Five Premier Cebu Seafood Exporters to Watch Out for at IFEX Philippines 2018

As the country’s premier port province, Cebu is home to some of the top seafood exporters in the Philippines.

“Cebu has the strategic location and complete infrastructure for companies to gather their raw seafood from fisheries across the Philippines and process it fresh in time for freezing, canning, pasteurizing, or any other value-adding process,” said Asteria Caberte, Regional Director of Department of Trade and Industry-Central Visayas.

“Surrounded by unpolluted waters, the province is also abundant in marine life where fishermen get their fresh fish, shellfish and other crustaceans. This contributes to the locality’s thriving seafood industry in the Queen City of the South,” she added.

With its booming seafood industry, it is no wonder that Cebu-based firms are looking to expand their global market reach in their participation in IFEX Philippines 2018 on May 25 to 27 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) and the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC).

Here are some of these seafood exporters:

1. Phil-Union Frozen Foods, Inc. (PUFFI)

Based in Lapu-Lapu City, Phil-Union Frozen Foods, Inc. (PUFFI) is one of the country’s leading exporters of crab meat and other marine products like tuna, shrimp, giant squid, and octopus. They supply pasteurized crab meat for United States-based Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods brand, which ranks among the top in the global market. Aside from the US, they currently export to Japan, Hongkong, Singapore and South Korea.

Rated as a large-scale business, the company has a production capacity of 25 to 40 tons per day in their plants located at Mandaue City and Jubay, processing raw seafood from nearly a hundred of picking stations nationwide.

In line with their commitment to quality standards, PUFFI is certified under the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Food Safety System Certification 22000, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), EU, Halal, and Dolphin-Safe. They also follow the standards set by Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), certified under SGS Philippines and the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

2. HJR International Corporation

Established in 1996 through efforts of Japanese and Philippine entrepreneurs, HJR International has become one of the biggest exporters of quality seafood products in the country built on the values of quality assurance, timeliness and corporate excellence.

They currently focus their operations on shrimps, producing 10 tons of shrimp meat per day, promptly processed and packed within 24 hours after harvest in their aquafarms located in three provinces: Bulacan, Agusan del Norte (Butuan City) and Cebu.

The company takes advantage of the Philippines’ tropical climate in increasing their production scale and sustaining the high quality of their shrimp. They mainly produce two types of shrimps in assorted sizes and packaging: Whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and Black Tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).

“We operate in unpolluted shrimp farms in the Philippines and does not practice the use of antibiotics to ensure that the shrimps retain their natural taste,” said Jiroh Wani, Plant Manager of HJR International Corporation.

3. HJR International Corporation

Akai Foods Inc. started its seafood business in 1986 in the beautiful island of Cebu and surrounded by its diverse marine life. Now, the company currently has hundreds of fishermen under its operation in Cebu, and two other provinces: Surigao del Norte and Masbate.

The company supply fresh and frozen squid, giant squid, octopus, cuttlefish, and other fish species. They also manufacture value-added products such as squid balls, fish tempura, shrimp ball, fish ball, and squid roll.

As a member of PhilExport and the Association of Food Manufacturers and Exporters of Cebu, the company is certified in food safety and quality standards under SGS Philippines, Inc., GMP and HACCP. The company currently exports to major Asian markets, such as Japan, Korea, Hongkong, and USA.

4. Central Seafoods, Inc.

Established in 1997, Central Seafoods, Inc. is a premier Philippine processor and exporter of fresh frozen marine products and pasteurized canned crab meat.

The company operates several raw materials buying stations and satellite picking plants in the Visayas and Mindanao. With the main plant and headquarters situated in the central part of the Philippines, CSI has expanded their raw materials sourcing up north to the southern part of Luzon, the Bicol Region, increasing their combined production capacity to 3,000 metric tons per year.

Currently, CSI is exporting mainly to the United States although exports to Japan, Korea and Hong Kong are steadily gaining traction due to increase in demand. CSI is also aiming to penetrate the European Union (EU) and the Middle East markets. This has given the company great pride in their goal to help the nation generate much-needed foreign exchange, clearly defining its humble contribution in the strengthening and development of the country’s economy.

5. Asian Wave Seafood Corporation

Established in 1986, Asian Wave Seafood Corporation has become a major seafood player in the country that supplies a wide variety of high-quality seafood products found in the Philippines, such as milkfish, parrot fish, tuna, salmon, prawns and shrimps, lobsters, crab, octopus, cuttlefish, abalone, scallops, and other marine products.

To ensure that every product produced is of the highest quality, the company operates using a state-of-the-art processing facility and freezing technology in Mandaue City that adheres to the standards of the EU, GMP, 5S System, and the HACCP system.

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The 12th edition of IFEX Philippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Interested buyers or exhibitors can contact Ms. Zharita Bagayas, IFEX Philippines Lead Coordinator, at 831-2201 loc. 228 or at zbagayas@citem.com.ph, and to Ms. Alex Lucas at 831-2137 or e-mail her at alucas@citem.com.ph.