For 30 years in the private sector, Rinna Castillo thought she just paid taxes to the government without getting anything in return. Her perception changed when she reached out to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Calabarzon, which gave her tuna start-up free participation in trade shows, gaining her market exposure and new opportunities.
“I thought that I would not get anything from the government but to pay taxes,” Castillo said. “But I was wrong. All you need to do is just reach out and make extra effort to know the government will provide help,” Castillo said.
After an early retirement, Castillo continued her passion in product development and founded Tunamazing World Fish Processing Food in 2023, a small business producing value-added marinated frozen tuna like tocino, sisig, and tapa.
“My comfort zone is in creating products, since we are already catching tuna, and I thought of an alternative to meat,” she said.
“I started selling with friends, family, and colleagues, and they were surprised that the texture is tuna, but the taste suited them like beef or pork because of the effect of the marinating solution,” she added.
Like any other start-up business, Castillo finds it challenging to sell it to the right market. But that changed when she walked into a booth of DA in a trade expo and tried to look at their brochure.
“I thought DA was only for rice farmers, but as they explained, they also support fisherfolk and like my line of business. They asked me to fill out the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System (FFEDIS). I started with DA just this year in May,” Castillo shared.
Through the DA programs, Castillo’s business gained exposure in different trade fair events, including Solenad, Manila Foods and Beverages Expo (Mafbex), and World Food expo (Wofex), where she connected with potential buyers and distributors.
“With my recent experience at Wofex, it was really overwhelming,” she said. “We got leads and open opportunities to capture potential buyers. Our market study shows our products appeal to the middle and upper classes.”
Her marinated tuna products retail at P290 for a 350-gram pack. Castillo said that DA Calabarzon Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) helped her promote her business without any cost.
“For those of us that don’t have a big capital and marketing budget, joining expos is such a big opportunity,” she said. “I thank the government program for the continuous support and efficiency, and I also encourage other MSMEs to just reach out because the government is willing to support.” (KA PIA4A)
