Bolstering fisherfolk cooperatives! This is the ultimate goal of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
It further strengthens the collaboration between the CDA and BFAR through the following initiatives: (1) Organizing cooperatives among fisherfolk organizations and associations; (2) Strengthening existing cooperatives through comprehensive capacity-building training, market linkages, and access to affordable credit and investment, and (3) Enhancing productivity as the harmonized and convergence of the two (2) agencies synergize in scaling up the capability and productivity of cooperatives engaged in various fisheries activities, including capture, aquaculture, post-harvest, and marketing.
CDA Administrator Asec. Santiago S. Lim stressed in his message how the MOA enhances coordination and collaboration empowering the cooperative sector in their critical role to agriculture advancement and food security in accordance with the Presidential Directives.
On one hand, BFAR OIC Isidro M. Velayo Jr. recognized the vital role of cooperatives in empowering the fisherfolks as he stressed DA-BFAR’s enduring commitment to the fisherfolk community towards inclusive and sustainable development. It is hoped that through the partnership, low percentage of fisherman cooperatives versus the total number of cooperatives in the country will be addressed and bridge this gap.
On the other hand, CDA Chairman Undersecretary Joseph B. Encabo emphasized that this partnership marks a fresh start in bringing together fisherfolks to converge as cooperatives, equipping them to strategize and identify sources to help them strengthen their capabilities. USec. Encabo added that the partnership is a concrete manifestation of bringing the fisherfolks and the cooperative sector to a brighter, stronger, and more resilient tomorrow for the progress and development of the focus sector – the fisherfolks through more research, development, and engagement between BFAR and CDA.
With the commitment of both agencies to support fisherfolk cooperatives through promoting economic stability and addressing food security challenges, it is hoped that through its initiatives, the fisherfolk’s declining production trend for over a decade (DA Special Order No. 1573, 2024) and for being consistent as among the poorest among the basic sectors of the Philippine statistics in 2015, 2018, and 2021 (PSA, 2023) will be addressed.
From Left to right: ASec. Virgilio R. Lazaga – Head of Agriculture Cooperatives Cluster; CDA Chairman USec. Joseph B. Encabo; Dir. Isidro M. Velayo – BFAR Officer-in-Charge; Ms. Amor G. Diaz – Chief of the Fisheries Industry and Development Support Services Division
