MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Monday passed on its third and final reading House Bill No. 4641, which would officially declare General Santos City the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines.”
“The House of Representatives, through this proposed legislation, would like to honor the importance of the tuna industry as a driver of development. It is not only a source of export earnings, but also a source of livelihood to our fisherfolks and workers in the City of General Santos, and the rest of the country,” House Speaker Martin Romualdez said in a statement.
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“Indeed, the largest producer of canned and fresh tuna in the country for four decades deserves this timely recognition as we take pride in supporting the development of this industry in the coming years,” he added.
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One of the bill’s principal authors, General Santos Rep. Loreto Acharon, pointed out in his explanatory note that the province is host to six of the eight tuna canneries in the Philippines and other allied industries that employ around 120,000 people for an industry valued at around $58 million.
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“Even with the advent of emerging markets in other provinces with tuna as the main driver of local economics. The City of General Santos remains as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines for all practical intents and purposes as evidenced by the conduct of the annual National Tuna Congress, now on its 24th edition in the City of General Santos and every year before that, an acknowledgement without doubt to our claims to the title,” Acharon said.