CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Another group of fisherfolk in Central Luzon has benefited from the government’s fuel subsidy program that aims to ease the impact of rising oil prices on the local fishing industry.
Wilfredo Cruz, director of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Luzon (DA-BFAR 3), said Monday that 750 fishers from the municipalities of San Narciso, San Antonio, Cabangan, Iba, and Botolan received PHP3,000 fuel subsidy each in the form of discount cards which they can use to purchase gasoline for their fishing operations.
Cruz said their agency has given fuel discount cards to 200 fisherfolk during the launch of the program in Subic, Zambales in March.
Of the total 6,709 fisherfolk-beneficiaries from Central Luzon, 3,352 are from the province of Zambales.
Cruz cited the need to continuously provide support to fisherfolk who play vital roles in attaining national food security amid the rising prices of oil.
“Providing fuel discounts for fisherfolk now is very timely since this addresses their production need amid the increasing oil prices,” he said in an interview.
To avail of the fuel subsidy, eligible fisherfolk and/or members of fisherfolk cooperatives and associations must be registered under the fisherfolk registration program or FishR.
They must be using motorized boats with a capacity of three gross tons or below and registered under the boat registration program or BoatR and must be using environment-friendly fishing gears.
To avail of the discount, fishers only need to visit the government’s partner-gasoline stations and present their discount cards, which can already be used 24 hours upon receipt. (PNA)
