Wazzup Pilipinas!
A visit at the Navotas Fish Port Complex?
Smells fishy? Not necessarily! I was actually surprised how clean and well-organized the place is....and why it doesn't smell fishy? Seriously, I was expecting something dirty, smelly and chaotic, but what I've seen was totally the opposite.
The Navotas Fish Port Complex is the premier fish center of the country! This is where our seaboodle orders come from! From my favorite milkfish (bangus), galunggong, shrimps, prawns, crabs, scallops, etc., coming from different parts of the country to even from others parts of the world (though frozen as expected), you'll find them here especially during evenings and early mornings.
Wazzup Pilipinas visited the Navotas Fish Port Complex a few days ago to give you possibilities on how we can survive or divert to another business during this pandemic since we could probably become seafood distributors ourselves. My friend Tina has a brother (Ivan) working there as a middleman selling these yummy seafood to distributors by bulk, so she brought me along one night to witness how things work at the fish port.
I was surprised that the Navotas Fish Port Complex is brightly lit and with limited number but all friendly people all wearing white shirts, plus the government-required face masks and shields for satisfying the protocols on health and safety. I said friendly because they would jokingly call me out as a vlogger when they saw me with my phone and selfie stick.
Yes, they guessed right that I was a vlogger because who would bring a monopod with him and walk around the fish port talking to his mobile phone attached to the monopod? It was very obvious. If I had a DSLR camera, they would probably think I was a photographer.
Social distancing is a bit lax at some instances but only because the tubs of seafood needed to move. They were pulling them from one location to another using ropes tied to the tubs.
I think they don't allow everyone to come in to the port unless you are a distributor, also to limit the entry of unnecessary persons due to the health and safety protocols of the government too.
I had enough time to roam around to take photos and videos, and to chat with some people, but I should return again some time in the early morning to see the other types of fish that usually comes during those hours. If I will return here, I'll be buying prawns- my top priority during buffets and festive gatherings.
I had an opportunity to chat with Ivan but I don't really know what to ask since I have no idea of the business. I know it's definitely more affordable to buy from here but they probably won't sell by a few kilos here, but by tubs which are several kilos meant for distributors. The distributors are the ones that sell these seafood to the retailers like those vendors at the market where we buy our fish from.
Ivan said the baby's he showed me cost P110 but are sold at P160 at the markets while "Yung ibang klase ng bangus may 130 at 120, yung galing Dagupan. Basta depende kasi sa size"
"Ang white prawn ranging sa 250 hanggang 400 yun depende sa size at sa kalidad"
"Class A, B to C sa quality yan ng hipon, tapos sa prize halimbawa 250 small, 300 med, 350 large"
"Halimbawa ang hipon medyo madali na masira yung 350 na large magiging 320 to 300 na lang yun kasi dahil sa kalidad niya"
I think I don't need to explain anymore what it would mean if you buy those of less quality. But it is really up to you and depending on your target market. I just hope this blog gives you an idea of possible business opportunities.
So prices do vary depending on a few factors mainly size and quality (like how fresh it is) and most probably where they came from since taste of the catch do vary depending on which place it came from. Fishes are like people too. They are judged based on their upbringing or where they were raised and grew up?
As expected, our breakfast a day after and even after a few more days when we visited our home in Montalban, Rizal was also fried galunggong from the Navotas Fish Port Complex (I went home with a lot of these tasty fishes), we added fried bacon (bought from our neighborhood online seller since we also support online sellers), some freshly harvested lettuce from my container garden there (this growing on our hydroponics), and chicken fingers breaded with cheese (bought from the supermarket).
Of course, always with either coffee, choco, milk, or if we're in Pasig, freshly squeezed juice from the citrus fruit of the day, either calamansi or lemon.
We also had the generosity to give some to our relatives and neighbors. After all, eating galunggong everyday may not be that fun any more, so we gave away some. Next visit I'll ask for a variety so we won't have to eat the same fish over and over. Not that I'm complaining, but variety is better.
But still the best dish there is on our breakfast, lunch and dinner table was the galunggong since it was as fresh as it could be if coming directly from the Navotas Fish Port Complex. To keep the freshness, they even added crushed ice with the fish when they wrapped it for us to bring back home.
This would be a good business venture for those who lost their jobs or business because of the Covid-19 or Corona virus pandemic. Since many do love seafood, you could become a distributor and target possible retailers to sell them. Though of course you need to invest on probably a freezer truck, or with just lots of ice, so you could deliver them fresh to your customers.
Whether it's meat (pork, beef or chicken) or seafood, they are kept cooled on ice or better frozen to maintain freshness and quality.
By the way, I'm still working on the video so please do watch out for it too. For the meantime, think about the possibilities of how this could be your solution to the challenges during this pandemic that is said to be still our new normal for at least a couple more years. Food is always a necessity that people could never do without
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
