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The Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO), in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR), has organized a mission to Sabah, Malaysia, last February 11-17.
This is part of the measures being undertaken by the Philippine government to improve the seaweeds industry in the country.
The mission, which was composed of public and private fishery officials from Mindanao and Palawan, is intended to bolster the performance of the country’s seaweeds industry.
The delegation was spearheaded by the BIMP-EAGA Fisheries Coordinator for Mindanao and Palawan, Mr. George Campeon, Regional Director of BFAR XI-Davao Region. Also with the team is Mr. Keise Usman, BFAR-ARMM Regional Director and Mr. Virgilio Alforque,Region IX-Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Director to provide the mission with technical assistance.
Processing plants and some growing areas in Sabah were visited by the delegation and meet their company officials.
The group also got into talks with officials of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines Facilitation Center (BIMP-FC) pertaining to the conduct of the proposed 1st BIMP-EAGA Seaweed Conference in 2007.
Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, along with other heads of the State of the BIMP-EAGA nations, were earlier given directives to expedite the implementation of seaweeds programs and projects in the sub-region, among which is the Joint Venture on Seaweeds Production and Processing.
Export-bound seaweeds products are among Philippine’s top dollar-earner. In 2003, it generated $ 143.5 million for the country and registered a 10% increase in the following year with $ 158 million. It also accounts for most of the country’s total aquaculture output.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) continues to be the top seaweeds producing region in the country. The total seaweeds output of the whole Mindanao made up of 60% of the total seaweeds products in the country in 2003, 70% of which came from the ARMM.