The province of Tawi-Tawi in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is being developed to be the largest seaweed exporter in the country.
PRDP Deputy Director Danilo Alesna said that an ongoing warehouse and storage dryer facility construction is happening at Tandubas in Tawi-Tawi.
Seaweed production is one of the commodities supported by the Investments in Rural Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity (IREAP) with P26.7 million, Alesna said.
IREAP is a program under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that aims to strenghtn and develop viable agri-fishery based enterprises through efficient value chains of key agricultural and fishery products in targeted areas.
IREAP has a P6.93 billion share from the P27.5 billion allocated budget of the PRDP, a jointly funded project of the World Bank, national government and local government units.
“We are hoping that the warehouse and drying facilities would be completed in the first quarter next year,” he said.
Alesna also said that road constructions are also happening in the municipality of Sapa-Sapa.
Both road and facility infrastructures are the subprojects from the allotted IREAP funding.
Joy M. Montecalvo, PRDP Information and Advocacy Specialist, said that the produced seaweeds are targeted to be sold in local market and to be exported in the international market, specifically China.
Montecalvo also said that a total of 50 metric tons will be produced per year.
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Director Reyzaldy Tan said in a previous report that a proposal for a Tawi-Tawi Freeport and Special Ecozone is currently being studied.
Tan said the freeport and ecozone is being eyed as catalytic investment in the Bangsamoro Development Corridor (BDC).
A 74-hectare freeport and a 260-hectare ecozone is being proposed in Malassa, Tawi-Tawi.
He also said that Tawi-Tawi has 30,000 hectare land that is potential for seaweed production.
