Developmental Local Policy for Aquaculture Farming in San Juan, Batangas: Basis for Sustainable Livelihood Program

The Municipality of San Juan, Batangas, has remarkable development in the tourism and aquaculture industries due to exquisite coastal resources. Aquaculture farming provides a significant source of income, livelihood, support for tourism, and food security. However, despite its development, the aquaculture industry threatens its sustainability due to environmental degradation, rapid population growth, and financial constraints of aquaculture farmers for sustainable livelihoods. Through descriptive research and purposive sampling of 125 respondents (aquaculture farmers), the statistical analysis used frequency and percentage in the demographics, the weighted mean for the variables of sustainable aquaculture livelihood, the chi-square test for determining the demographics and the variables of the sustainable aquaculture system, and the Spearman’s rank order correlation for the challenges encountered by farmers and the sustainable aquaculture system. The survey shows that the majority of respondents are in the age range of 42 to 49, married, and have a monthly income of Php 10,000 or less. The production technology has a significant relationship with the monthly income of the respondents, while the status of aquaculture farming in terms of social and economic aspects has a significant relationship with the sex of the respondents. Primary challenges faced by respondents in aquaculture are the detrimental effects of climate change, followed by competition from other farms, while issues related to obtaining loans and regulatory compliance are less pressing concerns. Hence, a local ordinance is proposed for the Municipality of San Juan, Batangas, for the sustainable livelihood of aquaculture farmers on the basis of the outcome of research.