Speaking at the two-day Navotas Business Conference, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. called the city “the fishing capital of the Philippines and home to one of the busiest and most important fish ports in the country.

The DA chief, on Tuesday, highlighted the drive of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) to modernize the country’s major fish ports under the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) to turn traditional fishing hubs like Navotas into modern agri-fishery business centers that create jobs, attract investments, and cultivate a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The PFDA network is being enhanced to boost value creation—ensuring that every kilo of landed fish is properly handled, preserved, and sold at competitive prices. The agency manages regional ports and oversees the development of 136 project locations under the Municipal Fish Ports Program.

The upgrades aim to position Navotas and similar cities as models of sustainable, modern agri-fishery enterprises where government, private sector, and local communities all benefit. Beyond fishing, the vision is to transform the city into a hub for trade, processing, and logistics, turning short-term livelihoods into long-term enterprises. ### (Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan, AFID)