost through S&T. Daily Guardian, pp. 7, 8.