1,000 Laguna Lake fisherfolk receive fishing equipment

MANILA, Philippines — The Taguig City government yesterday distributed fishing equipment to more than a thousand fisherfolks living in the city's 12 barangays on the coastline of the Laguna Lake.

Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano said the distribution of new fishing equipment, which includes quality fishnets and other fishing gear is aimed at improving the livelihood of fisherfolks and at the same time boost their confidence.

A total of 1,080 fisherfolks who have earlier registered with city hall, recieved the equipment.

"This gesture is just a confirmation of Taguig City's good relationship with our fisherfolk community, and we want to assure them that their local government is there help them be more productive," Cayetano said.

The program is under the bottom-up budgeting of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which considers local government units' development needs as identified in their respective local poverty reduction action plans.

The Taguig government also gave four parao boats and 12 lunday boats, which will greatly enable fisherfolks to increase the number of their yields.

Taguig also regularly provides fingerlings to these fisherfolks in order for them to maintain that normal fishing cycle of breeding and harvesting all-year round in their fishing sanctuary.

"What we want is to improve the livelihood of our fisherfolks and increase their income. Our hope and prayer is for them to prosper and fully enjoy the fruits of their labor. With the new fishing equipment and with our regular supply of finerlings, they will surely be more efficient in what they do," Cayetano added.