A TOTAL of 51 fishermen in the islet of Hilantagaan in Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu were able to restore their fishing boats after ICCP Group prioritized help in getting their livelihood back.
The fishermen, whose pumpboats were either damaged or destroyed, were provided repair materials, such as marine plywood, kasko (hull), sealants, lumber, outriggers, copper nails and paints.
“Mapasalamaton kaayo mi sa ICCP Group nga ilang giuna og tabang nga mabalik among panginabuhi diri sa isla. Kay pait kayo kon dili mi makabalik sa panagat human sa bagyo, wala mi mapakaon sa among pamilya. Dako kaayong tabang ang ilang pag-atiman nga mapaayo ang among mga nagubang pumpboats (We are thankful to the ICCP Group for prioritizing us in helping get back our livelihood in the island. It is very hard for us not to be able to go back to fishing after the typhoon because we need to feed our families. Restoring back our pumpboats was very helpful),” said Edwin Manzanares, 42, and a project beneficiary.
Rehabilitation projects
ICCP Group, which owns Cebu Light Industrial Park and Pueblo de Oro Development Corp. that are doing business in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, adopted Hilantagaan islet and has been initiating relief and rehabilitation efforts in the area after it was hit by super typhoon Yolanda last Nov. 8.
About 96 percent of the islet was devastated by Yolanda. The area has over 4,000 households whose source of income is mainly fishing.
Ricky Osmond, ICCP Group Foundation president, said that the company has rehabilitation projects lined up for Hilantagaan.
Apart from augmenting the income of the mothers in the islet by providing vegetable seeds for their backyard gardening project, ICCP Group will also restore roofs in Hilantagaan Elementary School as well as classrooms in the high school level that were damaged by Yolanda.