The construction of a temporary facility at the General Santos Fish Port is being fast-tracked to facilitate the unloading of fish, particularly export-grade tuna.

This after the market hall was damaged and could not be used, as of this writing, following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Sarangani on June 8, 2026.

The area has been cordoned off and operations are transferred temporarily to a location nearby.

Large varieties of tuna such as yellowfin and bigeye intended for export or local canneries are unloaded at Market Hall 1. The site is also used for bidding and for classifying the quality of fish.

“Medyo apiki man gud kay ang area nga loadinganan di man habwaanan. Ang kini nga sitwasyon, apiki gyud ni siya. Init man gud diri. Gwapa kaayo ang isda unya pag-abot diha mainitan,” a buyer, Romel Pilarde, said.

“Dinhi man gud, init kaayo ikarga sa kariton. Dali ra madaot ang isda basta init,” a laborer, Jun Abellanosa, added.

However, work on the conveyor system is ongoing so that fish can be routed through it and help speed up transactions.

The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said work on the temporary facility is being expedited.

It is also awaiting the assessment of structural engineers to determine whether the damaged structure will be repaired or replaced with a new one.

“Gagawa pa ang PFDA ng assessment siguro mag-hire pa ng structural engineer kasi na red-tag. Pag-aaralan pa from there saka kami mag-decide ano talaga na structure habang ginagawa pa yon binibilisan yong temporary facilities namin mga tents at canopies para syempre kailangan ma make sure na ang food safety nandyan pa rin mga compliances nandyan pa rin di naman pwedeng i-sacrifice yon,” PFDA General Santos Fish Port Administrative Services Division Chief, Fritzie Leviste, said.