Subsector Study on Siganid by the Kauswagan sa Panginabuhi sa Samar, Inc. (KPSI)

Mayette December 7th, 2007

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Located in Northern Samar province, the “Kauswagan sa Panginabuhi sa Samar, Inc.-KPSI” is composed of eight member non-government organizations (NGOs) formed:

  1. 1. To enable the group to effectively interface with the market through the aggregation of livelihoods and enterprise development initiatives.

  1. To strengthen their practice through sharing of experiences and knowledge, most especially on joint concerns such as livelihoods and enterprise development, coastal resource management, participatory governance, and in relating to the market.

  1. To enhance the group’s capability to take collective action vis-à -vis economic and political power centers.


One of the major activities started by the consortium is the subsector study on selected commodities. CERD chose to spearhead the siganid subsector study, it being a product of Biri, one of CERD’s site in Northern Samar.

A subsector can be defined as a network of firms that supply raw materials, transform them and distribute finished goods to a particular consumer market. Subsector study is a framework for rapidly evaluating social enterpise dynamics and prospects for cost-effective intervention. It centers on schematic map that describes this economic system.

In CERD’s case, the focused subsector is the dried boneless danggit.

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There are three main stakeholders found in the subsector: the fisher-processors, the wholesaler-traders, and the retailers. Of the three, the wholesalers are the ones earning the most income.

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It was found that there is a mismatch between the period of high demand for the product and the availability of the input supply (i.e. the siganid fish). For instance, demand is high during summer when there is a high number of tourists/ vacationers in Samar, but the fresh fish can be caught in large quantities in July – September. Also, it is more difficult to dry the fish as this time is rainy season.

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Biri products are more competitive compared to those produced in other areas like Eastern Samar. Biri uses freshwater in rinsing the fish and therefore is not salty. Other areas use seawater in rinsing their fish. It is this kind of product that commands higher price in the market.
However, CERD partners in Biri produces dried boneless danggit in very small quantities (around 3-5 kgs in 1-3 days) compared to others who can produce as much as 20 kgs in the same period. They therefore encounter difficulty in penetrating the market.

It was proposed that an integrated dried boneless danggit enterprise be formed to assist the partner fisherfolks in Biri. The enterprise should include production of the input supply (the fresh siganid), improved processing standards, and marketing assistance.

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