Foreign investors and tourists and are flocking to this city this week for the ongoing 6th Tuna Festival and the city’s 36th Charter Day Anniversary, to be highlighted by, among others, the two-day 6th National Tuna Congress that starts Thursday and is expected to gather at least 300 international tuna industry stakeholders, foreign trade attaches and national government officials.
Orman Manansala, 6th Tuna Festival project director, said the Korean embassy in Manila sent an advisory that a group of Korean tourists and businessmen would be coming to witness the festival as well as explore potential investments. “We actually sent out invitations to various foreign embassies and some of them signified to make the necessary invitations and coordination,†he said.
The festival, which kicked off Sunday, puts the spotlight on the development of the tuna industry, the city’s flagship industry that now draws an annual income of at least $150 million (USD 2.67 million).
This year's festivities, Manansala said, showcase the city's “wealth of waters†which has ultimately propelled the city’s business and economic successes from being a small coastal settlement area during the late 1930s.
The activities, he explained, focuses on the city’s three major “wealth of waters†which are “swim, sand and sashimi.†“Swim†refers to the area’s famous diving sites along the Sarangani Bay while “sand†and “sashimi†represents the area’s beaches and famed tuna products, respectively.
Domingo Teng, president of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing Association and Allied Industries Inc., said the congress would essentially discuss sustainability strategies for the Philippine tuna industry. He said it would feature a presentation on the current and future management needs of the Pacific tuna resources and the fishing fleet.
Other concerns that will be discussed are the markets abroad for tuna products, the future of tuna products and strategies for competing in the tuna market, tariff reduction strategies for the tuna exports, and accessing the China market.
Manansala said the city’s tuna council, the festival’s main organizer, has prepared investment packages for foreign visitors. Potential investors will get a glimpse of the local tuna industry and other local products through some guided tours and orientation programs. “This year’s tuna festival will really be a test case in terms of impact in the international community,†he said. He added that they have decorated almost the entire city to project a really festive atmosphere.
Daily activities include sports competitions, food festivals featuring various tuna cuisine and delicacies and the highly anticipated competition for the biggest tuna catch and skills contest for tuna handlers, at the city’s fishport complex.
During nighttime, he said the festivities will continue with street parties and concerts at the city’s oval plaza and in some hotels.
The festivities will culminate in a grand celebration of the city’s 36th Charter Day on Sept. 5.