The sought-after dried fish (oga) of Cadiz City has again made history at this year’s Negros Trade Fair at SM Aura SMX Convention Center at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City on September 23 to 28.
Literally speaking: “Ubos ang oga sang Cadiz” (Cadiz’s dried fish were sold out), generating more than P600,000 in revenue.
It was in the 2022’s Negros Trade Fair at Glorietta Mall 2 in Makati City when Cadiz first sold out all of its displayed oga.
Three years later, it did it again.
Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. was delighted by the report that boosted not just the income, but also the morale of their local small and medium entrepreneurs.
“This is one story that we could be proud of. This is the story of our oga. This is the story of Cadiz,” Escalante said.
Cadiz has been known as the “Oga Capital” of Negros Occidental.
Blessed with a vast coastline, Cadiz is thriving in its sustained fishing industry. More so, with its award-winning Avila Mangrove Reserve and Migratory Bird Sanctuary (AMRMBS).
AMRMBS, dubbed as Cadiz’s “guardian of the coast” was cited as one of the best managed mangrove areas in the Philippines during the Para El Mar Awards 2025.
Escalante said it is complementing the multi-million-peso fishing and oga industries in Cadiz.
With oga, Cadiz before had been subjected to a nasty joke: “Basta baho oga – Cadiz na! (If it stinks of oga, it’s in Cadiz)” But such a joke refused to stay as distasteful for Cadizen̈os. Rather, it made its own narrative highlighted by a deeper sense and meaning for “ogapreneurs” in Cadiz.
As time went by, Cadiz “ogapreneurs” evolved beyond perfection. They made oga not just presentable and sellable, but of export quality.
“Now, our oga is not just our main sea by-product, or sought-after among tourists from other places, rather it has already become part of our economic heritage perfected by time and by our perseverance,” Escalante stressed. “Oga is truly Cadiz’s unique identity not just in the local setting, but even around the world.”
So, from “Basta baho oga – Cadiz na!” now one can say, “Basta manamit nga oga – sa Cadiz lang! (if the oga is tasty, its from Cadiz)”
Hence, Escalante is gratified with Cadiz’s oga journey through the years.
“It makes us even more prouder to have people value the oga business since then. It’s beyond business – rather it’s a culture, a heritage, it’s history only in Cadiz,” Escalante capped.*
