Dried fish as a symbol of blessings

After selling buwad (dried fish) for 25 years, vendor Max Enriquez knows the business and how it has earned a place in the community of barangay San Nicholas.

Max and his wife Carmelita started out with P5,000 as capital for their dried fish stall in the Taboan market in 1986.

They were among the residents who celebrated the 447th Kaplag Festival of the San Nicholas Parish, a religious feast that coincides with the barangay’s “Buwad Festival.”

The Kaplag Festival commemorates the discovery of the image of the Sto. Niño 40 years after Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the 1521 battle in Mactan.

Msgr. Trinidad Silva, team moderator for the Kaplag Festival, said dried fish signifies blessings for the community and deserves to be celebrated alongside the Kaplag.

Enriquez agreed.

“We really enjoyed the festival,” he said.

Enriquez and his wife started as wholesale vendors of dried fish.

In the late ’90s, they became retailers of sweet pusit (squid), dilis, palad flakes, tarorot, fish tocino and fish tapa.

Their stall named Lita;s Dried Fish also sells other delicacies of Cebu like dried mangoes and otap.

He said danggit is the best-selling product and that most of his customers are local tourists.

He said he has patrons from southern Cebu and Davao City. Enriquez said they get their supply from Bantayan in Cebu and other provinces of Masbate and Negros Occidental. Supplies are delivered weekly usually on Mondays.

The Enriquez family also supplies other markets, earning P700 to P10,000 per day from their Taboan stall.

Enriquez said that tough competition among several dried fish stalls remains a daily challenge for them.

He said he copes by selling his products at cheaper prices to attract more customers.

The stall holder said they are thankful that they still earn a decent living selling dried fish and other delicacies.

“We are so thankful to the Sto. Niño for all the blessings,” Enriquez said. /Caryl Baylon, UP Intern