CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (November 5, 2025) — The Mindanao Infrastructure Forum has called for faster transport solutions and stronger environmental action, as infrastructure delays and pollution threaten the region’s growth

Officials and experts underscored the need to shorten the government’s three-to-eight-year project timelines by exploring innovative systems that can move goods more swiftly, particularly exports.

Department of Agriculture Region 10 Executive Director Jose Apollo Pacamalan said the government is studying faster ways to move products from farms to markets and ports. “We are exploring alternatives to move goods efficiently across regions,” he said.

Pacamalan added that a technical team is assessing how recent environmental incidents affect agriculture and food supply chains, such as the movement of fish from Zamboanga to Bukidnon.

Meanwhile, environmental authorities reported severe damage to river systems following a large-scale fish kill traced to industrial pollution. Initial findings point to chemical runoff from factories upstream, prompting a coordinated response among national agencies.

Experts clarified that the fish kill was not caused by red tide but by oxygen depletion. Nutrient-rich waste triggers algal blooms, and bacteria feeding on decaying algae consume dissolved oxygen, suffocating the fish.

Pacamalan urged the public to rely on verified advisories from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) through its website and social media pages for updates on water safety and red tide alerts. (Hazel Ann Cagalawan/PIA-10)