History
Owning and operating a fishing business has been a way of life for the Tiangco family for many decades. It all started in 1956, when entrepreneur Mr. Reynaldo G. Tiangco, from the coastal town of Navotas, bought a traditional bangca to catch mackerel, round scad, and herring in the waters of Manila Bay.

Reynaldo’s eldest son, Restituto B. Tiangco, spent much of his adolescent life assisting in the family business, literally learning the ropes of operating a fishing enterprise. After marrying in 1966, RBT decided to set up his own fishing venture so he would have the financial means to support a growing family. Reynaldo fully supported Restituto B. Tiangco, providing him with a working capital loan. Restituto B. Tiangco’s father-in-law, the late Tobias P. Marcelo on the other hand, contributed the land where the TPJ office now stands (next to his ice plant) and a wooden boat that would be used to catch fish in the Manila Bay.

From there, Restituto B. Tiangco would take his fishing business to greater heights, pursuing aggressive but thoughtful expansion. In 1967, he built his own 95-foot wooden purse seiner- named Tobirey- that would fish in the Palawan and Visayan waters catching mackerel, round scad, and sardines. Two additional wooden purse seiners- Mariely and Paulrey- were manufactured in 1969. Further expansion occurred in the seventies. Three 125-foot steel purse seiners were constructed- Ladylin, Babylyn, and John Rey. Then three pre-owned fishing vessels –Lynette, Marlynn, and Roselyn - were purchased in Japan, providing the capability for tuna purse seining.

In 1987, Trans Pacific Journey Fishing Corporation (or TPJ) was established. By this time, a strategic decision was made to focus on catching tuna, instead of round scad. Additional steel vessels, specifically for tuna purse seining, were purchased in the coming years.

Today, TPJ has 11 catchers and 5 carriers, with capacity ranging from 800 to 1,500 metric tons. The company continues to upgrade its fleet with more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly vessels,. TPJ also strictly enforces International Safety Management (ISM) procedures and Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) rules and regulations. Moreover, TPJ has industry-leading crew retention because of its commitment to developing and retaining employees through training and benefit programs.