The much-anticipated construction of the modern fishport in the City of Mati breaks ground today, June 19, as the city celebrates its 14th Cityhood Day and 18th Pujada Bay Festival.
The Mati City Fishport is located at the old fishport in Purok Calagundian in Madang. The proposed 5-hectare modern fishport is expected to make the City of Mati a major hub in Mindanao’s fishing industry.
The project was initially funded by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) with P150 million to be divided into two P75 million multi-year implementation project.
In Saturday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Vice Mayor Glenda Rabat-Gayta represented Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat in the said occasion, along with officials from the City Agriculture Office and the PFDA.
The fishport project aims to strengthen the fish supply in Mindanao along with Gensan and Davao as mother ports in Davao Region together with Malalag, Panabo, Mati and Tagum.
Aside from the P75 million initial funding from PFDA, Congress has also allocated additional P225 million for the Mati fishport project thru the Bayanihan 3 budget proposal which is now pending approval by the Senate and eventually by President Rodrigo Duterte.
With the possibility of an additional budget, Mayor Michelle said that the Mati Fishport will be a modern one that would include wharf, storage facility, as well as food processing, packing and canning to ensure food security not just for Mati City but for other neighboring regions as well. (CIO MATI)
