The Department of Agriculture – National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI), through its Fisheries and Freshwater Resources Development Center (FFRDC) in Butong, Taal, Batangas, hosted a FutureFish field mission on March 13, 2026, as part of ongoing preparations for the establishment of Aqua-Business Technology Incubation (ABTI) Centers under the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FISHCORE) Project.

The activity brought together NFRDI led by Executive Director Dr. Maria Theresa Mutia, alongside FutureFish representatives Dr. Melba Reantaso, Dr. Celia Lavilla-Pitogo, and Engr. Pastor Torres. The mission focused on assessing FFRDC’s existing facilities, clarifying operational requirements, and supporting the development of feasibility studies and the inception report to guide ABTI implementation.

In her discussion, ED Mutia emphasized that the ABTI framework builds on NFRDI’s established mandate of supporting the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) through research, training of trainers, and technology transfer. She highlighted the continuity between the proposed ABTI model and the earlier AquaBiz School – Technology Business Incubation (ABS-TBI) initiative, noting that both systems are anchored on strengthening innovation pipelines from research to commercialization.

ED Mutia underscored the need to align ABTI development with the Aqua-Industrial Business Corridors (ABCs) in the 12 Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs), where technologies are incubated and scaled for industry use. This was echoed by NFRDI MARLIN 2.2 Lead Dr. Joseph Christopher Rayos, who presented an overview of ongoing initiatives supporting the establishment of NFRDI-BFRDC and NFRDI-FFRDC as ABTI Centers, including current activities, facility capacities, and key areas for development to operationalize the incubation framework.

FutureFish outlined the key outputs of its consultancy, which include the inception report, feasibility studies, training modules and manual of operations, capability-building documentation, and a final report. Discussions also highlighted the need to refine how the 16 shortlisted ABTI sites are categorized, focusing on their readiness levels, institutional capacity, and areas of specialization rather than reopening the shortlisting process. Participants likewise underscored that priority commodities should be determined through value chain analysis and aligned with the existing technical expertise of each center.

The field mission concluded with a shared commitment to further refine and operationalize the ABTI framework in a manner that is both strategic and responsive to local capacities. DA-NFRDI and FutureFish reaffirmed their collaboration in strengthening institutional readiness and ensuring that each ABTI center is properly aligned with priority commodities and value chain opportunities. Moving forward, the results of the feasibility study and consultations will serve as key inputs in building a more integrated and sustainable aquaculture innovation and incubation system. ### (Maria Gabrielle Cordero)