The national government is ramping up its investment in the fisheries sector through the ongoing rehabilitation of the General Santos City Fish Port Complex – an infrastructure push seen to strengthen regional trade and enhance the country’s agri-fishery value chain.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., led the inspection of the modernization project on Friday, underscoring efforts to revitalize the tuna capital of the Philippines and reinforce its central role in the country’s food supply chain.
The upgrade, implemented by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), involves major improvements to cold storage and port facilities that will expand capacity and support the efficient movement of agricultural products. It is a strategic return to PFDA’s original mandate of building robust fishery infrastructure – an institution founded during the time of Marcos Sr.
“This fish port project gives a clear view of a better future,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel, who also chairs the PFDA.
The General Santos Fish Port Complex services six of the country’s seven tuna canneries and sustains more than 200,000 jobs across various sectors. Once completed, the expanded facility is expected to bolster both local employment and national exports, reinforcing the city’s status as a key economic hub in Mindanao.
Tiu Laurel, a former fisheries entrepreneur, noted that strengthening the cold chain and agri-fishery port network remains vital to cutting post-harvest losses and boosting farmer and fisherfolk incomes.
“GenSan plays a strategic role not just in Mindanao, but across the national supply chain,” he added.
As part of the visit, the President and the agriculture chief held a town hall meeting with industry stakeholders to gather input and affirm the administration’s pledge to sustain investments that generate real economic returns at the grassroots.
The government also released P22.9 million in assistance to various fishing communities and cooperatives. These included Fish Aggregating Devices, salt production tools, marine engines, fish cage inputs, hito fingerlings, processing equipment, and complete seaweed farm setups – all intended to upgrade productivity and market access in the sector.