13 Alaminos KALIPI and ERPAT members attend skills training on sweet treats processing
Thirteen members of the Alaminos City’s Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) and the Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities (ERPAT) attended skills training on Sweet Treats Processing provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Pangasinan in partnership with the City Government of Alaminos held on 11 August 11 2021 at the City Social Welfare Development (CSWD) Office in Alaminos City, Pangasinan.
The activity aimed to provide livelihood opportunities for the members in the form of sweet delicacy products such as polvoron, yema, and pastillas that will be sold at the newly opened Pasalubong Center in the city.
Elizabeth A. Radoc, CSWD Officer, expressed her gratitude to the City Cooperative Office and the DOST. She commended the eagerness of the members to learn new things as well as their commitment to the successful implementation of the livelihood project given to them.
Moreover, Hecson Lee De Vera, City’s Executive Assistant who represented Hon. City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste, also expressed his gratitude to the DOST for the agency’s support in providing the city’s needed technical assistance for their livelihood programs.
On the other hand, Meryl A. Bernardino, DOST staff assigned at PSU-DOST1 Food Innovation Center, together with PSU-Bayambang Campus faculty staff Charissa M. De Vera and Felcris Z. Dy, served as trainers.
De Vera discussed the Basic Food Safety and Hygiene Practices in food processing. She also demonstrated the process of making polvoron in peanut, pinipig and cookies and cream flavors while the process of making yema in milky and peanut flavor was taught by Bernardino. Lastly, Dy demonstrated the processes of making pastillas with tips to use other fruits or flavor that are abundant in their area to produce other flavors.
The participants were also advised to innovate their own flavor, recipes, and shapes for their packaging to attract customers. The trainers, likewise, emphasized the use of plastic cellophane as primary packaging of their products. They were also taught how to do simple product costing and stressed the importance of documenting all the supplies and raw materials used.
Bernalyn Martinez, Project Assistant II of DOST-I, informed the participants about the free label design assistance by the DOST that they can avail of for their products.
During the closing of the program, the CSWDO awarded packages of materials and ingredients to the participants as their startup capital for the livelihood project. (By Bernalyn P. Martinez, DOST PSTC-Pangasinan)
