Strengthening organizational preparedness and equipping fisherfolk-beneficiaries with competencies in food safety and quality management, the FCU 8 conducted a series of trainings for the San Roque Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SRMPC) and Tomas Oppus Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TOMCo) in Maasin, Southern Leyte, from January 20 to 23, 2026

The trainings included Organizational Management, Food Safety, Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP), and Drafting of Operations Manuals. Key topics covered were organizational and project management, the Food Safety Act of the Philippines, proper fish handling, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). Participants also developed their Responsibility Assignment Matrix using the RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) Chart, alongside their respective Operations Manuals.

Provincial Fishery Officer Rowvic Docena encouraged the cooperatives to actively participate and to envision the long-term sustainability of their livelihood interventions by equipping themselves with essential organizational management skills.

The cooperatives qualified under the Modern and Resilient Livelihood Investments (MARLIN) – Aquaculture and Fisheries Enterprise Development component of the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project. Located in municipalities expected to be affected by the future adoption and implementation of Harvest Control Rules (HCR), including the Closed Fishing Season for Sardines, Reduced Fishing Days, and intensified Anti-Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) measures within Fisheries Management Area (FMA) 9, the project aims to provide practical and appropriate alternative livelihoods. These serve as safety nets for fisherfolk as fisheries management measures are implemented.

SRMPC and TOMCo proposed a Php 11.8 million Gender-Inclusive Mini Fish Processing and Marketing Enterprise and a Php 14.7 million Climate-Adaptive Bangus Cage Farming and Trading Enterprise, respectively.

For 2026, FCU 8 targets the implementation of livelihood interventions to serve as alternative income sources for beneficiaries whose proposals were submitted in the preceding year, while continuing to accept Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from fisherfolk associations and cooperatives.

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