State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace
March 14, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with several Cabinet members and heads of government agencies at the State Dining Room in Malacañan Palace.

The agenda centered on the Philippine Fisheries Program wherein the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) presented the challenges of fish supply and demand for fiscal year 2023 such as declining fish catch, high poverty incidence and post-harvest losses (currently at 25-40% losses along the value chain), as well as strategies to increase fish production through aquaculture at 10% annually in six (6) years to contribute to food security while easing out pressure from capture fisheries and enable resources to recover.

President Marcos Jr. ordered the prioritization of fish ports construction in 11 coastal provinces to capacitate and empower fisherfolks towards resiliency, decrease post-harvest losses through upgrading/fixing/construction of cold storage facilities in fish ports across the country, provision of ice and ice making machines for small-scale fisherfolks, provide intensive training, distribute equipment to bring down post-harvest losses, and rehabilitation of 20 identified municipal fish ports that are traditional landing ports, among other priority matters.

The attendees included Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones, DA Undersecretary Drusila Esther Bayate, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Demosthenes Escoto, Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) Acting General Manager Senando Santiago and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Undersecretary Joseph Encabo.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile joined President Marcos Jr. in the meeting.

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