Upholding its permanent commitment to helping improve the quality of life of Filipinos through sustainable food production, Mega Prime Foods, Incorporated (MPFI) inaugurated the Senses of the Sea: The Mega Sardines Museum. This is the first state-of-the-art visual experience tour in a canned seafood manufacturing company showcasing Mega Sardines’ unique “Catching-to-Canning” process.
MPFI and its leaders formally opened The Mega Sardines Museum’s doors for viewing and touring, with stakeholders from the government, business, tourism, food, technology, and nutrition sectors as the first batch of visitors to experience the interactive tour.
In her message, MPFI chief executive officer Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan reiterated the company’s role as a government partner in educating students of all ages by showcasing the company’s best practices and innovations in canned sardines production, which is considered the best in the country.
“Through this catching-to-canning experience tour, we will be able to effectively set forth our advocacy in becoming a government partner in educating the youth on real-world experiences and knowledge about the food manufacturing industry. We believe that The Mega Sardines Museum offers experiential learning to students. Lessons of which can become a core memory that simply cannot be found in textbooks and theories,” she said.
She added that The Mega Sardines Museum also aims to stimulate growth in the economy of Batangas and Calabarzon Region as it gears up to become one of the newest tourist attractions in the province and the region. Such movement in the region’s tourism landscape is expected to stimulate the local economy through jobs generation and development of domestic enterprises.
“Seen to attract up to 5,000 guests per month, the tour is bound to boost the local tourism of Sto. Tomas and the Batangas Province with the presence of guests from educational and business institutions taking interest in the process of food production,” Tiu Lim-Chan said.
A glimpse of MPFI’s support to the government in its pursuit for a food-secure and -sufficient Philippines, Tiu Lim-Chan said the company hopes to demonstrate how important it is for them to be able to produce affordable, nutritious, and safely packaged seafood products that are suitable for every member of the Filipino household.
During the grand opening of the facility, MPFI signed a partnership agreement with the Department of Tourism Region IV-A (DOT-4A) which elaborates the tourism department’s support the promotion of the Mega Sardines Museum through the agency’s endorsement and inclusion of the museum in the DOT Region 4A promotions of tourism in CALABARZON region. The museum will be included in the DOT-4A’s list of must-visit locations in the region and in the recommended itinerary in educational tours for elementary, high school, and college students.
DOT-4A Regional Director Marites Castro, in a message, said that more than the educational component of the facility, she also sees a boost in the province’s tourism with the expected influx of guests and visitors from other parts of the country. “This one-of-a-kind tourist destination in Sto. Tomas, Batangas not only showcases world-class food production processes but also promotes marine conservation and cultural heritage, contributing significantly to the economic growth and development of the entire Calabarzon region,” she said.
MPFI also formalized its partnership with the Philippine Amusement & Entertainment Corporation (PAEC), the biggest creator and operator of indoor interactive tourism and educational attractions in the country to help curate and manage the Senses of Sea. The said partnership will strengthen the support of both companies to the K-12 basic education and MATATAG Agenda of the Department of Education as well the Department of Tourism’s campaign to showcase the countless reasons to love the Philippines.
Meanwhile, MPFI’s chief growth and development officer Marvin Tiu Lim spoke of the Mega Sardines Museum as a vehicle for strengthened nationalism.
“By partnering with local suppliers and talents, the Mega Sardines Museum strengthens the local economy and supports local entrepreneurship. This collaboration with local businesses fosters economic growth and contributes to the development of domestic industries,” he said.
He added that MPFI through The Mega Sardines Museum also wants to set an excellent example in sustainability and marine conservation. The facility has features, such as a warehouse, a fishmeal plant with zero-waste system, and cold storage facilities that are eco-friendly with an installation of an energy efficient lighting system to lower carbon footprint emissions.
As a strong show of support to the many advocacies of MPFI, Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Operations Dexter Galban, Sto. Tomas Mayor Arth Jhun Marasigan, Department of Tourism Region 4A Director Marites Castro, PAEC President & CEO Lance Tan, and other representatives from community and stakeholder groups were present at the event.
The facility will officially open to interested groups, organizations, and the general public starting September 2023.
MPFI’s Senses of the Sea: The Mega Sardines Museum, Appreciation and learning through interactive experience
Housed within MPFI’s newest manufacturing facility in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, the 906-sqm experiential and interactive tour setup provides insights and novel information on the company’s world-class, highly-efficient, and innovative production process considered to be the best practice in the Philippine food production sector.
The experience offers guests and visitors an immersive, interactive, and educational journey through the heart of canned fish production. Moreover, the interactive and informative tour takes guests on an exclusive behind-the-scenes exploration of Mega Sardines’ production lines, giving them a firsthand look at the meticulous processes involved in bringing fresh fish products from the sea to the can.
Marine-themed spaces–as follows–comprise the Senses of the Sea’s floor plan, ensuring a highly-interactive and learning-rich experience for its guests and visitors:
- A visually-enriching and -stimulating Briefing Room where guests will learn and know about the rich history of Mega and its unique 12-hour catching-to-canning process.
- The Sardine Catching Room, an interactive space where guests and visitors will learn about innovations in fishing, efforts towards marine conservation, and the important nutritional value of sardine food products.
- A Production Viewing Deck which allows for visitors to view, observe, and learn about the actual process of canned sardines production.
- A photo opportunity space featuring Mega Fleet of Vessels, where guests will learn about the different types of fishing boats and technology employed during the catching process.
- The Sardines Canning Room which will take the visitors through the process of canning of sardines, and will provide the opportunity to try first-hand the process of putting sardines in cans using the mock-up conveyors.
- And the Seaside Market, a designated space for interactive activities such as workshops, huddles, seminars, and cooking demonstrations. It also showcases Mega’s rich history, and highlights the hard work of the founders in building the company to what it is today.
Tiu Lim-Chan promised that The Senses of the Sea is not the end of Mega’s pursuit of expanding how it brings quality products and services, ensuring that Mega will always be at the service of Filipino families in every corner of the country.