General Santos City — Alliance Select Foods International Inc., one of the country’s leading tuna processors and seafood exporters, has temporarily suspended operations at its General Santos City facility after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on Monday, June 8, 2026, damaged parts of its tuna-processing hub.
The Philippine Stock Exchange-listed company said it immediately activated emergency response procedures following the quake, evacuating personnel to designated safe areas. Some employees required medical attention and are receiving assistance from the company, according to a disclosure filed with the exchange.
Impact on Local Economy
General Santos City is widely known as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines,” and the Alliance Select facility serves as a critical hub for the country’s tuna export industry. The plant manufactures canned tuna, frozen tuna loins, precooked tuna products, and private-label seafood items for customers in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
The facility also houses the company’s smoked salmon operations under the Gold Standard and Superfish brands, along with fishmeal and fish oil production lines.
Initial assessments indicate that warehouse areas and stored inventory sustained damage, though the company has not yet quantified the full financial impact. The disruption raises concerns about production delays and potential losses to export commitments.
Operations Expected to Resume by June 16
Management currently expects operations to resume on or around June 16, pending the completion of safety inspections and any necessary repairs. Engineers and safety teams are conducting comprehensive evaluations of buildings, equipment, and inventory to determine the full extent of the damage.
The temporary shutdown highlights the vulnerability of food processing and export operations to natural disasters, particularly in Mindanao where major agricultural and fisheries facilities form a critical link in the country’s export supply chain. General Santos City was among the hardest-hit areas, with the city placed under a state of calamity as rescue and retrieval operations continue across multiple barangays.
Community and Industry Resilience
As the city begins the long process of recovery, local businesses and the tuna industry are expected to play a key role in the economic rebound. Alliance Select, chaired by Jonathan Dee, is one of the few listed Philippine companies with significant exposure to the global tuna trade, making the resumption of its GenSan operations critical for both local employment and international supply chains.
The company said further updates will be provided as additional information becomes available from ongoing damage assessments.
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