Asst. Prof. Rei Chino C. Pua and Asst. Prof. Cris Edwin B. Bonalos of the Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (DAME) served as resource speakers in the “Empowering Fisherfolk Enterprises: Training on Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Human Resource, and Financial Management,” conducted by the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Fisheries Office IX (DA-BFAR RFO 9) under its Marketing Assistance and Enterprise Development (MAED) component.
The training was held on September 14–15, 2026 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, and September 17–18, 2026 in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. Participants were fisherfolk from the respective municipalities and members of local fisherfolk associations.
Asst. Prof. Rei Chino C. Pua (RCCP) handled the sessions on entrepreneurship and financial management, focusing on entrepreneurial mindsetting and character development. He discussed the attitudes and personal qualities that can help entrepreneurs remain resilient while managing the challenges of running a business. His sessions also covered business planning and practical financial management for micro enterprises. The discussions were geared toward helping participants better understand how planning and financial decisions can support the sustainability of their existing livelihood activities and businesses.
Asst. Prof. Cris Edwin B. Bonalos (CEBB), on the other hand, focused on marketing management, particularly the 4Ps of marketing and different pricing strategies. The discussion introduced participants to practical ways of looking at their products, prices, markets, and promotional activities as they develop and sell their products.
For both sessions, the concepts were discussed in relation to the actual business activities of the participants. This allowed the fisherfolk to connect management and entrepreneurship concepts with the decisions they make in operating their enterprises.
The activity also provided an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between DA-BFAR and the academe. Bringing entrepreneurship and management concepts directly to fisherfolk communities allows these ideas to be discussed within the context of their actual enterprises, resources, markets, and challenges.
More importantly, the training supports the broader goal of developing fisherfolk associations beyond small livelihood activities. By enabling their capabilities in entrepreneurship, marketing, human resource, and financial management, the program seeks to help these associations develop their existing activities into more organized and sustainable community-based enterprises.
The engagement of DAME faculty in the activity is also part of the Department’s continuing efforts to share its expertise in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship with communities and partner institutions.
