Many Filipinos don’t know where their food comes from or how it’s produced.

There has been a push to make the food system more transparent, as this can help ensure that there is fairness in both producer compensation and consumer pricing.

Enter Sinaya Seafood, a social enterprise that helps empower fishing community enterprises. “We wanted to reimagine the ocean economy so that the fishers who are often left behind would benefit and sustain their responsible [fishing] practices. In that way, we would be able to deliver delicious seafood products to different markets,” said Sinaya Seafood Founder and Chief Executive Mermaid Dhang Tecson.

Sinaya currently works with fishing and salt communities in Iloilo, Capiz, and Mindoro. They produce a variety of seafood products, all from seafood sustainably caught within their respective seasons. “Right now we are able to influence the market to catch only the right size, season, and the species as well,” she added, emphasizing that they work with state universities, colleges, local governments, and non-government organizations to diversify seafood processing.

Grocery and restaurant One World Deli places great importance on the sustainability and traceability of everything it carries, which is why it is proud to be including Sinaya Seafood among its roster.

“[Sinaya Seafood is] aligned with our values… [of] sustainability and traceability,” One World Deli Merchandising Head Kathy Legaspi said in Taglish. “We’re very happy to have found them because it's really hard to look for a supplier with the same values as yours. And they’re very transparent. That's what we love about them.”

The partnership was celebrated through a dinner co-curated by the Center for Culinary Arts Manila (CCA Manila), Slow Food Manila, and Purple Yam, where an all-seafood spread highlighted the diversity and seasonal freshness Sinaya has to offer.

Standouts included CCA Manila’s Needle Fish Kinilaw, fresh mahi-mahi in native vinegar with cucumber, chili, and cracked pepper. Small in serving but big in taste, the appetizer highlighted the needlefish’s flexibility as an ingredient.

One World Deli’s Binacol Laman-Dagaat was also a crowd pleaser. Blue swimming crab, green mussels, scallop, and tanigue cooked in coconut water offered a refreshing seaside spin to a broth commonly associated with chicken.

The pièce de résistance was the Mixed Sugba Seafood Platter: flame-grilled pompano, sole, prawn, squid, and flying fish showcased the variety, freshness, and of course, deliciousness of some of the seafood on hand. This, paired with steamed rice and seasonal steamed vegetables served with guinamos eaten boodle style gave strong beach vibes.

Dinner ended on a trio of sweet notes, one of which was Purple Yam’s Buko Ube Tart with Seaweed Praline.

“We organize the communities and the enterprise as well. Last would be product development. Once they have an initial product… Sinaya will look for institutional markets because the goal is for them to have consistent and diversified income,” Tecson said.

Sinaya’s offerings include fresh, chilled, and dried seafood, bottled products like bagoong, and artisanal salt. They are currently available at the BGC branch but will be gradually rolled out to the other branches. “We're excited to have them onboard,” Legaspi said.