Mati City public information officer Ben Tesiorna said the fish port is located in the old port at Purok Calagundian, Madang, Barangay Central.
The proposed five-hectare fish port, which was initially funded by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) with P150 million to be divided into two P75 million multi-year implementation project, is expected to make Mati City a major hub in Mindanao’s fishing industry.
It aims to strengthen the fish supply in Mindanao along with General Santos City and Davao City as mother ports in the Davao region together with Malalag, Davao del Sur, Panabo City, Mati, and Tagum City.
Aside from the P75-million initial funding from the PFDA, Congress has also allocated additional P225 million for the project through a Bayanihan 3 budget proposal, which is now pending approval by the Senate and eventually by President Duterte.
During Saturday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Vice Mayor Glenda Rabat-Gayta represented Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, along with officials from the Mati City Agriculture Office and the PFDA.
With the possibility of an additional budget, according to the city mayor, the Mati fishport will be a modern port that would include wharf, storage facility, as well as food processing, packing, and canning facilities to ensure food security not just for Mati City but for other neighboring regions as well.