Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. reminded the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) during the celebration of its 78th founding anniversary that the real success of the agency lies in how it transforms the lives of people in coastal communities.
“This celebration is not for us alone—it is for the fisherfolk we serve and the marine resources we are entrusted to protect,” Tiu Laurel said before the BFA officials and staff, citing BFAR’s long-standing contributions to rural development.
With the theme “Ahensyang Aksyon Agad,” this year’s anniversary was both a tribute and a challenge—recognizing the bureau’s legacy while pushing for results-driven service. Tiu Laurel stressed the importance of streamlining government processes to allow BFAR to respond swiftly to crises on the ground, and in anticipating future threats to food security and ocean health.
“The nature of government work is unending,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said. “There will always be more boats to deliver, more fingerlings to distribute, more projects to launch, and more fisherfolk lives to transform.”
The DA chief pledged full institutional support for programs that bring not just hope but concrete and inclusive growth to the sector. He likened public service to the tides: unrelenting, consistent, and courageous—just like the fisherfolk who set out to sea each day.
As BFAR enters its 79th year, Tiu Laurel’s message was clear: Progress will not come from good intentions alone, but from action that is swift, strategic, and anchored in compassion.
