The government said on Wednesday it has initially set aside a budget of P111 million for the expansion of the fish port in Bulan, Sorsogon, to attract more investors in the area.
The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said the improvements planned for the Bulan Fish Port Complex will be implemented before the end of the year.
A groundbreaking ceremony, as well as the signing of a memorandum of agreement returning the Bulan Municipal Fish Port (BMFP) to the PFDA, was held last month.
“The event formalized the conversion of BMFP into a regional fish port and paved the way for the beginning of the transformation,” PFDA General Manager Glen Pangapalan said in
a statement.
Pangapalan said the agency attached to the Department of Agriculture is planning to add 11,000 square meters (sq m) to the fish port’s present lot area of 4,000 sq m during the first phase of the project.
“There will also be a second phase, which is estimated to cover 13,000 sq m of land. Along with this expansion will come new facilities, such as ice stalls, food stalls, banyera warehouse, parking area and bigger market halls,” he added.
Pangapalan said the target beneficiaries of the project are the 78 existing locators operating inside the BMFP, and approximately 1,541 registered fishing vessels unloading at the port with an estimated labor force of 6,413 coming not only from Bulan but also from the neighboring towns.
“The project will solve the problems of congestion in the landing quays, and the lack of space in the market hall. The fishermen will have better chances of showcasing their products in the improved facilities,” he said.
The PFDA-constructed fish port was rehabilitated in 1996 and became the fish landing and trading for fishermen operating within the area, as well as in Burias Island and Northern Samar.
In March 1998 the PFDA transferred the management of the port to the municipal government of Bulan. In almost two decades of operation, commerce in the BMFP grew immensely, with the number of fish traders increasing from 10 in 1997, to 25 in 2016, handling an average of 22 metric tons (MT) of fresh fish per day.
The average number of fishing vessels that arrive daily at BMFP is around 31, making it harder to accommodate new incoming clients and fishers. The PFDA said double banking or even triple banking of vessels is unavoidable, which results to double handling of fish from the fishing vessels to the landing quay.
This led to risks in food quality and safety, as well as income losses of stakeholders, prompting the PFDA to reestablish BMFP as one of its regional fish ports, which will service businesses within the Region 5 and neighboring provinces.
The proposal is also in line with the PFDA’s mandate to strengthen the government’s developmental thrust in fisheries by providing postharvest infrastructure facilities and essential services that improve efficiency in the handling and distribution of fish and fishery products.
A project feasibility study was conducted in the area and completed in 2016. According to the study, the present facilities in the BMFP are no longer capable to cater to the increasing activities and businesses being conducted therein.