THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Western Visayas turned over on Wednesday, August 23, to fisherfolk of Barangay Sebario, San Lorenzo, Guimaras, a community fish landing center (CFLC) and 10 units of 20-footer fiberglass boats.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who turned over the projects, said these are among the interventions of the government to help sustenance of fishermen in the country.
Under the DA, BFAR is responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources in the country.
Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin expressed thanks to the DA and BFAR for improving the livelihood of the fisherfolk through the projects.
The establishment of the P3-million CFLC is among the national programs of BFAR. It aims to spur growth in coastal areas with high poverty incidence and large population of registered fisherfolk under the BFAR's Targeted Actions to Reduce Poverty and Generate Economic Transformation (Target) program.
The facility will serve as hub for fisheries' harvests and economic activities like fish trade. It will also serve as venue for skills training of fisherfolk in the community.
The 10 units of 20-footer fiberglass boats, meanwhile, benefited 20 fisherfolk-families of the coastal barangay. Each fiberglass boats will be shared by two families.
The distribution of the fiberglass fishing boats was made possible through the "F/B Pagbabago" Livelihood Development Program, a livelihood intervention of BFAR in partnership with DA to ensure resiliency and safety of fishermen at sea.
Spearheaded under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, the program aims to uplift the socio-economic status of fisherfolk through provision of disaster-resilient fishing boats.
Fiberglass is a durable material, which makes the fiberglass fishing boats dependable compared to wooden boats. Wooden boats could be used up to three years and require ample maintenance while fiberglass boats could last for 20 years with less maintenance. (PNA)