PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) has discouraged the use of synthetic fertilizer on Palawan seaweeds as it endangers the industry.
Board Member Roseller Pineda told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview on Tuesday that if the considerable application of artificial fertilizers is not stopped, the demand for Palawan seaweeds might decrease as the carrageenan being produced will have low quality.
“Nawala na ‘yong quality ng carrageenan na galing sa seaweeds natin. ‘Yong gel niya nawala iyong dating quality na meron siya because of application ng fertilizers. Wala ng demand, at at risk ang production kapag hindi ma-educate ang mga seaweed farmers (We have lost the quality of the carrageenan that is from our seaweeds. The gel’s quality was lost due to the application of fertilizers. There is no more demand, and production is at risk if we do not educate our seaweed farmers),” he said.
He said that seaweeds being produced in Balabac have been discovered to have low carrageenan quality as farmers have started to use fertilizer to increase their production volume.
Seaweed farmers in Taytay town in northern Palawan are also starting to use chemicals to increase seaweeds fertility, he added.
In Palawan, the high-producing seaweed municipalities are Agutaya, Cagayancillo, Roxas, Taytay, and Balabac.
Carrageenan is the gelatinous extract from seaweeds that consists of a mixture of sulfated polysaccharides.
He said it is used as a thickening or emulsifying agent in food products, stabilizer to prevent constituents separating in toothpaste, thickener in shampoo and cosmetic creams, and used as an inactive excipient in pills and tablets, among others.
To resolve the issue, Pineda filed Resolution No. 206-18 during Tuesday regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to appeal to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol to cause the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to establish village-based seaweed outreach stations to educate farmers to go for non-carrageenan harming natural technologies.
The resolution was approved the same day by majority of members of the provincial board signifying the need to immediately address the problem.
As lead government agency in fisheries, he said the BFAR is in a position to help the province in stopping fertilizer use and prevent the decline of the quality of carrageenan.
“Na-enhance ang produksyon pero yong epekto pala ay nawala ang characteristic o quality ng carrageenan na kinukuha natin (Production was enhanced but in the process, we lost the high quality of carrageenan). With this resolution, BFAR can conduct outreach programs to our seaweed farmers,” he said.
Pineda added that BFAR can be supported by municipal agriculturist officers (MAO) in seaweed-producing municipalities.
“Mawawala ang market kapag patuloy na gagamit ang ating mga seaweed farmers ng fertilizers (We will lose the market if our seaweed farmers continue to use fertilizers),” he said.
Earlier, BFAR Regional Director Elizer Salilig said they are currently conducting a study on the effect of fertilizer use on seaweeds, not only in Palawan but in other parts of the country to counteract the effects on carrageenan. (Celeste Anna Formoso/PNA)
