PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., on Wednesday, underscored the government’s push to expand cold chain facilities and rural infrastructure to raise the incomes of fisherfolk and farmers, saying such investments will cut transport costs and eliminate middlemen in the agriculture supply chain.
Speaking at the inauguration of a rehabilitated fish port in Iloilo, Mr. Marcos said the upgraded facility, which will serve about 1,500 fishermen, now includes cold storage and ice-making capacity powered by solar energy.
The improvements will extend seafood shelf life, allowing it to reach distant markets at higher prices.
The President said the government will build 10 more fish ports across the country, citing regional competitors such as Thailand and Vietnam as models.
“The value-added should remain with our fishermen and farmers, not with the middlemen,” he said in Filipino, according to a live-streamed video on the Radio, Television, Malacañang’s (RTVM) Facebook page.
Mr. Marcos also announced the distribution of fishing boats, tractors, harvesters, and milling machines, adding that grain dryers will be provided to complement the new equipment.
He underscored that infrastructure, from cold storage to retail linkages, is essential to making the fisheries sector more competitive and encouraging more Filipinos to make their living from the sea. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
