47 community fish landing centers to rise in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY,  Feb. 1 (PNA) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will construct 47 community fish landing centers (CFLCs) in Eastern Visayas in a bid to enhance the socio-economic conditions of poor fishing villages.

Of the 47 projects, only the facilities in Marabut, Daram and Pinabacdao in Samar province have ongoing construction since it took time for other recipient local government units to complete documentary requirements, said BFAR Regional Director Juan D. Albaladejo.

“We have to ensure that all these 47 projects will start early of 2016 because we are expecting 16 more fish landing centers for Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran provinces this year,” Albaladejo said.

Up for construction this year are CFLCs in Bobon, Catarman, Biri, Mapanas, Gamay, San Roque, Palapag, Pambujan, Lapinig, Rosario, San Isidro, Mondragon, San Jose, Lavezares, and San Vicente in Northern Samar.

In Samar, recipient areas are Arteche, Balangkayan, Borongan City, Laoang, Maydolong, Llorente, Can-avid, Lawaan, Salcedo, Guiuan, General Macarthur, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Hernani, and Giporlos.

Aside from the three areas in Samar province with ongoing construction, other sites are Tarangnan, Paranas, Catbalogan City, Motiong, Calbiga, Pagsanghan, Calbayog City, Basey, Tagapul-an, Almagro, Zumarraga, and Sta. Margarita.

Each of the three Samar provinces will have 15 new CFLCs. The other two facilities will rise in Hilongos and Dulag towns in Leyte.

Among the requirements to kick off the project are city or town council resolution, memorandum of agreement, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office certification, evaluation report, validation checklist, location map, executive order, site inspection report, and tenurial instrument. 

The CFLCs, each costing Php2.85 million, will house post-harvest equipment and tools that will enable fisher folks to preserve the good quality of their fish and fishery products, which they could sell for a higher price. 

“Local consumers will also benefit from the fish landing centers as they will have better access to safe and quality fishery commodities,” Alabaladejo said.

The facilities will also be opened as venues for skills trainings on disaster-resilient fisheries-based livelihoods and resource management such as monitoring fish catch and stock assessment.

The National Anti Poverty Commission recommendation the recipient areas based on poverty incidence, municipal density, fish production, number of registered fisherfolk and number of existing fish ports and fish landing areas.

The central government aims to complete the establishment of CFLCs by 2017. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO