ILOILO City – The Iloilo Fish Port Complex, a major center of fish trading and marine products processing in Region 6, is on a 72-hour lockdown beginning yesterday.
Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the temporary closure of the facility “to help contain the virus.”
He said two persons working at the complex tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and one of them recently died.
The closure would give way for the disinfection of the complex and contact tracing.
The port complex is the traditional landing site of bagnetters and other fishing bancas in Iloilo City and nearby towns.
This strategic location has made the port the major fish source of Iloilo City’’s major public markets and adjacent municipalities.
“Concerned man kami. Immediately nag-inform kami sa mga tawo namon nga una, continue observing minimum health standards. Focus gid sa social distancing and wearing of facemask,” said Engineer Reynaldo Calayag, fish port officer-in-charge.
Also, around 150 “market participants” and employees will be subjected to COVID testing, he added.
With the complex’s temporary closure, Calayag said bagnetters and other fishing bancas must divert their fish haul to other ports.
The Iloilo Fish Port Complex is situated in a 21-hectare reclaimed area in Barangay Tanza. It is served by an extensive concrete road network that links it to the major business centers in the region and adjacent municipalities.
These are the services it offers:
* unloading and marketing facilities for fish and other fishery/aquatic products both for local and foreign markets
* services and facilities for harbor operations such drydocking/repair shop, fuel, oil, water and ice conveyance and for transshipping products
* processing, refrigeration and other post-harvest services including product pre-processing, freezing through contact freezer, cold storages and top-grade facilities for the processing of marine products such as prawn, abalone, cuttlefish, lobster, nylon shell, octopus, slippertail, squid, whiting and bangus; and,
* raw land for establishment of fishery-related factories./PN
