WHEN the earthquake shook northern Cebu on Sept. 30, 2025, it didn’t just crack infrastructures on land — it also rattled the livelihood of thousands of fisherfolk who depend on the sea for their daily survival.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR 7) said 5,745 individuals, from small-scale fishers to vendors and gleaners in Cebu, were affected by the quake. Most of them from the municipal sector in San Remigio, Bogo City and Daanbantayan, where damage was most severe.
P46 million
The 6.9-magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage to fisheries production in northern Cebu, hitting hardest the aquaculture sector in Bogo City where 20 fishpen structures were destroyed, resulting in the loss of about 137 metric tons of harvestable stocks.
“These are harvestable stocks that just swam away,” Ruinata told SunStar Cebu on Monday, Oct. 27.
While there were no reports of fish mortalities, the quake disrupted harvests and operations.
According to Ruinata, the total estimated losses in the fisheries sector reached P46 million, covering aquaculture, municipal, and commercial capture fisheries, as well as post-harvest fisheries.
Aquaculture damage alone amounted to nearly P24.9 million, mostly from Bogo City with P24 million in losses, followed by Medellin with P750,000 and San Remigio with P120,000.
Meanwhile, Bogo City’s post-harvest fisheries accounted for P20 million in damage.
Municipal capture fisheries suffered an estimated P1.9 million in combined losses, affecting operations in Bogo, Borbon, Catmon, Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Tabuelan, and Talisay City.
Shaken livelihoods
Of the 5,745 individuals affected in the fishery sector, the quake affected 3,607 municipal fisherfolk, 1,534 fish processors and vendors, 256 commercial fishers, 243 gleaners and 105 aquaculture fisherfolk, according to the BFAR 7 consolidated report.
The affected municipal fisherfolk were from across 43 coastal and 33 inland barangays in Bogo City, Daanbantayan, and San Remigio.
San Remigio’s 2,000 municipal fisherfolk had the largest number of fisherfolk affected (2,000), Bogo City (937), and Daanbantayan (670).
Municipal fishing refers to small-scale, local fishing within 15 kilometers from the shore.
Bogo City, which has 13 coastal barangays, recorded 937 municipal fisherfolk, 256 commercial fishers, 49 processors and vendors, and 203 gleaners whose work was halted after the tremor. Although the city’s fish port and ice plant have since resumed normal operations, recovery could take months.
In Daanbantayan, 670 municipal fisherfolk were affected, 128 processors, and 1,222 vendors saw their livelihoods disrupted.
Typhoon
Just days before the quake struck northern Cebu, it already endured Typhoon Opong — the country’s 15th tropical cyclone for 2025, which brought heavy rains and strong winds across parts of Luzon and the Visayas from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27.
Ruinata said northern Cebu frequently experienced heavy rains especially when there are typhoons.
Initial local reports pegged the total damage to the fisheries sector at nearly P300 million; but after validation by BFAR’s technical personnel, the figure was trimmed down to P46 million.
“The challenge really is data accuracy … Some reports tend to inflate the figures, so we had to verify the situation on the ground,” Ruinata said.
Ruinata added while BFAR’s role is for post-recovery, the agency, as a whole, currently has no Quick Response Fund (QRF) for immediate cash aid.
Ruinata said while they have submitted the budget proposal for 2026, they are coordinating with the national office to include recovery assistance in the 2026 budget.
“For now, we can provide fingerlings from our hatcheries to those who can repair their pens and cages,” he said, adding that Bogo and Daanbantayan are top priorities for rehabilitation.
Disaster preparedness
To strengthen disaster readiness, BFAR plans to pre-stock fishing gears and materials—such as nets and payaos—that can be distributed after calamities. The agency is pushing for the use of high-density polyethylene cages and fiber-reinforced plastic boats, which are more resilient to earthquakes and typhoons.
BFAR 7 oversees around 200,000 registered fisherfolk across Central Visayas and operates with an annual budget of about P100 million. Of that, around P15 million is proposed for aquaculture development and livelihood rehabilitation next year.
While recovery may take time, Ruinata believes the fisheries sector will bounce back faster than expected.
BFAR’s hatcheries in Bantayan and Medellin remain intact and are ready to supply bangus and tilapia fingerlings to affected farmers.
Ruinata said BFAR is also building a seaweed laboratory in Bantayan Island to provide quality propagules to affected growers. Seaweed farmers, he added, can typically regain income within 60 days after production resumes.
He added that the region’s fish supply remains stable, as the damage—though significant—does not threaten Central Visayas’ overall production. / CDF