Ilocos empanada gets a new packaging look

BATAC CITY, Nov. 6  – The increasing popularity of Ilocos empanada or the yellow-colored crunchy treat has prompted empanada makers to seek for a better packaging material to provide convenience to consumers who buy the snack on a take-out basis.

At present, the Ilocano treat is placed inside a brown paper bag wrapper which also serves as its primary packaging.

Empanada makers, Glomelyn Rigonan of Glomy’s Empanada and Jocelyn Corpuz of Glory’s Empanada, which are two of the more popular empanada stands in this city sought packaging improvement for their product through the Department of Science and Technology.

The DOST responded to the call through its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP).

Under the SET-UP strategy, the DOST assists small business owners in adopting technology innovations to help them improve their operations and boost their productivity and competitiveness.

Rigonan and Corpuz asked the DOST to provide support in the areas of packaging improvement and label design to help them improve the product’s quality, increase production output and boost sales.

The DOST in Region 1 granted the makers’ request and provided them technology support consisting of training, financial management and execution of packaging and label design.

Glomy’s Empanada was given a P50,000-worth of packaging improvement with its equity of P15,000 while Glory’s Empanada was given a P200,000-worth of packaging and label improvement with its equity of P20,000.

Aside from food processing, the DOST provides support to other priority business sectors namely furniture, gifts, decors and handicrafts, marine and aquatic resources, horticulture (cut flowes, fruits, high value crops) and metals and engineering.

Business owners who wish to apply for DOST’s assistance can get the following benefits: technological intervention where the business is assisted to acquire equipment; product packaging; skills and work practices upgrading and consultancy.

Those who can avail of the DOST’s program must satisfy the following requirements:  any company or individual firm based in the Philippines and wholly owned by Filipinos; any small and medium scale business firm that can be classified under the identified priority business sectors and an individual firm which is willing to apply technological improvements to existing operations. (Cristina Arzadon/PIA 1 Ilocos Norte)