“Maraming isda sa Batanes pero kulang sila sa ice plant at walang storage para sa kanilang mga huli,” Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said during his visit in the island province on May 8, 2018.
As such the Department of Agriculture (DA), thru the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), will soon establish a cold storage facility for the local fisherfolk of Batanes.
During the launching of the Community Fish Landing Center in Uyugan, Piñol committed to provide the six municipalities credit assistance under the Agricultural Credit Policy Council to be used for the construction of six ice-making plants.
“The loan is payable in 8 years with only two percent interest per annum,” he said.
According to the agri chief, the ice plants will run using solar powered generators will operate the ice plants, which are comparatively more modernized than existing facilities.
In his message, Piñol urged the local chief executives to establish a food consolidation area.
“This will complement to the presence of food boat that will roam around the country by next year to collect the produce of farmers and fisherfolk in far provinces to bring to the Metropolis area,” Piñol said.
In line with this, Piñol directed Undersecretary for Fisheries Eduardo B. Gongona to coordinate with the Navotas shipping company to help design two food boats (80 foot and 50 foot) set to sail next year.
While in Batanes, the agri chief turned-over 100 units of boat making materials, at P300,000 per boat, to the provincial government worth.
“We will provide the materials to the fishermen and we will let them design their own boats based on the climatic requirement of your area,” Piñol said.
To date, Batanes fishers have already completed the construction of 23 units of fiberglass boats.
On top of these, Piñol vowed to assist in the construction and repair of the fishing port of Batanes and directed BFAR to assign MCS 3010 to serve as patrol boat which will cover marine areas from the Philippine Rise to West Philippine Se. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)
