President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Wednesday his plan to establish 10 new fish ports equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment as part of efforts to develop the agri-fishery sector and achieve food security in the Philippines.
Marcos made this commitment during the inauguration of the rehabilitated and improved Philippine Fisheries Development Authority – Iloilo Fish Port Complex (PFDA-IFPC) in Barangay Tanza-Baybay, Iloilo City.
In his speech, Marcos emphasized the importance of building new fish ports with essential structures, such as cold storage facilities, to enhance operational efficiency and address logistics challenges.
“Kaya inaayos natin itong mga fish port na ganito para dito puwedeng isakay kaagad. Hindi na kailangan isakay sa truck, tapos kung saan-saan pa dadalhin. Napakalaki ang bayad ng transportasyon (We are upgrading fish ports like this, so that supply can be loaded immediately, without the need for trucks, and be distributed everywhere. Transport costs are very high),” he stated.
“I’m looking forward ngayon doon sa ating ibang itatayo na… Iyon hindi na rehabilitation ‘yun, bago ‘yun (I’m looking forward to the other ones that we are going to build… That’s not rehabilitation, that’s new). We have to put up fish ports na bago (that are new).”
Marcos noted that the Philippines must keep pace with neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, which have adopted similar systems to improve their fisheries sectors, enhance global competitiveness, and boost food production.
The new fish ports are expected to benefit over 2 million Filipino fishermen, allowing them to earn higher incomes. “This is why our infrastructure is important, dahil kahit na simpleng-simple lang na disenyo, eh mayroon lang tayong hallway na malaki, napakalaking bagay na kasi magiging sentro na ‘yan para sa ating mga mangingisda na connection (because it’s a big thing, even though its design is very simple – we only have a large hallway – it could become a center for our fishermen to build connections),” Marcos explained.
He added that these ports would provide connections to ice plants, frozen food retailers, and small stores, facilitating a more efficient supply chain.
The rehabilitated PFDA-IFPC, funded through the PFDA’s Multi-Year National Government Subsidy with a contract price of PHP 885.14 million, was completed in March. It features modern facilities and increased capacity to better serve its clients and stakeholders.
Equipped with a 390-kilowatt peak (kWp) Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system, the PFDA-IFPC includes 1,152 370-watt PV solar panel modules mounted on key structures, such as the new market hall, refrigeration building, cold storage facility, commercial building, public toilet, and administration building.
As a bustling hub of fisheries and trade in Western Visayas, the PFDA-IFPC supports over 1,400 industry players who drive the region’s economy. The new market hall houses 21 licensed fish brokers, 369 helpers, 503 fish viajeros with 344 helpers, 66 major overland fish suppliers, seven fishing vessel operators, and 37 retailers assisted by 74 personnel, creating a connected and efficient fishery supply chain from sea to market.