Thursday, July 12, 2007 Fisheries bureau extends help to Davao fisherfolk By Joy Romares-Sevilla
THE regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said it will extend fishing gears and materials to fishermen in Davao Region as part of its support to the mitigation program of the government.
The program, BFAR regional director George Campeon said, aims to support the municipalities and the barangays in the region where poverty and malnutrition are prevalent.
"In Southern Mindanao, the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) identified Davao Oriental where poverty and malnutrition are prevalent. So inuna namin ang Davao Oriental," Campeon told Sun.Star Davao.
Campeon said BFAR allotted P500,000 for the materials and fishing gears to be extended to fishermen in Davao Oriental.
He said, at present, BFAR focuses on the three identified municipalities in the province where incidence of poverty and malnutrition is high.
These are the towns of San Isidro, Tarragona, and Boston.
"We focus on three barangays in each municipality, actually, tomorrow (Thursday) will be the turnover of more than 100 fishing gears to more than 100 beneficiaries," Campeon said, adding that the training program for the fishermen also ends Thursday.
The training focuses on the proper use of the fishing gears that will be extended by the bureau.
In Tarragona, on the other hand, Campeon said BFAR already delivered seven sets of materials for the seven units of "payao" or fish shelters to be established in the municipality.
"Sa Boston naman, we already have an initial discussion with the mayor in the municipality about what materials are we going to extend to the fishermen, the materials are still to be identified by the fishermen," Campeon said.
Campeon said BFAR targets to fully accomplish the program in Davao Oriental in August.
He added that they also prepare for the implementation of program in other provinces in the region at the end of the third quarter of the year.
