STO. TOMAS -- A new community fish landing center will soon rise in this fourth district town as the local government on Thursday broke ground for another development facility.
The activity was led by Fourth District Representative Juan Pablo Bondoc, Mayor Johnny Sambo and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region III Director Willy Cruz and was witnessed by local fisherfolk.
Bondoc said that the new post-harvest facility will catalyze development in the fishing sector of this town as well neighboring coastal towns.
He added that the new fishport will also stir commerce in the Poblacion area which is a former center of merchandise here.
"Gigisingin po natin yung komersiyo dito sa Poblacion at gawin itong sentro at puso muli ng bayan ng Sto. Tomas," he said.
The lawmaker said that the project has an initial budget of P5.5-million wherein P3-million for the fishport and P2.5-million will be allocated for the commercial building which will house various marketing establishments.
He added that fish port will serve as an economic and social hub for local farmers since it can also be used as training and meeting place, aside from an unloading site of their harvest.
Sambo, for his part, fishermen in their town can now have a safe place to market their product through the construction of the fishportn
He added that the establishment will be a complete post-harvest facility since it will also house branches of Landbank and an ice plant.
"Alam naman natin na malaking parte ng kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan ay pangingisda at gusto po natin silang bigyan ng halaga sa pamamagitan ng post-harvest facility na ito," he said.
He added that Tomasian fishermen harvest around 15 tons of seafood per day which considered a significant share for the agriculture industry of the province and the whole of Central Luzon as well.
Meanwhile, Cruz said that Kapampangan fisherfolk deserve to be rewarded for their regular best production, especially those in fourth district towns.
He noted that Pampanga has some 211 percent sufficiency level in terms of agriculture, especially of seafood.
"Ang Pampanga ay may malaking kotribusyon kung bakit ang Central Luzon ay nangunguna pa din sa production at pagsupply ng agriculture products sa buong bansa," he said.
The soon-to-rise facility is the second to be constructed in the province after that in Minalin town.
Cruz said that their agency is eyeing more fishports to be established in Pampanga, especially those in coastal towns.