DIMASALANG, Masbate – The sun was up that day and 58-year old Orlando Capillan was all smiles. He had gone to the shore as early as two in the morning to buy dilis (Philippine anchovy), a two-inch long and half a centimeter thin fish abundant along the coast of this town, some 604 kms. kilometers away from Manila.

The island-province of Masbate may be reached in an hour from the Pilar Pier in Sorsogon province via commuter boat or more than four hours by the local ferryboat. Government statistics show that it has a population of 707,668 as of May 1, 2000, sixty percent of whom are fisherfolk who live by the sea.

Dilis are dried in  kapils under the sun as residents of a Masbate village look on PHOTO BY DABET CASTAÑEDA

Dilis, fisherfolk here said, is the most popular catch not only because of its abundance but because it is useful whether it is preserved wet or dry. Dried dilis Capillan makes a living by selling dried dilis. He buys fresh dilis from fisherfolk by the shore. The fresh catch is sold at P1,500 per container ($29.26 at an exchange rate of $1=P51.25).  A container holds 15 to 17 kilos. Capillan, who lives in Barangay (village) Poblacion, then puts the dilis on a kapil, a large drying dish made of bamboo and fishnet. The dilis is then made to dry in the sun for a day and a half. “Hindi na kailangang timplahan ng asin kasi lamang dagat naman kaya maalat na,” (There is no need to add salt since it comes from the sea and therefore salty already.) he said.

The secret to good quality dilis is sun-drying freshly-caught fish. “Kaya dapat madaling araw bibili ng dilis. Mayroon din tinitinda  sa hapon pero mabibilasa na yun kasi hindi na maibibilad,” (That is why one needs to buy fish at dawn.  Although dilis is being sold in the market in the afternoon, it cannot be dried anymore and would only rot.) he said.

He sells his product for P80 to P90 ($1.56-$1.75) a kilo in the town market. The bigger market for dried dilis, however, is the neighboring island-province of Cebu. Dried dilis are sold to small traders who in turn sell it to market vendors in Cebu.

Fish bagoong

In Barangay Poblacion, a neighboring village, 54-year-old Helen del Prado had just mixed salt into several containers of dilis. She said that in 24 hours, the dilis will be cooked in salt. This becomes what villagers call bagoong isda (fish paste).

For 20 years now, del Prado sells fish bagoong for a living.

Two containers that hold 15 to 17 kilos of dilis are mixed with one sack of salt. One container of dilis costs P800 to P900 ($15.60-$17.56) while one sack of salt costs P155 ($3.02). Del Prado sells fish bagoong by the can for P400 ($7.80). Like the dried dilis, fish bagoong is in demand in the markets of Cebu, del Prado said.

Source of living

Capillan and del Prado said that the diminutive dilis gives them a good source of living. In fact, they said that their earnings from dried dilis and fish bagoong have sent their children to school.

“Nakapagpatapos kami ng mga anak sa katas ng dilis,” (Their children were able to complete their schooling through their earnings from anchovies.) they both said. Bulatlat

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© 2006 Bulatlat ■  Alipato Media Center

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