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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected the newly rehabilitated and modernized Philippine Fisheries Development Authority-Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan
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The upgraded facility aims to strengthen food security, improve post-harvest systems and distribution, and support fisherfolk’s livelihoods
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The project includes extended pier for bigger fishing vessels, expanded cold storage, fish processing facilities, blast freezers, ice-making plants, and a solar power system
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently inspected the newly rehabilitated and modernized Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan, a project under the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA).
The fish port underscores the government’s ongoing investment in fisheries infrastructure to enhance food security, improve post-harvest systems, and support Filipino fisherfolk’s livelihoods, said the Department of Agriculture (DA), the PFDA’s head agency.
The expansion and upgrade of Sual Port, one of Northern Luzon’s main fisheries hubs, is aimed at lowering post-harvest losses, enhancing fish distribution, and bolstering the country’s fisheries value chain.
The upgraded port now features a widened and extended pier with a trading hall to accommodate biggest fishing vessels, four 50-metric ton cold storage units with a combined capacity of 200 metric tons, blast freezers, chiller rooms, flake ice-making facilities, and fish processing areas capable of handling up to eight metric tons of finished products daily.
It is also fitted with a wastewater treatment plant and a 90-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.
Access roads have also been improved for smoother land transport and seafood cargo handling.
PFDA said the improvements strengthen the fisheries cold chain by enabling fish to be handled, preserved, processed, and transported under better conditions, thereby reducing spoilage and maintaining product quality.
Situated in Sual town’s Barangay Poblacion, the port connects fish caught in the Lingayen Gulf, West Philippine Sea, and Ilocos coast to key trading hubs throughout Pangasinan and nearby provinces.
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During the inspection on July 30, Marcos, accompanied by Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and PFDA acting general manager Glen Pangapalan, examined the upgraded facilities and received a briefing on improvements in fish handling, cold storage, processing, and overall port operations.
“The rehabilitation of the Sual Fish Port is an investment in both our fishermen and our nation’s food security. By providing better post-harvest facilities, cold chain infrastructure, and more efficient trading systems, we reduce losses, preserve the quality of our catch, improve incomes for our fisherfolk, and ensure that more affordable and nutritious fish reach Filipino families,” Tiu Laurel said.
The coastal province of Pangasinan, home to Dagupan City which is recognized as the country’s Bangus Capital, will benefit from upgraded infrastructure that boosts aquaculture and fisheries by improving post-harvest handling of milkfish and other key species.
“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.
DA said the modernization is part of the government’s program to upgrade fisheries infrastructure, improve post-harvest systems, and build a resilient, competitive industry, ensuring a stable supply of safe, affordable, high-quality seafood.
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The project is also expected to generate wider economic benefits by attracting more investments in fish processing and cold chain facilities, creating jobs, increasing local government revenues, and expanding livelihood opportunities for coastal communities in Northern Luzon.
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