MOGPOG, MARINDUQUE — Blue Seas Philippines, through the ValueSeas Project, returned to Mogpog Marinduque to discuss terms for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bluer Seas Philippines and the local government of Mogpog Municipality. The UK COAST-funded initiative also hosted a three-day workshop on the importance of responsible sourcing, food safety, and socially inclusive practices in Philippine fisheries.
Following the successful launch of ValueSeas in Mogpog earlier this month, the visit aims to formalize partnership between Bluer Seas Philippines and the local government, seeking to identify areas for collaboration and affirm local support for the Responsible Seafood Sourcing framework. Through this MoU, the project aims to bolster its inclusive approach in fisheries value chain governance in Marinduque, together with its whole-of-value-chain approach in cementing social inclusion and responsible seafood sourcing for small-scale Philippine fisheries.
Together with local chief executive Senen Livelo Jr, Vice Mayor Augusto Leo M. Livelo, councilors from the Sangguniang Bayan, Mogpog barangay captains, planning and environmental officers from the local government unit, and fisherfolk representatives from the Guisian Fisherfolk Association (GFA), Guisian Women Fisherfolk Association (GWFA), a draft of the MoU was prepared, marking a milestone for stronger collaboration and coordination.
Alongside the MoU discussions, a three-day experiential workshop convening over seventy fisherfolks, community members, value chain actors, and local government representatives were also held. The workshop, which centered on the salient components of the Responsible Seafood Sourcing (RSS) Standard, raised awareness on the principles of sustainable sourcing as well as the multifaceted nature of the fisheries sector, particularly when it comes to social inclusion and gender-fair practices.
Workshop attendees were also briefed on the importance of food safety practices. As frontliners in Philippine food security, over a quarter of the country’s protein intake originates from the catch that coastal communities bring in. However, despite their importance in the country’s food landscape, support for cold chain equipment, suitable landing sites, and knowledge gaps remain. The training sessions on basic food safety practices marked an important first step in addressing such gaps, alongside discussions on cold chain investment.
As part of its commitment to gender sensitive and socially inclusive approach, Bluer Seas Philippines invited workshop participants to form community circles, a practice that encourages open sharing, experiential learning, and the foregrounding of marginalized voices and lived experiences. Consequently, it focused on deepening the consciousness on the role of transformative leadership and community care in sustaining fisheries productivity and social cohesion. At the end of the workshop, the participants laid out their development action plans to further support the goals of their respective organizations that align with the broader aspirations of the ValueSeas project.
