SUAL, Pangasinan — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday, July 30, inspected the newly rehabilitated and modernized PFDA-Sual Fish Port (PFDA-SFP), highlighting the national government’s continued investment in fisheries infrastructure to strengthen food security, improve post-harvest systems, and support the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk.

Implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), the modernization project has transformed one of Northern Luzon’s key fisheries hubs into a modern facility designed to reduce post-harvest losses, improve fish distribution, and strengthen the country’s fisheries value chain.

The project involved the rehabilitation and expansion of the fish port, including the upgrading of its old pier and related facilities to enhance fish handling, cold storage, processing, and overall port operations.

The visit underscored the administration’s continuing efforts to modernize fisheries infrastructure and strengthen the efficient movement of fishery products from landing sites to markets.

Located in Barangay Poblacion, Sual, Pangasinan, the fish port serves as PFDA’s principal fisheries facility in Northern Luzon, linking fish landed from the Lingayen Gulf, the West Philippine Sea, and the Ilocos coast to major trading centers across Pangasinan and neighboring provinces.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said modernizing strategic fish ports is essential to strengthening the country’s food supply chain while improving the livelihoods of fishing communities.

The upgraded port now features a widened and extended pier with a trading hall, four 50-metric ton cold storage units with a combined capacity of 200 metric tons, blast freezers, chiller rooms, flake ice-making facilities, fish processing areas capable of handling up to eight metric tons of finished products daily, a wastewater treatment plant, a 90-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system, commercial spaces, and improved roads and utilities.

The project also included the rehabilitation of the old pier, access roads, and quayside to enhance vessel operations and cargo handling.

These improvements strengthen the fisheries cold chain, accommodate larger fishing and transport vessels, and improve the movement of seafood from landing sites to markets, thereby making trading more efficient.

Pangasinan, home to Dagupan City, the country’s Bangus Capital, stands to benefit significantly from the upgraded infrastructure.

PFDA Acting General Manager Glen A. Pangapalan said the rehabilitation reflects the agency’s continuing commitment to providing modern fisheries infrastructure that directly benefits fishing communities.

“Seeing the Sual Fish Port fully rehabilitated is a milestone for PFDA. This facility will serve fishing communities for many years, providing them with better services, modern post-harvest facilities, and greater opportunities to grow their livelihoods. That is what makes this investment truly meaningful,” Pangapalan said. ▲