For the fishing households of Bulalacao, Lamayo is  an ordinary homemade viand made from excess fish they sell. Little did they know this processed fish will become one of the town’s rising cottage industry.

Lamayo is a half-dried fish made mostly by people in Sition Aplaya, Poblacion. It’s preparation is simple: they soak the fish in native vinegar with garlic, calamansi juice, pepper and salt. Later, the fish will be sun-dried.

Traditionally, the locals cook the fish after marinating. But to make it last for two days without refrigerating, they started to have them half sun-dried.

The processed fish can last up to two days without refrigerating.

It was only last year that Bulalacao began to consider Lamayo as a cottage industry. Twenty-eight housewives from Sitio Aplaya, Fishport gathered to form the Aplaya Women’s Association.

They underwent training in processing through the help of the Department of Trade and Industry, which also provided seed money for the cottage industry.

The Oriental Mindoro Provincial government, meanwhile donated drying and sealing equipment.

Donasyon naman ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ang drying at sealing equipment.  The municipal government of Bulalacao constructed a processing facility.

Today, the association produces about 700 kilos of Lamayo per month. This fish product is now available in the markets of Bulalacao, Bongabong and Calapan City.