Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) Top Management met with Cebu Governor Hon. Gwendolyn Garcia to discuss the plans for the possible construction of a Regional Fish Port (RFP) in the province, held at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on July 6, 2023.

According to PFDA Acting General Manager Atty. Glen A. Pangapalan, this proposal can help more fisherfolk in the region and further improve the already robust economy of Cebu. In addition, this project can help boost the production of commercial fisheries, municipal fisheries, and aquaculture in the province.

The project will be lobbied to become one of the priority projects of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data for 2021, Cebu recorded the highest annual increase in the value of production in agriculture and fisheries in Central Visayas at 7.3 percent. With that, Cebu proves itself to be the economic center in Central Visayas, therefore making the province a feasible location for a regional fish port.

Governor Garcia expressed her full support for the project. She said the port should be in a strategic place in Cebu which can be accessible to fishing vessels from neighboring provinces in Central Visayas like Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental.

An estimated eight hectares are required to construct the regional fish port. The PFDA and the Capitol will continue to cooperate to identify which area the project will soon rise to. 

Once approved and completed, this project will be the second RFP in the region after the Iloilo Fish Port Complex (IFPC) in Iloilo City. 

During the meeting, the PFDA officials were joined by Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas Regional Executive Director Angel Enriquez and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Central Visayas Director Allan Poquita.

(Mark Angelo N. Perez with report and photos from Sugbo News and Philippine Statistics Authority)