SEAWEED farmers in Dawahon Islet in Bato, Leyte received more than P11 million worth of interventions to boost productivity of the community's source of living in the past five decades.
The intervention package includes 500 units of seaweed farm implements such as planting materials, ropes, and nets.
In addition, a P2.5 million seaweed solar dryer was also turned over to the community during a ceremony on Thursday, September 11, 2025.
"The funding support is expected to significantly enhance both the production capacity and quality of seaweeds harvested in Dawahon, ensuring better marketability and higher income for the farmers," Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Eastern Visayas information officer Christine Gresola said in a phone interview on Friday.
The support targets to benefit 500 members of the Dawahon Seaweed Farmers Association who are settled near Danajon Bank, the only double-barrier reef in the country.
Gresola said the turnover of interventions aims not only to increase production but also to empower seaweed farmers to move beyond traditional farming toward value-adding activities such as processing, product development, and the establishment of their own fisherfolk cooperative.
She also reported that various interventions are in place to bring back the production level recorded in 2020, the year farmers in Danajon harvested 17,731 metric tons (MT) of seaweed.
Output in 2021, however, dropped to 11,877 MT.
Significant decreases were also recorded in 2022 and 2023, where farmers only harvested 1,718 MT and 895 MT, respectively, largely due to the impact of Super Typhoon "Odette," which destroyed seaweed farms on the islet when it crossed Leyte Island on Dec. 16, 2021.
In 2024, the islet produced only 1,058 MT of seaweed, according to BFAR.
Losses ran into P200 million, including ready-to-harvest seaweeds, post-harvest facilities, and fishing boats.
From 2022 to 2024, BFAR also extended P6 million worth of interventions to improve seaweed production in Danajon, according to Gresola.
In a statement, BFAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director Dominador Maputol underscored the need to conduct a comprehensive assessment on the islet in order to craft appropriate policies and provide targeted support for the sustainable development of its aquaculture activities.
He assured the fisherfolk of Dawahon Island of continued support, recognizing the area's reputation as the “Seaweed Capital of Eastern Visayas” and its potential to once again become a key contributor to the country’s seaweed export industry. (PNA)
