DBM releases P76M to DA-BFAR

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) turned over P76 million to the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) to support the creation of four fish ports across the country.

The move is intended to boost the livelihood and food security of fishing communities.

This latest release forms part of the P480-million fund allocated to DA-BFAR, of which a total of P289 million has already been released as of Nov. 24 this year.

The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) has been tasked with the projects’ implementation. These fish ports will be set up in the following lo-

cations: Hinobaan in Negros Occidental; Bacolod City in Negros Occidental; Borongan in Eastern Samar; and Laoang in Northern Samar.

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said: “While we emphasize the Administration’s commitment towards crucial social services like basic education and healthcare, we aren’t forgetting economic services. Infrastructure projects such as these ports provide fisherfolk and their families the chance to experience the country’s sustained, inclusive growth.”

These fish ports help sustain the livelihood of our countrymen in the fisheries sector even as they create new economic opportunities for their provinces,” Abad noted.

Similar to the farm-to-market roads that benefit farmers, these ports help facilitate the movement of goods to commercial centers, cut down transport costs, and develop local infrastructure, he added.

At the beginning of the year, the DA-BFAR identified 21 priority locations for fish ports in different regions of the country.

Criteria for selecting these locations include the number of fisherfolk families in the area that stand to benefit from the infrastructure development and the importance of the particular nature of fisheries.