Mindanao fishery sector needs funding for export

MANILA, Philippines - Amid slumping exports, fishing firms in South Central Mindanao may soon retrench workers unless funding needs to boost product quality and processing capacities are addressed, the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) has warned.

“Most of these companies have either retrenched workers, applied work rotation schedules or laid off workers,” said Philexport Region 12 executive director Ismael Salih Jr.

At present, there are a total fo 300,000 workers in fishing and marine manufacturing industry in the region.

Salih said this figure does not include “indirect employees”—for which he did not provide data-- who may also get affected once the situation worsens.

At the heart of the problem is the decreasing exports from cannery and marine processors due to low fish supply in the region, particularly in General Santos City.

Salih said more than 100 fishing companies have already slowed down or ceased operations due to the fishing ban imposed by Indonesia on its waters where most companies have fishing concession. 

To address the issue, Philexport said exporters from the region are seeking funding assistance under a program for micro, small and medium enterprises, where food processors usually belong.

The program covers orientation, seminar and preparation of quality manuals for certification, assessment and granting every processors the competence to obtain such certification as a requirement for export.

In addition, the two-year program also aims to facilitate quality and buyers certification for agriculture products, tuna and aquaculture processors located in South Cotabato and General Santos City.

“When these potential processors have the capability to export, it will increase the manufacturing activity among them,” Salih said.

This, in turn, will allow them to “employ more workers” and “address the problem of unemployment in the affected fishing manufacturing industry.”