A P180-million fish landing and trading facility will soon rise in Orani, Bataan as the Provincial Government and the Department of Agrciulture – Philippine Rural Development (DA-PRDP) held the groundbreaking ceremony on April 20, 2023.

Fishing and aquaculture are two of the major activities in the province and Orani is considered one of the main proivders of the province’s fish supply. 

“We take pride in Orani as a famous seafood hub in the country and may this facility pave the way for the province of Bataan to be one of the biggest and most well-known fish market in the world,” said Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III, who led the ceremony.

The main supported commodity for this subproject is sardines which is the major commodity of Bataan. The province contributes most of the sardine’s production in Central Luzon. This facility will be able to provide more support to the fishing industry in the province. 

“The rationale behind this project is to help our fishers here in Orani and nearby towns have an efficient and state-of-the-art fish landing and trading facility which is the first of its kind in the Philippines,” explained PRDP Regional Project Director Dr. Arthur Dayrit.

This 3,395.68-square meter facility will cater approximately 3,000 fisherfolk by increasing the market value of their products and their income. 

“We are grateful that we will be a part of this facility and you can expect our support towards the success of our municipal fishport,” stated Municipal Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Management Council President Avelino Capuli.

PRDP closely worked together with the Provincial Project Management and Implementation Unit of Bataan to be able to propose and have this subproject approved. 

“We give the credit to provincial government of Bataan, with the municipal government of Orani, for leading the proposal and implementation of this subproject. We saw how passionate they were to get it approved and made the dream of having this kind of facility come true,” said PRDP North Luzon Project Support Office Deputy Project Director Elma Mananes.

As for the municipal government of Orani, Municipal Mayor Efren Pascual Jr. pledged his support and close supervision of the subproject for the betterment of his constituents. “We must remind ourselves the challenge of our continuous work to ensure that within the completion period, we see to it that all the components of the subproject will be ready. Hence, once we open this extraordinary opportunity, we’ll be able use it in its maximum potential in helping our fisherfolk,” said Pascual.

Senator Cynthia Villar also graced the ceremony, which was held in Brgy. Pantalan Bago, Orani, Bataan.