In the Philippines, every city and municipality is composed of various barangays, which is the smallest local government unit (LGU). SMARTSeas formed connections with the LGUs of Verde Island Passage to ensure that the implementation of fishing ordinances are observed among communities and the livelihood initiatives can be administered directly. Among the LGUs are Samahan ng mga Mangingisda ng San Teodoro (SMST; Fisher's Organization of San Teodoro) and Samahan ng mga Mangingisda ng Barangay Bagalangit (SMBB; Fisher's Organization of Barangay Bagalangit).
This building block requires close communication between the implementing agencies and the fisher's organizations. The members of these organizations are engaged in awareness building meetings to educate them on the threats plastic impose on the ocean. Commodity development training is also given to the members for them to successfully create and design products that can be sold.
Primarily, the majority of the citizens that depend on fishing as their livelihood are still unaware of the dangers plastic can contribute to the marine wildlife and ecosystem. These people are willing to learn and move toward a sustainable fishery operation, but they need the guidance of higher authorities that are experts on the subject matter to initiate the strategies that need to be executed.