THE Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 full council endorsed a feasibility study for the establishment of a modern regional fish port in Cordova, Cebu during its second-quarter meeting in Danao City on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
RDC 7 Economic Development Committee chairperson Melanie Ng presented the proposal to address critical infrastructure gaps in the region’s fishery sector, including inadequate cold storage, sanitation issues at landing sites, and a fragmented trading system.
The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) identified the Municipality of Cordova as the potential site for the regional logistics and trading hub.
Infrastructure
The council approved the feasibility study’s endorsement to the PFDA and called on the appropriate agencies to initiate preparatory work for the project.
The endorsed resolution tasks the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7, the PFDA, the local government of Cordova, and the Philippine Reclamation Authority with overseeing the preparatory activities and site assessments.
Project details indicate the location requires a technical assessment of reclamation requirements and direct coordination with the Philippine Reclamation Authority before development begins. The overall project aims to reduce post-catch losses, improve food safety, and lower market prices for fish.
Deficiencies
On April 18, 2026, SunStar reported that based on the 2022 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, most marine capture fishing operations nationwide relied on traditional landing centers without formal infrastructure.
In the country, of the 750,473 operations with at least one landing site, 75.6 percent unloaded their catch in traditional landing areas, followed by privately owned landing centers at 13.6 percent, and those managed by local government units at 6.1 percent. Only a small share used facilities run by fishing associations or cooperatives at one percent, and the PFDA at 0.2 percent.
During the discussion, Gov. Pamela Baricuatro endorsed the possibility of securing additional funding to include the improvement of the existing fish port in Naga City, Cebu, in the study.
Framework
However, representatives from BFAR 7 and the private sector said that many existing community fish landing centers across Cebu and Bohol remain underutilized or unsuccessful because of a lack of proper planning.
The council agreed to adopt a “hub-and-spoke” logistical framework. Under this approach, the feasibility study will expand to evaluate which existing community fish landing centers can connect as nodes to the main Cordova hub.
Government leaders in Central Visayas are teaming up to fight high food prices by tackling hidden cartels and broken supply chains that keep grocery bills high.
Investigations
During the Regional Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (Uplift) Committee (RUC) 7 meeting on Wednesday, June 24, Dole 7 Director Roy Buenafe proposed creating a new team called a technical working group. This group will specifically investigate how food moves through the region and where prices are being artificially forced up.
The RUC 7 is the regional counterpart of the Uplift committee of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. established for multi-government agencies coordination and response to the economic and energy crisis triggered by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. / CDF