For those who want to try the Ivatan Beer, you may have to fly to Batanes to avail the beverage product as there is no plan yet to expand its market.
This was disclosed by Nora T. Garcia, provincial director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC) during the weekly report of DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña on Friday, April 17.
"The commercialization of the Ivatan beer locally sa Batanes muna (will be first locally available for Batanes) and for our tourists is enough market for our Ivatan Beer, hindi na 'yung umaasa ng ibang product from other areas kundi sariling atin sa Batanes (so that we will not rely on products from other areas, but we now have our own in Batanes),” she said at the sidelines of de la Peña’s report.
She explained that the main objective of their Ivatan drink development and production was to supply to needs of the Ivatans and the visiting tourists.
Batanes State College (BSC) president Dr. Alfonso R. Simon said “it is all systems for the commercialization, reproduction, and distribution of the first batch of the Ivatan Beer.”
“It will soon be locally available in the province of Batanes,” he said.
Last week, the DOST announced that the first batch of 3,125 300mL bottles of Ivatan Beer will be produced and will be commercially available in Batanes this month.
De la Peña said the Ivatan Beer “is now ready for commercialisation” in Batanes, as the agency extended P100,000 in assistance to Tawsen Agri-Ventures, a beneficiary of Small Enterprises Upgrading Technology Program (SETUP), to support the commercialization of the product.
“This would be the very first batch of Ivatan Beer to be produced, since the transfer of technology from the DOST Region 2 last March,” he noted.
In January this year, the Tawsen Agri-Ventures has signed the technology licensing agreement with the BSC seeking to transfer the Ivatan Beer production technology to the local-based business.
Ivatan Beer is made from the locally grown sweet potatoes or ‘wakay’. It was developed the Batanes State College, in partnership with the DOST Region 2.
Read more: 3K bottles of Ivatan Beer to be produced, sold in Batanes — DOST