The Mananagat Chronicle
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It’s about time that government and the sheries industry
provide a comprehensive situationer of the Philippine Fisheries
and Aquaculture. A hard look and appreciation of the country’s sheries and aquaculture will enable both government and industry players to confront the challenges head-on and become resilient
and adaptable to the changing times. To provide a venue for this
laudable undertaking, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources held its 1st State of the Philippine Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOPFA) Summit on November 21,
2017 at Quezon Hall, Seda Vertis North in Quezon City. Senator Cynthia Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, together with DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona, and Assistant Director Drusila Esther Bayate of BFAR Technical Services, attended the
summit.
The SOPFA aptly featured the milestones and changes in the sheries sector under the Duterte administration. With the theme, “Mga Bunga at Hamon ng Pagbabago sa Sektor ng Pangisdaan”, the event served as a platform for dialogue between the sheries
sector and the government concerning issues and concerns
continuously faced by the Philippine sheries industry. Strategic short-term and long-term measures originating from stakeholders
THE
Mananagat
CHRONICLE
DA-BFAR and USAID Oceans launch eCDTS
(Lifted from Fish Files; The DA-BFAR Magazine, Volume 6, No. 3, dated October, 2017)
News Feature
Birth of “The Mananagat Chronicle”
1st SOPFA Summit: A hard look at PHL Fisheries and Aquaculture
DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol addressing the concerns raised by the stakeholders.
(Photo Credit: Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources)
Reporting sh catch data will soon be made easy with the Philippine government’s newly-developed electronic Catch Documentation and Traceability System (eCDTS). After months of coding and development, the eCDTS is nally ready for testing following its soft launch last year during the 19th National Tuna Congress held in General Santos City.Last year’s soft launch was led by Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol, together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and US Agency for International Development (USAID) ofcials. eCDTS showcased the system’s web interface, demonstrating how shers, port inspectors, and other target users can process sheries paperwork and thus, help deter illegal shing, all with just a click
of a button.
Quick Background
The eCDTS project came about in 2017 when USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnership (USAID Oceans), a tie-up between the USAID and the South East Asian Fisheries and
Development Center, set course to the Philippines to develop a
Catch Documentation and Traceability System (CDTS).Partnering with BFAR, the USAID Oceans stationed at the General Santos City Fish Port Complex and the surrounding Sarangani Bay
area to
establish the CDTS project’s learning site. What followed
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The Ofcial Publication of SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc.
Vol. 1 No. 1 March 2018
page 9
Contact Nos. (83) 826-1042 / 826-1047 Fax: (63) (83) 552 9736 Email: shing.federation@gmail.com sffaii1999@yahoo.com Ofcial Website: https://www.sffaii.com
Genesis 1:21 (International Standard Version) says: “So God created every kind of magnicent marine creature, every kind of living marine crawler with which the waters swarmed, and every kind of ying creature. And God saw how good it was.”SFFAII, upon conceptualizing this ofcial publication is genuinely inspired by what the seas, high or low, have unceasingly offered to the millions of Filipinos in the country. The seas have indisputably and authentically enriched our lives and in General Santos City alone, the shing industry
from its birth up to the present, has thrived and overcome
all the challenges sometimes harshly thrown its way, thanks to the bounty of the God-given seas and the resilience and indomitable spirit of the sherman (Mananagat). Thus, we aptly name our ofcial newsletter “The Mananagat Chronicle” to fully recognize the contribution of the Mananagat in the vibrant shing industry.SFFAII rightfully brings back the whole gamut of the shing experience to its anchor, the Mananagat.
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The Mananagat Chronicle
Like all journeys in life, we start somewhere – our beginning. It is usually the rst step. Baby steps, if you may. Indeed “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Laozi was right.
Laozi IS right! His quote still rings true up to this
day and age.’’Today, we embark on another new journey. The SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. or SFFAII is coming out with
the maiden issue of The Mananagat Chronicle!
We are very pleased to announce this brand new service to our loyal members, our committed
foreign and local partners, the government
agencies we collaborate with, and most especially, the community we serve.We are hopeful that with The Mananagat Chronicle, you will be fully updated with our
activities and the progress of our advocacies.
After all, we are one community enjoying the same bounty of the sea!To new beginnings, Magandang GenSan!
JOAQUIN T. LU
P
RESIDENT
’
S
N
OTE
At the heart of the shing industry
OBJECTIVES OF THE FEDERATION
• Unite the different shing associations and allied industries in SOCSKSARGEN to jointly work for a sustainable and globally competitive industry;• Serve as the voice of the shing industry in lobbying for the policy agenda and relevant
issues and concerns;
• Provide a neutral venue for its members to raise specic problems and resolve fundamental issues besetting the industry; and,• Serve as a forum to strengthen industry representation and positioning with respect to other players in the world with the end-view of protecting, expanding, and maintaining the country’s strategic lead in the tuna industry.
Vision - Mission
The
SOCSKSARGEN
Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. is a cohesive federation acting as
catalyst towards attaining shing industry’s sustainability and global competitiveness through advocacy work in the local, national and international arena with leadership exercising democratic and participative means in attaining its objectives anchored on its core values of unity, cooperation, equality and social responsibility.
The member-associations include:
1. Southern Philippines Boat Owners and Tuna Association (SPBOTA)
2. South Cotabato Purse Seiners Association (SOCOPA)
3. Umbrella Fish Landing Association (UFLA)4. Chamber of Aquaculture and Ancillary
Industries of Sarangani, Inc. (CHAINS)
5. Tuna Canners Association General Santos (TCAGS)6. Fresh Frozen Seafood Association – Tuna Processors Philippines, Inc. (FFSA-TPPI)7. Tuna Cooperative of General Santos City
(Tuna Coop)
8. Shipyard Association of the Fishing Sector
(SAFS)
The SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. or SFFAII is a non-government, non-prot organization, established in 1999 as an umbrella organization of eight associations with over one hundred companies involved in shing, canning, sh processing,
aquaculture production and processing, and other allied industries. Its membership cuts across the entire value
chain from the capture sheries sector, composed of the hand line shermen, the small, medium and large
commercial ring netters and purse seine operators; to the
sh processing sector and exporters, composed of the big canning operators, fresh chilled, and frozen sh value-
adding sector.
SFFAII is based in General Santos City. It is governed by a Board of fourteen directors with an executive director managing the day-to-day operations.
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The Mananagat Chronicle
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editorial Consultants
Joaquin T. LuRosanna Bernadette B. Contreras
Writers/Contributors
Shalimar S. AbdurahmanChristina Y. CañeteVirgie A. de DiosEric C. SisonMary Jean S. Villegas
The Mananagat Chronicle is published bi-annuallyBy the SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. GenSan Fishport Complex, Tambler, General Santos City, Philippines. All rights reserved. 2018.
The Mananagat Chronicle
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The
S
OCSKSARGEN
Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII) held a board meeting
recently to ensure the sustainability of
its programs and advocacies. President Joaquin T. Lu presented the milestones that the organization has achieved in 2017. He also discussed the 2017 status of both national and international engagements and
recommendations to move forward. The board meeting was held at SFFAII conference room, GenSan Fishport Complex on February 26, 2018.In the same meeting, Executive Director Rosanna Bernadette B. Contreras reported on the following: 1) Evaluation of the 19th National Tuna Congress held on September 6-8, 2017. Contreras said the Congress gathered
almost 1,000 participants and obtained an increase in net
income. 2) Finances. Her report showed the nancial status for the year 2017. She likewise presented the proposed 2018 budget which was subsequently approved by the board. 3) Industry Updates. a) eCDT Project in partnership with USAID Oceans and BFAR was launched on September 6, 2017 at SM Trade Halls, General Santos City. The objective of the project is to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated shing.
Fresh frozen seafood industry
strives to achieve excellence
The leading producer and exporter of fresh frozen seafood in the country, Fresh Frozen Seafood Association of the Philippines, Inc. (FFSAPI), duly recognized as a player in creating strategies to develop fresh frozen seafood, is the only industry contributing 80 million dollars annually in export revenues. FFSAPI continues to achieve signicant milestones in the areas of policy advocacy, sh quality enhancement, market access, and industry development. It endorses ethical
Standards of Conduct and encourages its members to
faithfully adopt the same. These standards which ultimately benet the consumers include Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Inspection Program. FFSAPI also endorses the Principles for Responsible Fisheries and
encourages members to apply and implement the same.The FFSAPI has sponsored the following activities:
2nd National Aquaculture Summit, May 24-26, 2017
SMX Convention Centre with the theme “Unity in Diversity – Developing Philippine Aquaculture Competitiveness”.
The summit gathered about
900 participants from 12 countries. It hosted many world-class and high-level speakers.
2-day Seafood Safety Workshop, June 20-21, 2017
Ellis Suite, Purok Malakas, General Santos City It aimed at excellently equipping Quality Assurance Staff on handling queries made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Union Inspectors during plant visits. The Workshop was facilitated by Consuelo Baltazar and team from the Post-Harvest Division, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Central Ofce.
Sensory / Decomposition Workshop, March 8-9, 2018
Babes 2, East Asia Royale Hotel, General Santos City.Workshop will explain the quality standards that Food
and Drug Administration enforces on the acceptance
or rejection of seafood products. This workshop will be attended by representatives from BFAR, Regional Fish Inspectors, Post-Harvest Division, Fisheries Inspection
and Quarantine Division, Tuna Canners Association
of General Santos, Societe Generale de Surveillance or SGS, and the Seafood processor sector in the city.General Santos City - As a leading city in the shing industry, General Santos City has recently revived its council to embody the sher folk organizations/cooperatives and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in the locality. The City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council
(CFARMC) has selected regular members representing the
youth and women sectors who must come from the sherfolk youth and women organizations duly accredited by the city
government. Another set of representatives comes from the
NGOs and the private sector.
In November 2017, a reorganizational meeting of the
CFARMC was initiated by Melinda Donasco of the GenSan Agriculture Ofce. In the same meeting, an orientation about the creation of CFARMC was given by Butch Medardo Jamero, Jr., provincial shery ofcer of South Cotabato. However, owing to the absence of a quorum, the meeting was cut short.The reorganization was nally realized on December 7, 2017 with the election ofthe new set of ofcers. The SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. representing commercial shing was represented by Virgie A. de Dios. Ms. de Dios was elected Auditor; Chairperson of the Advocacy and Mobilization
Committee; and Member of the Legislative and Prosecution Committee.
It was approved during the same meeting that the Council will meet every last Friday of the month starting January 2018. Each Committee will present their issues and plans for the growth and sustainability of the Council.
GenSan revives CFARMC
SFFAII Board meets
Right Side (Counter clockwise): SFFAII President Joaquin T. Lu; SFFAII Executive Director Rosanna Bernadette B. Contreras; SFFAII Public Relations Ofcer Dominic Salazar; Soledad B. Manangquil, BOD, Tuna Cooperative of General Santos; and Eric Du, Representative, Umbrella Fish Landing Association
President Jake Lu presiding over
the board meeting.