Butuan Bay Development Alliance

11/06/2026

11/06/2026

𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 – The Department of Agriculture Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Council conducted its Sectoral Committee Meeting on June 10, 2026 at Southville Hotel and Convention Center, Butuan City.

The meeting was presided over by the Executive Director of the Butuan Bay Development Alliance, reaffirming the Alliance’s active participation and commitment as a member of the council. Through its involvement, the BBDA continues to work alongside partner agencies and stakeholders in harmonizing policies and strengthening programs that aim to uplift the lives of coastal communities and ensure sustainable fisheries governance.

Among the major agenda items discussed during the meeting were the updates from the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Fisheries and Agriculture Resources, the progress report of the Butuan Bay Development Alliance, and sectoral updates from various Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils.

The council also passed important resolutions, including a request for a technical demonstration on salt making within the Butuan Bay area, requesting the DA BFAR to include fisheries scholars as members of the council, and urging the Department of the Interior and Local Government to issue a memorandum circular providing honoraria and insurance benefits to Deputized Fish Wardens (DFW). These resolutions aim to strengthen community participation, support grassroots fisheries enforcement, and enhance livelihood opportunities for coastal communities.

The meeting highlights the continued importance of collaboration among government agencies, local organizations, and stakeholders in addressing the pressing challenges faced by the fisheries sector and in ensuring the sustainable management of marine and coastal resources in the region.

11/06/2026

7th AFC DAY | Isip pagtak-op sa usa ka bulan nga selebrasyon sa buwan sa Mayo nga Farmer’s and Fishefolks’ Month, gipahigayon sa Department of Agriculture-Caraga ang 7th Agricultural and Fishery Council (AFC) Day sa Dakbayan sa Butuan sugod karong adlawa, Mayo 28-29, 2026.
Mitambong sa maong kalihukan ang mga Municipal, City ug Provincial AFC Chairperson ug mga AFC coordinators sa mga kagamhanang lokal.
Lakip usab sa mga mitambong ang mga membro sa Regional Management Committee (RMC) ug ang sektor sa kabatan-unan isip bag-ong membro sa sektor sa AFC.
Sa maong higayon, gihatagan og dakong pagtagad ni Regional Executive Director Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr., sa Department of Agriculture-Caraga ang kamahinungdanon sa pagtambayayong sa pribado ug panggobyernong sektor alang sa pagpalambo sa agrikultura.
“Nagatuo kita nga ang pagtinabangay importante gayud, busa kanunay ang atong pakigkonsultasyon sa AFC,” sigun ni Director Oñate.
Giawhag usab niya ang mga opisyal sa AFC nga motabang sa kampanya alang sa mga mag-uuma nga moparehistro sa Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System o FFEDIS, aron makasalmot sa transaksyon ilawom sa Sagip Saka Act, kansa nagtugot sa direct procurement scheme tali sa mga local food processor ug ahensiya sa kagamhanan.
Giingon usab ni Executive Director Bernadette B. De Los Santos sa Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries o PCAF nga ang AFC Day usa ka maayong higayon aron pagpasidungog sa kakugi sa mga food producers taliwala sa mga hagit sa panahon, ug merkado.
Gipaambit usab ni Farmer Regional Executive Director Christopher H. Lindo ang mga kalampusan ug kasamtangan pang programa ug adbokasiya sa RAFC Caraga.
Nakahigayon usab ang mga partisipante sa direktang pagpangutana pinaagi sa gipahigayon nga dayalogo tali sa DA ug pribadong sektor.

20/05/2026

𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 – The Butuan Bay Development Alliance (BBDA) joined the celebration of the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 through a coastal clean up activity conducted at 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐨, 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, in partnership with the 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 – 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐑 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐎) 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞.

Celebrated every third Friday of May, the Month of the Ocean serves as a nationwide reminder of the importance of protecting and conserving marine and coastal ecosystems. This year’s celebration carries the theme, “𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧,” emphasizing the crucial role of healthy oceans in building resilient communities and securing sustainable livelihoods.

The activity gathered participation from various national government agencies, including the 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 (𝐁𝐅𝐀𝐑), 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, and the 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧. The initiative also drew strong support from private institutions and community stakeholders such as 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐒𝐌 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧, and local fisherfolk organizations.

The collective participation of government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and coastal communities reflects a shared commitment to preserving the cleanliness and ecological integrity of Butuan Bay. Beyond removing waste along the shoreline, the activity also strengthens public awareness on the growing threats of marine pollution, climate change, and habitat degradation.

Through collaborative efforts such as this, the BBDA continues to promote environmental stewardship and inspire communities to take an active role in protecting the oceans. Just as nature continues to recover despite storms and destruction, this initiative also aims to make people realize that it does not matter what their life circumstance is, because it does not define where they will go. Like the environment, people too can heal, grow, and thrive through resilience, hope, and collective action toward a more sustainable future.

20/04/2026

𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 – The Butuan Bay Development Alliance — Technical Working Group convened on April 15, 2026 at the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Agusan del Norte to deliberate on key matters for endorsement to the BBDA Management Board.

The meeting covered eight agenda items, with major highlights including the 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 under the Provincial Agriculture Office, the 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, and the progress report and policy recommendations on the 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐲. These agenda items reflect both immediate concerns and long-term strategies in managing the bay’s resources.

The proposed organizational structure aims to strengthen institutional capacity in delivering fisheries extension services and ensuring effective resource management at the provincial level. Meanwhile, the discussion on the creation of the Butuan Bay Authority signals a move toward a more unified and centralized governance framework that can harmonize policies, streamline enforcement, and coordinate efforts across jurisdictions.

Equally significant is the presentation on the potential risks of heavy metals in fisheries, which raises awareness on environmental health and food safety. The progress report and policy recommendations emphasize the need for science-based decision-making, continuous monitoring, and preventive measures to safeguard both marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

These priority agenda items collectively highlight the direction of Butuan Bay’s future one that requires strong institutions, informed policies, and sustained collaboration. As these resolutions are prepared for endorsement to the Management Board, the BBDA Operations Team, together with its partners, remains committed to crafting responsive strategies and ensuring effective implementation for the protection and sustainability of the bay’s coastal and marine habitats.

With these critical steps underway, one question remains for all stakeholders and communities alike: 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?

17/03/2026

10/03/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

10/03/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 – The Regional Aquaculture and Fisheries Council (RAFC) of Caraga, in collaboration with the Butuan Bay Development Alliance (BBDA), the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office of Tubay, and the Local Government Unit of Cabadbaran, conducted a mangrove and coastal reforestation activity at Brgy. La Union, Cabadbaran City.

The community service initiative aims to support the environmental conservation efforts of the City Government of Cabadbaran through its City Environment and Natural Resources Office by contributing to the restoration and protection of the city’s coastal stretch. The activity is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through this multi agency collaboration, the activity highlights the importance of collective action in addressing climate change, protecting marine ecosystems, restoring coastal habitats, and strengthening partnerships among institutions and communities.

Among the species planted was the beach forest species locally known as 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐢 (𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚), also scientifically recognized as 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚. This species plays an important role in coastal communities as it helps prevent soil erosion and serves as a natural wind barrier that protects coastal areas from strong winds and environmental disturbances.

The successful collaboration between RAFC, BBDA, partner agencies, and the local community reflects a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable coastal resource management. Through partnerships and collective action, stakeholders continue to work hand in hand toward the protection and restoration of the coastal ecosystems of Cabadbaran City and the greater Butuan Bay area.

08/03/2026

The Butuan Bay Development Alliance celebrates women around the world, especially the hardworking and resilient women in the fisheries sector who play an essential role in sustaining families, communities, and coastal livelihoods.

Women are not just supporters behind success. They are leaders, providers, and changemakers whose strength and dedication move communities forward. As echoed in Taylor Swift's "The Man," 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺.

𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 💜

27/02/2026

The Butuan Bay Development Alliance urges everyone to stop consuming juvenile sardines.

Let us work together to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage our marine resources for the benefit of present and future generations.