9 S ocial Chall enges and Benefits

The mariculture park in Panabo City (PCMP) Davao, has provided a significant increase in employment and has thus benefitted a number of stakeholders.

It is estimated that current total job employment derived from MPs, either part-time or full-time, had already reached over 500 people. Over 235 came from fishers/local residences and portions of their income resulted in having additional local revenues generated by LGUs of Panabo City and the revenues generated by other neighbouring municipalities of the province due partly to increasing purchases of market goods and trading activities. Support services and activities for mariculture parks are created both upstream (for example fish fry producers, nursery operators, feed suppliers/agents) and for downstream (for example processors of fish and other aquatic products, ice sellers and fish traders).
Additional beneficiaries come from within the communities’ periphery who engaged themselves into small–medium businesses. Survey results show that most of them have economic and social gains from MPs continuing operations in the area. In Barangay Cagangohan alone with a population of 13,162 (NSO, 2010), the beneficiaries of the MP reached to a total of 209 local people.