ZAMBOANGA CITY — Foreign donors led by the Canadian International Deve-lopment Agency (CIDA) have committed to support plans to unleash the full potential of the Philippines ’ seaweed industry based in Sitangkai, Tawi Tawi.

In a donors’ forum held here last February 12 at the Garden Orchid Hotel, Joe Goodings, Second Secretary (Develop-ment) of CIDA, said that the Canadian government was looking forward to continue assisting the local government of Tawi-Tawi, private sector firms and the Philippine Development Assistance Program (PDAP) in implementing the Sitangkai Seaweeds Industry Master Plan.

Extolling the Master Plan, Goodings said that "the Master Plan has all the elements of a successful project," and that "it can change people’s ideas of what’s possible."

The master plan calls for the increase in the seaweed production area in Sitangkai, dubbed the Seaweed Capital of the Philippines, from 2,500 hectares to as much as 10,000 hectares by 2010, increase in total seaweed production from 3,000 metric tons a month to 27,000 metric tons and increase in average farm income from P60,000 to P300,000 a year.

PDAP, with funds from CIDA, is at the forefront of efforts to further develop the Sitangkai seaweed industry through the Promoting Rural Industries and Market Enhancement (PRIME) Program.

Through PRIME, seaweed farmers are organized and traders consolidated so they can set acceptable standards and fair trading practices, as well as enhance productivity through the introduction of improved seaweed seedlings.

PDAP wor-ked closely with the Sitangkai LGU and other members of the Sitangkai Seaweed Consortium to develop the master plan, which will pave the way for the consolidation of efforts of all stakeholders in Sitangkai’s seaweed industry, including farmers, traders, government agencies, donor agencies and the private sector.

"What the seaweed industry needs is collaboration of all sectors, and the master plan charts the direction for that," explained Jerry Pacturan, PDAP Executive Director.

The master plan is centered on Sitangkai as this municipality of Tawi Tawi is the single biggest source of seaweeds in the country, accounting for half of the country’s total production.

The prospects of the seaweed industry are bright because of the growing international demand for seaweed, which is processed to produce carageenan – a major component in the manufacturing of food products, such as gelatin. Carageenan is also used in the manufacturing of toothpaste and is likewise used in the pharmaceutical industry for coating medicine.

Because seaweed can only grow in clean waters, Sitangkai enjoys a comparative advantage over other areas in the Philippines and is in a unique position to take advantage of the growing global demand for carageenan.