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ZAMBOANGA
CITY—The
Canadian International Development Agency (Cida) has
committed to support plans to unleash the full potential
of the seaweed industry in the Southern Philippines,
specifically in the province of Tawi-Tawi.
Cida
second secretary Joseph Goodings made the announcement
at a forum held Tuesday in this city during which the
Philippine Development Assistance Program (Pdap)
presented the Sitangkai Seaweed Master Plan.
Goodings
said the Canadian government is looking forward to
assist the local government of Tawi-Tawi and the private
sector through the Pdap in implementing the master plan.
Pdap,
with funds from Cida, is on the forefront of efforts to
further develop the seaweed industry in Sitangkai
through Cida’s PRIME project, or the Promoting Rural
Industries and Market, Enhancement Program.
Goodings
said Cida has 5 million Canadian dollars (P203.42
million) for the whole PRIME program, including the
seaweed project.
He said
P10 million (245,788 Canadian dollars) is allocated for
the seaweed industry throughout the Visayas and
Mindanao regions.
“Our
goal is to reduce poverty and to bring in development,”
he said.
Sitangkai, which has a vast shallow reef measuring
60,000 hectares, is one of the 10 municipalities of
Tawi-Tawi located in the southern tip of the country.
Pdap
executive director Jerry Pacturan said the master plan
calls for the increase of seaweed-production areas in
Sitangkai from 2,500 hectares to as much as 10,000
hectares by 2010.
Pacturan
said the master plan also aims to increase Sitangkai’s
seaweed production from 3,000 metric tons monthly to
27,000 metric tons and increase in average annual farm
income from P60,000 to P300,000.
He said
the master plan is centered on Sitangkai as this
municipality in Tawi-Tawi is the single- biggest source
of seaweeds in the country, accounting for half of the
country’s 97,000-metric-ton annual production.
Sitangkai is dubbed as the seaweed capital of the
country for having such capability of producing half of
the country’s annual production of seaweed.
“We are
confident that with this support from our donor friend,
we will be able to fast-track the implementation of the
Sitangkai Seaweed Master Plan, and we will sooner
realize the benefits of the plan to Sitangkai’s seaweed
farmers,” Pacturan said.
He said
the master plan will pave the way for the consolidation
of efforts of all stakeholders involved in Sitangkai’s
seaweed industry, including the farmers, traders,
government agencies, donor agencies and the private
sector.
He said
the prospects of the seaweed industry are bright because
of the growing international demand for seaweed, which
is processed to produce carageenan, a major component in
the manufacturing of food products such as gelatin.
Carageenan is also used in the manufacturing of
toothpaste and is likewise used in the pharmaceutical
industry for coating medicine.
Pacturan
said since seaweed can only grow in clean water which
Sitangkai has, the town enjoys a comparative advantage
over other areas in the country and is in a unique
position to take advantage of the growing global demand
for carageenan. |
