Impact of Livelihood Projects on the Fishing Households’ Income and Wealth: The Case of Fisheries, Coastal Resources, and Livelihood (FishCORAL) Project in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

The fishery sector consistently ranks among the poorest sectors in the Philippines, putting pressure on the government to address these economic challenges. One of the big-ticket projects implemented by the Philippine government is the Fisheries, Coastal Resources, and Livelihood (FishCORAL) Project, in partnership with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and executed by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) in several regions of the Philippines. The project’s components include coastal resources management, livelihood development, and project management and coordination. Its primary aim was to increase household income through livelihood support and reduce poverty in economically challenged communities. This evaluation study investigates the impact of the fisheries coastal livelihood development (FCLD) component, specifically in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). This component provided capacity development training on various fishery-based livelihood enterprises and funding for the establishment and installation of infrastructure support facilities and equipment. Analyses of the study reveal that the FCLD project did not significantly increase the income and wealth of beneficiary fishing households. Several implementation challenges, project design gaps, and systemic shocks encountered during the project’s implementation were identified as potential contributing factors to these outcomes. Hence, addressing these issues for future projects across the region's coastal communities is urged.