TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
 ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES  
 ) 
First Regular Session     
 ) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
H. No. _____
Introduced by Representative Binky April M. Tupas 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
AN ACT  
 ESTABLISHING A MULTI-SPECIES MARINE HATCHERY IN 
THE MUNICIPALITY OF CONCEPCION, PROVINCE OF ILOILO, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Northern Iloilo facing the Visayan Sea is considered as the most productive fishing 
ground in the country. Majority of the registered fisherfolk at 32,089 or 66% of the total 
registered fisherfolk in the Province are from this area contributing most of the fish 
production from aquaculture and capture fisheries. Major fish produce are blue swimming 
crab, sardines, bisugo, and slip mouth. 
Fisheries need to be sustainably managed in the Province especially in Northern 
Iloilo. With the growing demand for fishery commodities and the exploitation of our fisheries 
resources, there is a need for a sustainable management of the resource. Management of 
the fishery requires a balance between socio economic and governance interventions. 
The Municipality of Concepcion is a first class, coastal municipality in the 
Province of lloilo. It is 97 kilometers from the provincial capital, Iloilo City. Concepcion is 
politically subdivided into 25 barangays, 11 of which are island barangays.  
The primary industry of the people of Concepcion is in fishing. The Visayan Sea, 
where Concepcion is situated, is one of the most prolific in fish production and provides a 
significant proportion of fish in the region. 
The Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 
(DA–BFAR) strongly supports the Establishment of a Multi-Species Marine Hatchery 
at the Northern Iloilo State University (NISU) Concepcion Campus based on 
conducted feasibility study. The Multi-Species Marine Hatchery will ensure the 
sustainable supply of seedstocks such as milkfish, grouper, seabass, pompano, 
mudcrabs, shrimps and other finfishes will ensure continuous production and 
securing livelihoods especially in the aquaculture sector.  
July 14, 2025
8:00 am
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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
 ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES  
 ) 
First Regular Session     
 ) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
H. No. _____
Introduced by Representative Binky April M. Tupas 
AN ACT  
 ESTABLISHING A MULTI-SPECIES MARINE HATCHERY IN 
THE MUNICIPALITY OF CONCEPCION, PROVINCE OF ILOILO, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1.  There shall be established, under the supervision of the 
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of 
Agriculture (DA-BFAR), a multi-species marine hatchery in the 
Municipality of Concepcion, Province of Iloilo. 
SEC. 2. Prior to the establishment of the multi-species marine hatchery, 
the DA-BFAR shall conduct a full-scale feasibility study in support of its 
construction to comply with the requirements of the Department of 
Budget and Management. 
The DA-BFAR shall, within three (3) years after the establishment of the 
multi-species marine hatchery, transfer the management of the same to 
the Northern Iloilo State University (NISU) through a Memorandum of 
Agreement. The BFAR-DA shall implement a training and phasing-in 
program for NISU personnel and the local government personnel of the 
Municipality of Concepcion on the management and operation of the 
multi-species marine hatchery. 
The DA-BFAR and the NISU shall conduct continuing research and 
experimentation on the breeding and production of marine species, 
especially as they apply local conditions, to discover new methods and 
technology that shall benefit the fisheries industry. 
SEC. 3. The Secretary of Agriculture shall include in the Department’s 
programs the establishment of the multi-species marine hatchery in the 
Municipality of Concepcion, Province of Iloilo, the funding of which shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. The NISU shall 
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set aside funds from any available revenue in an amount deemed 
appropriate for the operationalization of the hatchery. 
 
SEC. 4. Within sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act, the 
Department of Agriculture and the NISU shall issue the rules and 
regulations on the establishment, supervision, monitoring, and the 
eventual transfer of the management of the multi-species marine 
hatchery to the NISU. 
 
SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,