The Philippine Shrimp Congress has come a long way. To date, 13 shrimp congresses have already been held and the upcoming 14th congress is scheduled on September 20-22, 2023, to be held at the City of Smiles, Bacolod. Reminiscing the past, the 3rd Philippine Shrimp Congress held in 2002 was momentous. The papers presented during the 3rd Congress were about government policies, shrimp health & disease diagnostics, shrimp culture & technological innovations, pond dynamics, and marketing. It was also during the aforesaid congress when the Philippine Shrimp Industry, Inc. (PHILSHRIMP, Inc.) was formalized and launched to the public. PHILSHRIMP is an umbrella organization composed of growers, hatchery operators, and other members of the value-added chain tasked to identify relevant and timely industry concerns. The organization of PHILSHRIMP is a result of the clamor of the industry to have an integrated voice in articulating the concerns about Philippine Shrimp Aquaculture. With the institutionalization of PHILSHRIMP and its collaborative efforts with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the conduct of the Philippine Shrimp Congress every two years has continued to prosper up until this day. Additionally, prior to the conduct of the 2002 Philippine Shrimp Congress, there were already 2 congresses held which were the 1988 and 1998 Prawn Congresses which are still considered part of PHILSHRIMP’s history. 

Due to the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 13th Philippine Shrimp Congress was held virtually in 2021. While other priority aquaculture commodities have stopped the conduct of their respective congresses, the shrimp sector has successfully conducted the 13th Philippine Shrimp Congress utilizing the virtual platform—with participants amounting to 1,031 in number.

This year, the 14th Philippine Shrimp Congress will once again return to the City of Smiles, Bacolod for a spectacular in-person event packed with worthwhile technical sessions, plenary sessions, and exhibits or trade shows from our sponsors.

What are you waiting for? Register now, pack your bags, and let’s fly to Bacolod!