TACLOBAN CITY – Seeking to boost food production and strengthen the livelihoods of its coastal residents, Ormoc City has formally opened its 24.5-hectare mariculture park—a major step in its wider push for sustainable aquaculture development in Leyte.
Launched on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Barangay Alegria covered court, the project underscores the city’s growing role as a regional leader in modern, environmentally compliant mariculture. The facility is fully covered by an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and carries the theme “Cultivating a Sustainable Legacy, Securing a Thriving Livelihood.”
Designed to increase the production of milkfish and other high-value species, the park aims to provide long-term livelihood opportunities for eight fisherfolk associations and more than 400 coastal households. Its layout includes designated zones for large operators, small and medium enterprises, research and development, conditioning, and a fisherfolk zone that ensures local fishers remain at the core of operations. Polyculture systems—such as farming siganids alongside bangus—are also being promoted.
To jumpstart operations, the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) turned over P12 million worth of interventions under the AMEIP and BFAR Regular Fund – Cages for Livelihood Program. These include four circular HDPE cages, four modular HDPE cages, and supplies of feeds and harvest materials.
The city government also provided 20 bamboo cages (5×5 meters) to individual fisherfolk.
Beneficiaries are expected to begin operations right away, with the first harvest projected in the second half of 2026—estimated at 38 metric tons of milkfish. The project is further supported by Ormoc’s 115-hectare citywide mariculture zone established under the 2024 Fisheries Code, ensuring room for expansion.
Among those who attended the launch were City Councilors Tomas Serafica and Ari Larrazabal, former BFAR assistant director and mariculture pioneer Gil Adora, OIC BFAR-8 Regional Director Dominador Maputol, BFAR Mariculture Focal Person Julius Ceasar Caballes, Leyte Provincial Fisheries Officer Lorieginia Briones, DA-8 OIC Regional Director Rodel Macapañas, representatives from Visayas State University and the Philippine Coast Guard, and fisherfolk beneficiaries.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
