BFAR to launch new project for fisher folks

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Northern Mindanao will implement a new project next year, the Special Areas for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program, which aims to cater to marginal fisher folks in the region.

Stephanie Cantorne, planning staff of BFAR, on Wednesday, October 18, said SAAD is a program that will provide livelihood intervention and capability building or training to fisher folks who belong to the poorest of the poor.

"This is in response to the recent data gipagawas sa (shown by) National Statistics Office regarding sa katong mga provinces na na-belong sa mga (to the provinces that belong to the) poorest of the poor, which is considered ang Bukidnon as one of the top 10 nga taas ang poverty diri sa atoang country (high poverty incidence in the country)," Cantorne said, adding that the budget for this program, which is 15 million, is solely for the beneficiaries in Bukidnon.

She said the program has an initial target of more than 1,000 fisher folks, including Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD's) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries who are engaged in fishing activities.

"In our case gigamit namo ang data sa DSWD para i-crossmatch sa BFAR nga fisher folk registration. Bale ang among target is katong poorest among the poor nga fisher folk (we used the data from DSWD to crossmatch with BFAR's fisher folk registration. In other words, our target are the poorest of the poor fisher folks)," Cantorne added.

The BFAR, meanwhile, is celebrating a week-long Fish Conservation Celebration from October 15 to 21, with the theme "Industriya ng Pangisdaan ay Masigla kung ang Karagatan ay Malinis at Masagana."

The celebration highlights one of the banner programs of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, which aims to recognize outstanding initiatives and contributions of coastal municipalities and cities to sustainable fisheries development.

The annual celebration is by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 176 and as mandated in the Fisheries Code of the Philippines and is to intensify the awareness on the need to conserve and protect the country's fisheries and aquatic resources.

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