Western Philippines University hosted the 6th Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) Philippines Executive Meeting at the Audio-Visual Hall of WPU Puerto Princesa City Campus on November 20.

The meeting gathered university presidents, chancellors, and key officials from 38 institutions nationwide, all committed to advancing the welfare and sustainability of the country’s small-scale fisheries sector.

TBTI Philippines is a national consortium dedicated to addressing challenges affecting the viability and long-term sustainability of small-scale fisheries. Established at the University of the Philippines Visayas, it serves as a research network and knowledge-mobilization partnership for fisheries communities across the country.

As an active member of the consortium, WPU underscored the critical role of small-scale fisheries—considered the backbone of Palawan’s coastal economy—and reinforced its commitment to supporting initiatives that uplift the sector.

In the afternoon session of the meeting, TBTI Philippines officially launched the TBTI Palawan Hub, a collaborative platform designed to strengthen connections between the public, policymakers, and small-scale fisher communities by improving research accessibility and bridging long-standing information gaps. Organizers also unveiled the TBTI Webinar Book, “Waves of Wisdom,” a compilation of past webinar presentations created to make fisheries research more accessible to communities and partner institutions.

During the press conference, UP Visayas Chancellor and TBTI ExeComm Chairperson Dr. Clement C. Camposano; Dr. Alice Joan Ferrer, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of UP Visayas and Executive Director of TBTI Philippines/National Consortium for Small-Scale Fisheries Research and Development; WPU President Dr. Amabel S. Liao; VP Lota Creencia; and Dr. Rodulf Anthony Balisco, TBTI Palawan Coordinator, addressed the media to discuss the hub’s significance in amplifying the voices of small-scale fishers and strengthening collaborative support.

They also highlighted “Atin ang Kinse,” a call for shared responsibility over the 15-kilometer municipal waters, underscoring that protecting coastal areas—and the communities whose lives depend on them—is a collective duty.