Tagum Golden Foods (TGF) offers Calamansi Concentrate and Calamansi Ready-to-Drink Juice. Its juice is nutritious and traditionally made into fruit drink that helps to prevent respiratory diseases and viral infections. It is also rich in phosphorous, calcium, iron, and vitamin C.

The firm’s owner and manager, Alma L. Uy, established the business in 2000 with an initial capital of Php 200,000.00. It did not use any equipment down from slicing and squeezing of calamansi fruits, up to the packaging of the product. Because of this, the production process was labor intensive, time consuming, and prone to contamination.

In 2012, Mrs. Uy decided to mechanize the production process with the help of DOST Small Enterprise Upgrading Program-Innovation System Support Fund (SETUP-ISSF). Through the program, TGF acquired a hydraulic press and mixing machine/filling tank.

Furthermore, in 2014, the firm once again availed of SETUP for the planned improvement of the product packaging and labeling, product quality, and productivity. The company was provided with packaging equipment, improved packaging materials and jacketed kettle. SETUP also provided a new hydraulic press with higher recovery rate and a more efficient mixing tank.

The assistance from DOST-SETUP resulted to enhanced product quality and food safety. It also helped the company to increase in productivity and profitability.

The success of TGF contributed to Tagum City’s socio-economic progress as it generates employment and pays due taxes, while providing calamansi growers with a steady market.

Sources:
Transforming Lives Through Science and Technology
dost.gov.ph
OneStore.ph