“Seafood on the Spot: Innovations for Food Security and Community Recovery”—this was the theme of this year’s Fisheries Industry Forum held last February 13, 2025. With the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) as the lead college, the forum was organized in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) SOS Project and the Institute of Fish Processing Technology (IFPT) Seafood Product Research, Innovation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (PRIME) Laboratories. 

This annual event is a venue for different stakeholders to discuss and exchange ideas on topics related to the fisheries industry. The chosen topic for this year was on disaster preparedness and response as it is pertinent and timely to be discussed. 

In this forum, the invited stakeholders from government and private sectors, and the academe have presented their point of view on each role in addressing the concerns of the fisher community before, amid, and after the effect of the crisis brought by the disaster.

The Municipal Disaster Risk and Management Council of Miagao, Mr. Ronan John P. Austria gave out the functional role of the municipality in mitigating the consequences of the natural disaster among the fishers’ community. This was fully supported and expressed by the DSWD- VI Representative, Ms. Erlyn Garcia by recognizing the plight of fisherfolks during natural calamities such as storm surge, and to be resilient in facing natural disasters and minimize the damages, it is necessary to invest in preparedness. While, BFAR-VI Mr. Joel T. Abalayan, added an avenue that focused on managing the fish stocks during the calamities.  

As representative for the academe, Ms. Rose T. Mueda, University Researcher II of UPV discussed the topic “Empowering Coastal Communities: Innovative Livelihoods for Resilience During Emergencies. For the private seafood industry, Ms. Helen Reyes, Vice President for Sales and Marketing of FishTa Seafood Inc. talked about the “Trends in Value-added Fishery Products: Meeting Consumer Demands for Convenience and Nutrition”. Lastly, Asst. Prof. Lhumen A. Tejano, SOS Project Study Leader, UPV CFOS College Secretary, REB Chairperson and PRIME Team Member presented and provided a walk through of the project “Seafood-on-the-Spot: Revolutionizing the Emergency Food Packs in the Philippines”

CFOS dean, Dr. Harold M. Monteclaro, welcomed all the participants and expressed gratitude to all the invited speakers and panelists. He emphasized that one of the research thrusts of the university was focused on creating research clusters in specific disciplines. This year’s Fisheries Industry Forum was the first of its kind since it was in collaboration with a research cluster, the IFPT Seafood PRIME Laboratories, headed by Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap.

It is highlighted by Chancellor Clement C. Camposano, PhD. the pivotal role of the fisheries sector and various stakeholders in ensuring food security and building resilience in our coastal communities. “It is crucial to strengthen our commitment to sustainable practices and invest in solutions that will not only protect our resources but also provide long-term disaster resilient livelihood for our communities”, he added.  

The panelists during the discussion were Ms. Marnelie Gadong-Subong from DA-BAR, Ms. Ma. Dinda R. Tamayo from the Department of Trade and Industry VI, Ms. Emelinda C. Abian and Kagawad Victorino delos Reyes (Nasidman) from the local government unit of Ajuy, and Prof. Nathaniel Añasco, PhD from the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanology. SOS project study leader, PRIME team member and Digital Innovation Center chairperson, Asst. Prof. Rhea J. Subong-Espina served as the moderator. 

With this array of speakers, relevant topics were also discussed in addition to disaster preparedness and response, resilience, and the role of the fisheries industry during disasters. UPV remains steadfast in its aim to advance the fisheries sector through research, innovation, and active industry partnerships and to provide an environment of collaboration between stakeholders.