On August 1, 2024, TESDA MIMAROPA Regional Office Team headed by the Regional Director, Angelina M. Carreon, TESDA Occidental Mindoro Acting Provincial Director, Marisa S. Lagar and Rizal, Occidental Mindoro TESDA Training and Accreditation Center (ROMTTAC) Vocational School Administrator, Mr. Victorino Almario visited the construction site of the new Tuna Processing Facility located at Rumbang, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro. The project is jointly funded by the World Bank, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) under the Department of Agriculture with the Federation of Fisherfolk Association of Rizal (FEFAR) as the project beneficiary.

The purpose of the visit was to assess the progress of the construction, when and how the intervention of TESDA will be made and gain a deeper understanding of the facility’s procedures, explore and give potential areas for improvement of the project and strengthen collaborative efforts.

After the on-site visit, the TESDA MIMAROPA Team attended the project status meeting between FEFAR Officers, Engr. Aejay Paolo P. Dimalaluan – LGU Project Engineer, Engr. John Michael G. Clemente – Maliwanag Representative, MR. Jerome Layson – Rural Infrastructure Engineer of PRDP MIMAROPA and Mr. John Darel Colorina of the South Luzon PRDP.

During the meeting, Mr. Layson of PRDP MIMAROPA shared that the site layout adheres closely to the approved plans nearing to 60% completion. He said that the key structural elements were inspected; he described the timelines and remained positive of meeting the October 26, 2024 target date of completion.

A safety briefing was also conducted by the construction team, highlighting the measures in place and the additional requirements needed to comply with the safety standards.

Food Processing NC I, Food Processing NC II and Bookkeeping NC III are the skills training to be offered to FEFAR members. TESDA MIMAROPA thru TESDA Occidental Mindoro Provincial Office and ROMTTAC will coordinate with FEFAR for the said training programs which are scheduled for implementation on August to September 2024.

The new tuna processing facility, once completed, will feature state-of-the-art equipment and sustainable design elements to support efficient and eco-friendly operations. The facility will include areas for receiving, processing, packaging, and cold storage, along with administrative offices and quality control labs.