ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar thanked the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for the 42 fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) boats and fishing gears it donated to the local fishers and the city government.
The motorboats were distributed to the identified beneficiaries on Friday by BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona and Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate’s committee on agriculture.
Salazar said the boats with engines and fishing gears amounting to nearly P2 million are important implements for food security and livelihood resiliency for the fisherfolks.
The Chief Executive also thanked Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol for initiating the donation through the office of Gongona.
Of the 42 FRP boats, 40 were 18-footer at P40,253 each for a total of P1,761,185.42, which were awarded to 20 fishers from the first congressional district and 20 other units for the 40 people’s organizations (POs) from the second congressional district.
Gongona advised the fishermen-beneficiaries to put to good use the FRP boats given to them.
Villar said the distribution is one of the government interventions to help alleviate the plight of the fisherfolks.
The two 30-footer FRP boats costing P75, 532.71 each were awarded to the city government intended for the local police and the City Fishery Law Enforcement Team.
The distribution of the FRP motorboats is in line with the implementation of F/B Pagbabago Livelihood and Development Program and Targeted Action to Reduce Poverty and Generate Economic Transformation (Target) of the DA-BFAR. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)