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Century Pacific Food and Alliance Select are hoping to resume operations within a week at the earliest
MANILA, Philippines – The country’s seafood industry General Santos Citythe tuna capital of the Philippines, has been hit by vandalism earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 which hit the coast of Sarangani Mindanao province on Monday, June 8.
Major tuna and seafood producer Century Pacific Food Incorporated confirmed on Tuesday, June 9, that three of its workers were killed after part of a warehouse wall at their General Santos facility collapsed due to the earthquake.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident and are extending support to the affected families,” the food chain owned by the Po family said in a statement. Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).
Among Century Pacific Food’s tuna and seafood brands are Century Tuna, 555, Blue Bay, Fresco, and Lucky 7. It got heritage brand Ligo in 2021.
“We are currently assessing the full extent of the impact on our facilities and aim to return to operations within one to two weeks, depending on the results of our structural assessment and approval from the relevant authorities. From a business continuity perspective, our facilities are covered by insurance, and our partner vendors currently have sufficient stock to meet immediate needs,” the company added in its disclosure.
The deceased Ricardo Po Sr. founded Century Canning Corporation in 1978, exporting canned tuna. It later became Century Pacific Food Inc. after expanding and diversification into other food businesses.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Century Pacific Food subsidiary General Tuna Corporation’s factory in General Santos City on July 4, 2025.
Temporary suspension
Meanwhile, another major tuna producer and exporter, Alliance Select Foods International, told PSE that it has temporarily closed its facility in General Santos City after several of its workers were injured in the earthquake.
“As a precautionary measure and due to continued aftershocks, operations at the facility have been temporarily suspended while safety inspections and damage assessments are conducted,” Alliance Select Foods said.
“Preliminary assessments show damage to warehouse areas, including some inventory stored there. The company is currently conducting a detailed assessment to determine the extent of damage to its facilities, inventory and operations.”
The company said it expects to resume operations next week, June 16, after completion of safety inspections and corrective actions that may be required. It said it could not yet provide the “full financial and operational impact” of the quake.
Alliance Select Food exports tuna to Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It began processing, canning, and shipping canned tuna products in 2004.
Its first product is the Bay of Gold brand. Besides exports, it also sells its tuna products to restaurants, hotels, and commissaries, and toll packs to wholesalers, distributors, and other food companies.
Its tuna business accounts for 93% of the group’s revenue by the end of 2025.
Before the earthquake, seafood producers in Soccsksargen The region was facing high oil prices due to conflicts in the Middle East.
The Philippines is among them the largest producers of tuna in the world, and its largest tuna landing facility is the General Santos Fish Port Complex in General Santos City. The country produced more than 400,000 tons of tuna and more than 300,000 MT of seafood in 2023. It also exported 88,970 tons of tuna in 2023, its highest export of fish, worth US$391.8 million, according to Center for Fisheries Development in Southeast Asia. – Rappler.com
