SAN JOSE, Antique – The Antique Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) recently delivered 119 fiberglass boats to marginalized fishermen in the municipality of Pandan to augment their livelihood.
Alletth Gayatin, senior aquaculturist of the Office of Provincial Agriculture, said the distribution was started on June 17 and was completed on June 21.
“It took almost a week for the PEO to complete their delivery of the fiberglass boats to the fishermen in Pandan,” she said, adding their dump truck could only carry five boats at most.
The fiber glass boats worth P50,000 to P55,000 each have engines from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under its FB Pagbabago program.
“On Monday, two beneficiaries from Anini-y town also received their boats,” she added.
Anini-y, which is the southernmost coastal town of Antique, receives a total of 54 boats.
Gayatin said BFAR held a ceremonial turnover of fiberglass boats last March 28.
However, they were only provided with certificates of turnover because the engines are not yet available.
“Since the engines are already available, then the boats are now being delivered to 900 marginalized fisherfolks,” Gayatin noted.
Gayatin also advised fisherfolk to coordinate with their office or the BFAR provincial office so they could schedule the delivery of the remaining fishing boats.
“The recipients may also get the boats if they have their own transportation,” she said. (With a report from PNA/PN)
