Improving resilience in the fisheries and aquaculture supply chains in Region XII of the Philippines

Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) is a key node in the Philippines' fisheries and aquaculture supply chains, particularly for tuna and shrimp exports to Indo-Pacific and global markets. On 8 June 2026, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani province, killing many and damaging or destroying more than 87,000 homes. The disaster stranded fishing boats, triggered marine resource die-offs, overwhelmed processing capacity with emergency harvests, and forced the closure of all four market halls at the General Santos fish port.

The earthquake also exposed and deepened structural decent work deficits across the supply chain: widespread informality and casual labour in primary production, non-standard employment and occupational safety and health risks in processing and canning, and disproportionate exposure to hazards and precarious work among women, who make up much of the shrimp processing and tuna canning workforce.

Responding to demand from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region XII and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry Tripartite Councils, the project supports a coordinated, evidence-based recovery through three interconnected outcomes: strengthening tripartite processes to assess disruption and coordinate recovery; restoring supply chains through gender- and disability-inclusive, rights-based recovery support, labour inspection and OSH assessments; and building longer-term resilience through a Fisheries and Aquaculture Supply Chain Resilience and Investment Roadmap to guide future investment.

The project builds on the ILO's existing engagement in the region, including its support to Industry Tripartite Councils and contributes to the Philippines' commitments under the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement, one of four pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), through which participating countries commit to strengthening the resilience, inclusiveness and governance of regional supply chains, including by enhancing the role of workers and responding jointly to supply chain disruptions.