QUEZON CITY – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored his call for greater investment in agriculture during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, urging the business community: “Nanawagan pa rin ako sa ating mga negosyante: Mamuhunan kayo sa ating agrikultura!” (I am still calling on our business community to invest in agriculture!)

The following day, July 29, COOP-NATCCO Partylist Representative Felimon Espares met with cooperative leaders and officials of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to explore how cooperatives can channel investments into food production and learn more about available government programs.

Presiding over the meeting, Congressman Espares said: “We have invited government agencies to present their programs. Hopefully, our guests will walk out of here today with commitments to the cooperatives.”

BFAR: Cooperatives as Ideal Fisheries Enterprises

First to present was BFAR, represented by Nazario C. Briguera, Spokesperson of the Information and Fisherfolk Coordination Unit, who opened by stressing that cooperatives are the ideal enterprise model for the fisheries and seafood industry.

“BFAR offers assistance to cooperatives—especially those with fisherfolk members—to put up ‘baklad’ or fish cages. BFAR-assisted fisherfolk have recorded substantial catches, and in a cooperative setting, this can be even more successful. The cooperative can take charge of marketing the catch, reducing costs, increasing income, and putting more food on the table,” Briguera explained.

BFAR also offers 62-foot fishing boats for interested cooperatives, along with aquaculture support for seaweeds, tilapia, bangus, shellfish, and shrimp production. For cooperatives with existing fish ponds, BFAR provides the necessary technology and even supplies fry (baby fish).

Strengthening Aquaculture and the Value Chain

According to Briguera, BFAR’s vision is to strengthen aquaculture, aiming to shift the ratio of aquaculture to wild fish catch to 60:40.

The agency’s seaweed program has thrived due to storm-resilient cages capable of withstanding typhoons. BFAR also conducts post-harvest training on producing value-added products such as fish deboning, noodles, and fish nuggets.

“For cooperatives, excess catch can easily be processed into higher-value products. BFAR is active in every stage of the seafood value chain,” Briguera said.

He added that a cooperative equipped with a 62-foot boat, a fish pond, and post-harvest facilities—supported by local government and law enforcement—could operate and grow as an integrated enterprise.

“BFAR is also requesting an additional budget, and the help of COOP-NATCCO Partylist will be very important,” he noted.

In 2023, early in his presidency, Marcos pledged to support agricultural cooperatives and farmers in boosting productivity, output, and income. In his 2023 SONA, he said:

“We connect farmers through farm and fisheries clustering … almost 900 cooperatives… We will need the support of Congress to amend the Cooperative Code. Through this, their production and market force will gradually grow stronger.”

Similarly, during the National Cooperative Day celebration on October 16, 2023, Marcos reiterated the need to amend the Cooperative Code and emphasized consolidating farmers’ cooperative associations as key to improving agriculture and food security.