The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Program (DA-PRDP) Caraga recently approved a PHP242 million project to enhance the tuna industry in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur.

In a statement Monday, DA-13 said the Tuna Consolidation and Marketing with Cold Chain Facilities project will be funded through the PRDP Scale-Up and implemented under its I-REAP (Investments in Rural Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity) program.

The Mangagoy Farmers Fisherfolk and Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAFFISCO-MPC) will oversee the project, which was greenlit by the DA-PRDP Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) on Oct. 4.

“This is a significant subproject not only for Surigao del Sur but also for the broader region, as it employs an interprovincial approach under the Scale-Up program,” Lynn Parenas, head of the PRDP’s I-REAP component in the region, said.

Parenas said the new facilities will offer small-scale fisherfolk opportunities to preserve the quality of their tuna catch and diversify their product offerings, addressing critical gaps in input supply and fish processing in the region.

“We view this project as a catalyst for developing the tuna industry in Bislig and the rest of Surigao del Sur, with the potential to expand operations throughout the region,” MAFFISCO-MPC general manager Rho Cougee Garrido said.

The RPAB, chaired by DA-13 Director Arlan Mangelen, is responsible for reviewing and approving all regional PRDP subprojects. (PNA)