The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said infrastructure development is underway for fish ports and markets in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camiguin, and Pampanga, a modernization program expected to benefit around 137,000 fish port users nationwide by improving storage capacity, market access, and distribution.

"The PFDA (will) provide facilities that improve fish handling, preserve product quality, and connect our fishing communities to wider market opportunities," PFDA General Manager Glen A. Pangapalan said.

Under the program, the Mambajao Modern Fish Port in Camiguin, an island province off northern Mindanao, is being developed to optimize fish handling and market access for about 1,652 fish port users.

In Pampanga in Central Luzon, the Masantol Modern Fish Market is set to receive a 20-metric-ton ice plant and ice storage facility designed to maintain product quality and minimize post-harvest losses. The new market is expected to serve around 1,750 users.

The Camaligan Fish Port in Camarines Sur, a province in the Bicol region, will likewise undergo an upgrade projected to benefit around 2,636 users. Taken together, the three named projects account for a combined 6,038 users, a fraction of the roughly 137,000 fish port users the wider program is expected to benefit nationwide.

Background on the PFDA and Philippine Fisheries

The PFDA is a Philippine government agency attached to the Department of Agriculture that develops, operates, and maintains fish port infrastructure and post-harvest facilities across the country. Its regional fish port network serves as a hub for fish landing, trading, cold storage, and related services for the commercial and municipal fishing sectors.

The Philippines, among the world's largest archipelagos, depends significantly on fisheries for food security and coastal livelihoods. Ice plants, cold storage, and modernized handling facilities are widely recognized as key to limiting spoilage in tropical supply chains and helping small fishing communities reach broader consumer markets.

The projects in Camarines Sur, Camiguin, and Pampanga form part of the authority's broader effort to upgrade regional port and market infrastructure under its mandate. The announcement did not include completion timelines or funding details for the individual projects, so the delivery of the Masantol ice plant and the pace of the Camaligan and Mambajao upgrades are the concrete milestones to watch as the modernization program advances toward its projected beneficiaries.

This story was reported by Maria Mikaela H. Tormon and first published by BusinessWorld Online.