Bulacan fishball maker wins big with ‘bidbid’ fish innovation

A fishball-maker, who learned how to make processed products out of "bidbid" fish considered a nuisance in fishponds, bagged the top prize in this year's Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA).

At a ceremony at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex on Friday, the "Microentrepreneur of the Year" award was presented to Erwin Ramos, who owns a fishball facility in Paombong, Bulacan and first experimented with bidbid fish as a base ingredient for fishballs in 2011.

In a press statement, the CMA noted how in Ramos' process "no part of the bidbid fish goes to waste," and "even the innards are used as feed in prawn farms."

Ramos and his wife also launched their own brand, "Erwin and Lanie’s Fishball," with the help of a small loan of P5,000. They also ventured into dried fish processing and fish chicharon-making.

Other awardees include the following:

• Maria Elena Estadola - Regional Awardee for Luzon
• Rosario Amoroto - Regional Awardee for Visayas
• Arnold Viado - Regional Awardee for Mindanao
• Mary Grace Bayalas - Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year
• Estrella Balnao and Romeo Ponio - Special Award for Agri Micro-business
• Jessette Oquendo - Special Award for Community Leadership
• Marisa Ganding - Special Award for Startup Micro-business

The CMA, which aims to generate economic opportunities for low-income workers and youth around the globe, was initiated and funded by the Citi Foundation and hosted in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

This year’s CMA winners received close to P2 million in cash and non-cash prizes which include a year's coverage of life and health insurance; laptops and IT training; and grassroots entrepreneurship training.

“We are honored to recognize and celebrate successful entrepreneurs whose perseverance, determination and conviction to pursue their dreams serves as an inspiration to others," BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said.

"These outstanding entrepreneurs have made a difference for their families and now serve as catalysts to encourage and motivate other entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps," he added. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM, GMA News