The Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has launched the Kadiwa ng Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda (KBBM) program at Buliluyan Port in Bataraza, Palawan recently in an effort to empower Filipino fisherfolk and assert the country’s presence in the West Philippines Sea.
The DA BFAR said that the KBBM Program, “which will directly benefit close to a thousand Filipino fisherfolk in the WPS, serves as a strategic convergence of national efforts to uplift the livelihood of fisherfolk and ensure the nation’s food security,”.
“Through this program, the government-funded fish carrier MV Mamalakaya is deployed with buyers on board, ready to purchase the fresh catch of Filipino fishermen directly at sea, reducing post-harvest losses and increasing income for local fishers,” BFAR said in a statement.
The fisherfolk will also benefit from fuel and ice subsidies, enabling them to continue fishing activities in the WPS amid operational and environmental challenges.
“Our fisherfolk have long been at the frontlines—navigating not just the waves of the sea, but also the challenges of climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and foreign incursions in the West Philippine Sea,” BFAR National Director Elizer Salilig said, who also previously served as the regional director of BFAR Mimaropa.
“With the KBBM Program, they are now suitably positioned to face these challenges. More than an economic intervention, KBBM is a statement of support and recognition. Our fisherfolk are not just workers of the sea—they are caretakers of marine ecosystems, pillars of food security, and defenders of our maritime domain,” he explained.
The KBBM Program aligns with President Marcos’ vision of strengthening domestic fish supply while promoting a whole-of-nation approach to protecting and maximizing the country’s maritime resources.
