The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Tuesday launched the Livelihood Activities to Enhance Fisheries Yields and Economic Gains from the West Philippine Sea (LAYAG-WPS) to intensify support to fishers and boost the blue economy.

In a speech during the project launch in Zambales, BFAR director Demosthenes Escoto said the project intends to modernize fishing in areas adjacent to the WPS, including the Ilocos, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) regions.

Data show there are more than 300,000 Filipino fishing in WPS areas.

“The DA-BFAR commits to the task of empowering Filipino fisherfolk and ensuring that this program is justly and equitably implemented,” he said.

Under the LAYAG-WPS, select associations receive 62-footer fiberglass-reinforced plastic vessels; while around 150 female fisher-beneficiaries, mostly from Central Luzon and Ilocos, will receive livelihood support and post-harvest training.

Escoto also said the LAYAG-WPS will further pad the country’s blue economy and help drop post-harvest losses.

”We believe that we can still improve the numbers, we can sustainably harness the full potential of WPS,” Escoto said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., meanwhile, expressed full support for the program as he thanked local fishers for their efforts to help achieve food security.

In a separate statement, Laurel emphasized President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to “avoid overlaps and repetitions” to hit food security targets.

In 2023, the BFAR reported around 201,895 metric tons of production in areas adjacent to the WPS. (PNA)