First to Rise in General Santos, the Fish Health and Quality Control Laboratory
In General Santos City with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) recently led a groundbreaking ceremony for a Regional Fisheries Laboratory and Satellite Office, with a budget allocation of Php 114.9 million.
This facility will be Soccsksargen region’s first fish health and quality control laboratory, located at the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) within the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) compound at the General Santos City Fish Port Complex.
For Fish Health and Quality Control
According to Elizer Salilig, national head of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the fish health and quality control laboratory will be built as part of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Cold Examination Facility for Agriculture (CEFA) project. The groundbreaking was held last Tuesday, June 17. The facility would also function as a satellite office for BFAR-Region 12, which is situated in neighboring Koronadal City, the region’s seat of government.
BFAR National Director Elizer S. Salilig emphasized the laboratory’s critical role in protecting aquatic food chains, notably disease surveillance, product quality control, and adherence to international food safety standards. He went on to say that the regional laboratory will help fishing firms, aquaculture operators, exporters, processors, local government units, researchers, and academic institutions by offering speedy and science-based diagnostic services.
According to Salilig, the BFAR office in Region 12 is in charge of managing construction and operations, including the acquisition of modern equipment for aquatic product testing.
The Initiative
BFAR Regional Director Usop Pendaliday Jr. stated that the P114.9 million facility is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture’s Cold Examination Facility for Agriculture (CEFA) Project. According to him, the project’s goal is to improve food safety, increase local and export market preparedness, and expand disease surveillance and diagnostics in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
The groundbreaking event was also an emotional win for Marfenio Tan, the local industry advocate and president of San Andres Fishing Industries Inc., who reminisced on two decades of advocacy and resolutions for the lab’s construction.
The Collaboration
Representing the Department of Agriculture, Undersecretary for Agri-Fisheries Mechanization Roger Navarro stated that the successful establishment of the facility demonstrates the positive outcomes that can arise when commitment and collaboration align.
