Reelected Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez yesterday vowed full support for President Marcos’ initiative to modernize and expand the country’s cold chain system, a critical infrastructure upgrade to improve the livelihood of fisherfolk nationwide.
He made the commitment following the chief executive’s inspection of the General Santos Fish Port Complex, the hub of the nation’s tuna industry and a vital economic driver in Mindanao.
Romualdez underscored the need for Congress to pass measures to establish modern fish ports and cold storage facilities to improve the country’s fisheries industry.
“The increase in fish ports and cold storage facilities would greatly help reduce transportation and production costs for our fishermen. They can count on the support of Congress to build more innovative and modern facilities,” he said.
Romualdez also urged his colleagues to actively participate in scrutinizing the National Expenditure Program for 2026 to ensure that next year’s national budget has enough funding to support the upgrade in infrastructure for the fisheries industry.
“Lawmakers should give priority to the President’s programs. This is one of the priorities of the government for food security of each Filipino,” he noted.
On Friday, Mr. Marcos reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to revitalize the country’s fisheries industry, recognizing its crucial role in food security and economic growth, saying more modern fish ports and cold storage facilities should be built to upgrade the country’s fisheries infrastructure.
The President cited the ongoing construction of a cold storage facility in the area as a significant step forward, but emphasized the need to expand the entire cold chain system to ensure that seafood products maintain quality from the moment of catch to arrival in the market.
“We will do everything to support not just cold storage, but the entire cold chain so the quality of the catch is preserved for better sales,” he told fishing stakeholders in General Santos City.
For his part, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the establishment of a new laboratory in General Santos that will test for fish quality indicators such as histamine levels, as well as conduct specialized tests for shrimp products.