60 Santander fishermen receive motorized bancas

CEBU, Philippines - The municipal government of Santander, Cebu distributed yesterday one unit motorized banca each to 60 marginalized fishermen.

It is the project of Mayor Marilyn Wenceslao and son, Vice Mayor Wilson Wenceslao, of providing motorized bancas to each of the registered marginalized fishermen in ten barangays.

There are around 200 marginalized fishermen registered with the local government to be provided with the motorized banca.

When the first 60 units were completed, Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, Engr. Jonathan Buscato, said they raffled it off to qualified beneficiaries.

Buscato said the remaining beneficiaries were already given assured by Mayor Wenceslao that they will receive the banca.

Governor-elect Hilario Davide III, Vice Governor-elect Agnes Magpale, second district Congressman-elect Wilfredo Caminero and Provincial Board Member Peter John Calderon witnessed the distribution.

Buscato said that each banca has a five-horsepower engine and can accommodate up to three persons.

There are 160 engines amounting to P1.92 million funded out of the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

The 60 wooden hulls were funded by the Legislative Assistance Funds of Magpale, Caminero, Calderon and PB Member Aladin Wilyamie Caminero, the president of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of the Province of Cebu.

Buscato said that they spent P2.796 million for the 60 units while the wooden hulls for the remaining 100 units of engines still have to be funded.

He said that the fishermen will own the motorized banca without paying the local government in return provided, however, that they comply with the terms and conditions set in the memorandum of agreement.

These include the use of the banca when needed during calamities for rescue operations, they have to maintain it on their own and not to ferry passengers for a fee across Negros Oriental province.

Buscato said that some fishermen in the area allow their boats to ferry passengers at P1,000 across to the neighboring island province.

While fishermen already own the banca in principle, Buscato said they still have to wait for the formal declaration through a resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan. –(FREEMAN)