THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is still committed on their target of distributing 200,000 fiberglass fishing boats equipped with tools nationwide annually in the next five years that would benefit thousands of fisher folk families.
Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said in an ambush interview during the Philippine’s chairmanship launching of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) 2017 on Sunday, January 15, at SMX Convention Center, in Davao City that as of January 2017, his department has already given out many fishing boats all over the country.
The DA chief said that before 2020 ends, they target to assist at least 400,000 families a year to boost their livelihood in light with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to alleviate poverty in the country.
Aside from the employment benefit of the boats, the fisher folks would also serve as sea watchers in securing marine resources against illegal and unregulated fishing practices.
Last year, DA distributed a total of 300 units motorized fiberglass boats with complete sets of fishing gears (5.5hp engine) benefitting a total of 600 fishermen belonging to the poor, marginalized (Indigenous People, women, Persons with disability) and those who are affected by the implementation of the Closed Season in Davao Gulf at the Davao Fish Port Complex, Toril, Davao City.
Each of the 300 boats will be shared by two families which cost P70,000.
The agriculture secretary also added that all the wooden boats that still exist will be replaced by fiber glasses so that there would no longer trees to cut down as Piñol discourage the use of wood in creating a fishing vessel because of its adverse impact in the environment.
“Lahat ng bangka na ating binibigay ngayon fiberglass na, hindi na tayo magpuputol ng kahoy (All our boats are made of fiberglass. We won't cut trees anymore),” he said.
Following the death of eight fisher folks in Siromon Island in Zamboanga City allegedly perpetrated by armed men, Piñol said that DA had already given the families financial assistance in accordance to the order of the President, who was dismayed with the incident.
“I informed him that I have talked to the Navy unit already in Zamboanga and the police in forming a team DA and BFAR. We’re fielding a boat to guard the areas and we are engaging volunteers,” he said.
They give P50,000 for each family of the slain fishers and vowed to provide scholarships to their children and fishing boats to the families.