PSO Mindanao and RPCO BARMM Award Financial Support to Tawi-Tawi Seaweed Cooperatives to Boost Industry Growth
Date Published: January 19, 2025
To accelerate the implementation of subprojects, the Project Support Office Mindanao (PSO Mindanao) with the RPCO BARMM conducted a simultaneous awarding of checks to four enterprise subproject proponent groups from Tandubas and South Ubian in Tawi-Tawi Province on January 14, 2025.
PSO Mindanao Deputy Project Director Carlene C. Collado, CPA, together with Tawi-Tawi Provincial Governor Yshamel I. Sali, personally handed over the checks to the Tongbangkaw Seaweeds Farmers and Fisherfolk Cooperative (TSFFC), Parhimpunan Karandahan Kepeng Producers Cooperative (PKKPC), Magdaraing Ma Barangay Kepeng Producers Cooperative (MMBKPC) of Tandubas, and the Likud Tabawan Fisherman Association (LTFA) from South Ubian.
Representing Project Director Macario D. Gonzaga, DPD Collado reaffirmed the Project’s commitment to empowering seaweed farmers and fisherfolk in the region.
“Tawi-Tawi’s seaweed industry holds significant potential as one of the country’s leading producers of seaweed. We trust that this support will enable your associations and cooperatives to enhance both the production and marketing of seaweed,” DPD Collado said.
Governor Sali lauded the strong support of PRDP for the province’s seaweed farmers. He looked forward to strengthening the partnership with PRDP by implementing initiatives that address the plight of seaweed farmers. The provincial official explores the possibility of establishing a seaweed processing facility and other infrastructure projects that address constraints of seaweed industry.
Following the awarding ceremony, the PSO Mindanao team met with representatives of Tawi-Tawi’s Provincial Project Management and Implementation Unit (PPMIU). Discussions centered on the province’s ongoing initiatives to update its Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP), a critical step in preparing for the PRDP Scale-Up. (Joy M. Montecalvo, PSO Mindanao)
