Although the Philippines is one of Asia’s emerging economies, a significant part of the population is still excluded from economic development. The Philippine population, which numbers around 100 million, is spread over more than 7,100 islands, making the Philippines the second largest archipelago country in the world.
The country’s geographical location brings with it a variety of natural disasters (including typhoons, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis) that cause severe economic damage every year. Fisheries, as an important industry in the Philippines, especially for fishing families who are often affected by poverty, tend to be the hardest hit by the effects of severe storms.
Another development that threatens the existence of fishermen and the Philippines as a fishing location as a whole is the increasing overfishing and resource degradation (corals, mangroves, etc.). Coupled with the lack of knowledge about the use of modern technologies and food standards, the productivity and thus the livelihoods of fishing families are permanently threatened.
Our project in the Visayas of the Philippines aims to increase and make sustainable the incomes of fishermen and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in fisheries and the associated food value chains.
How do we want to achieve our goals?
- We qualify Business Membership Organisations (BMOs) in Central Visayas, which in turn provide services in the areas of dual training and certification, sustainable fisheries promotion and marketing.
- The BMOs are supported in developing new services for the value chain. For example, they will be empowered to participate in the implementation of dual training approaches in the fisheries and food sector based on the CCCI Assessment, Certification & Accreditation Service (ACAS). ACAS was founded as part of our K to 12 Plus project.
- The provision of alternative livelihood skills and the training of value-added skills in sustainable technologies and standards in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture are expected to contribute to income diversification. This requires the development, assessment and certification of these skills.
- We want to enable BMOs to ensure cooperation between fishermen and their respective local government units (LGUs).
in the implementation of marine protection.
