Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential bet Senator Mar Roxas on Wednesday assured that the Aquino-Roxas tandem will provide full assistance to small players in the fishing industry through improved infrastructure, supply chain and marketing linkages should they be elected into office on May 10.

Roxas said that in order to level the playing field among all stakeholders of the industry, fisherfolk and small fish processors will need support, not only to survive present challenges but to increase their capability in penetrating more local and international markets.

The senator cited the experience of Tito Mike’s Food Co. Inc. in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte – a leading processed sardine exporter – can be replicated by more small fishermen and fish processors engaged in small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

The firm, owned by Mike Cases, a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was among the beneficiaries of the Department of Trade and Industry’s SULONG program for SMEs under Roxas’ term as DTI chief, was recognized as Outstanding SME in 2003 and now supplies bottled sardines and other fish products to the US and Canada. It also supplies locally through Pan de Manila retail outlets.

“A clean and honest government ensures progress. It focuses on helping small market players grow,” he said. “Because of clean and honest leadership, Tito Mike’s business has grown and is now exporting bottled sardines to America,” he said.

Roxas also supported the sardines industry in Dipolog, and even pushed the establishment of the In-Glass Sardines of Dipolog Association.

Bottled sardines is an internationally known specialty of Dipolog, which is home to a bustling sardine processing industry that consists of 13 processing companies that source their fish from local fisherfolk and employs 290 employees.

“Hundreds of fishermen benefit, because there are food processors like Tito Mike who regularly purchase from their catch,” he said.