A landmark multi-institutional agreement was formalized at Citadines Hotel, Iloilo City, as the Crabsolutely Zero (CrabZero) research program officially sealed its memorandum of agreement (MOA) among its key implementing and collaborating partners. The ceremonial signing marks a decisive step toward building a circular economy model for crustacean waste valorization in the Philippines, one that links scientific innovation directly to the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities.
CrabZero is a multi-institutional research program that seeks to convert blue swimming crab and other crustacean processing waste into high-value biomaterials, including chitosan, bioactive compounds, and sustainable packaging materials. By redirecting waste that would otherwise burden coastal ecosystems, the program aims to create new economic opportunities for the very communities most vulnerable to environmental degradation.
The MOA formalizes the roles and commitments of the program’s implementing institutions: the University of the Philippines Visayas Foundation Incorporated (UPVFI), the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), the Department of Science and Technology – Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), and the Northern Iloilo State University Concepcion Campus.
Supporting the program as collaborators are the Brgy. Igbon Kasagaran Association (BIGKAS), a community-based fisherfolk organization in Concepcion, Iloilo; the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region VI (BFAR Region VI); the Local Government Unit of Concepcion, Iloilo; and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The event also served as a technical and financial monitoring activity, with program leader Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap, Professor and Vice Chancellor for Research ad Extension of UPV, presenting a comprehensive overview of the project’s goals, planned activities, fund utilization, and the official launch of the CrabZero project website.
“CrabZero is not just about what we can extract from waste, it is about what we can build from it. We are establishing a model that closes the loop between fisheries processing and our coastal community [livelihood], ensuring that the value generated from crustacean by-products flows back to the people who depend on the sea,” said Prof. Yap.
Central to the CrabZero approach is the direct involvement of coastal fishing communities in Concepcion, Iloilo — one of the country’s key blue swimming crab processing areas. By working alongside BIGKAS, the program ensures that research outputs are grounded in local realities and that livelihood opportunities are embedded within the project design from the outset.
Building on the momentum of the ceremonial MOA signing, the CrabZero program convened its second day of activities on April 24, 2026, at the Regional Research Center (RRC) Function Hall, UPV, Miagao campus. The day brought together implementing partners and collaborators for a structured program that moved from institutional accountability to inclusive practice to hands-on scientific immersion.
The morning session opened with financial reporting presentations from the two lead implementing institutions: UPVFI and the Department of Science and Technology – Industrial Technology Development Institute DOST-ITDI. Both institutions presented their respective fund utilization reports, reinforcing the program’s commitment to transparent governance and responsible stewardship of public and European Union resources. The financial reporting component also served as a technical monitoring activity, ensuring that the program’s expenditures and resource allocation remain aligned with the objectives outlined in the MOA signed the previous day.
The morning session concluded with a Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Orientation facilitated by Ms. Myka Viernes, Stakeholder Dialogue Advisor of GIZ Philippines. The orientation guided program implementers on embedding gender-sensitive and inclusive practices throughout the research and community engagement phases of CrabZero.
Ms. Viernes emphasized that a program operating at the intersection of fisheries science and coastal community development must be deliberate in addressing the distinct needs, roles, and vulnerabilities of women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized social groups, particularly within the fishing communities of Concepcion, Iloilo, where CrabZero’s community-based work is centered.
The afternoon session shifted from the conference room to the laboratory, as stakeholders were taken on an immersive tour of UPV’s key research facilities each directly relevant to CrabZero’s scientific scope.
The tour covered the Regional Research Center (RRC); the Food, Feeds, and Functional Nutrition Laboratory (FFFNL); the Philippine Genome Center – Visayas (PGC-Visayas; the Institute of Fish Processing Technology (IFPT) Laboratories; and the Institute of Aquaculture (IA) Hatchery. The laboratory tour provided implementing partners, collaborators, and monitoring representatives with a concrete picture of the scientific infrastructure that will drive CrabZero’s research outputs.
With two days of substantive institutional, technical, and scientific engagement, the CrabZero program moves forward with a formalized partnership structure, a gender-responsive implementation framework, and a shared understanding of the research capabilities that will carry the program’s circular economy vision from laboratory to coastline.
Supported by the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership
CrabZero is implemented under the broader framework of the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership, a priority program of the European Union in the Philippines. The program promotes circular economy transitions while sustaining inclusive economic growth across Filipino communities.
About the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership
Funded by a ₱3.67 billion (€60 million) grant from the European Union (EU), the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative – the European strategy engaging with partners globally and promoting investments around shared priorities such as the transition to a green economy. Led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), this priority programme of the EU in the Philippines links European and Filipino partners from the private sector and the local government to foster a circular economy while sustaining economic growth that benefits all Filipinos.
The Policy and Alliances component of the programme – co-funded with a €12 million grant from the European Union and a €1 million contribution from the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, and implemented by GIZ and DENR-Environmental Management Bureau – supports policy development and fosters strong partnerships.
Written by Rodmar Arduo
Photos by CrabZero/UPV
#UniversityofthePhilippinesVisayas
