Pangasinan Seaweed Processors Receive Livelihood Aid to Boost Industry

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan — Two fisherfolk organizations in this province received livelihood assistance packages worth P600,000 each from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Ilocos Region to strengthen their seaweed-based food processing enterprises. The beneficiaries are the Cato Calipi Association (CCA) of Infanta and the Ilio-Ilio Farmers and Fisherfolk Agricultural Cooperative of Burgos, two coastal towns facing the West Philippine Sea. In a recent interview, BFAR Regional Director Remely Lachica said each package includes a food cart, portable solar generator, refrigerator, cooking and food processing equipment, utensils, and raw materials needed to launch and sustain the livelihood project. The assistance was turned over to the groups last week. Before the distribution last week, BFAR also provided business capability-building training to help the beneficiaries manage and operate their enterprises. “The project is essential for facilitating the efficient and sustainable storage and marketing of seaweed products, ensuring proper storage conditions, and supporting the growth of the seaweed industry,” Lachica said. CCA president Hilda Espinosa said the association’s 38 members — mostly fishermen and their wives — are grateful for the support, which will enable them to produce buchi, pastillas, and other kakanin enriched with Eucheuma seaweed. She said the group’s food cart has been set up at the Cato Fish Port, where it serves residents and fishing boat workers. According to Espinosa, their seaweed-based snacks have become popular among customers because they are both nutritious and filling. The project is part of BFAR’s Enhanced Philippine Seaweed Development Program (EPSDP), under a memorandum of agreement signed with the two organizations. The EPSDP is one of BFAR’s flagship livelihood programs aimed at reducing poverty by increasing seaweed production and providing fisherfolk organizations with appropriate technologies and livelihood support for seaweed farming and processing.