BALER, Aurora — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) distributed P8 million worth of equipment to about 240 individuals and seven fisherfolk associations in the coastal town of Dilasag.
The package included gill nets, fiberglass-reinforced plastic boats, marine engines, spear guns, shallow payao, bottom-set longlines, and tuna handlines. Under related programs, BFAR also delivered five high-density polyethylene or HDPE circular cages stocked with milkfish fingerlings, along with feed for the first cropping cycle.
BFAR Cagayan Valley Director Wilfredo Cruz said the distribution is part of a longer effort to support fishing communities.
“The intervention is not limited to immediate assistance but forms part of the agency’s long-term investment in the resilience and livelihood recovery of fishing communities,” Cruz said.
The activity falls under BFAR’s Rehabilitation Program, Enhanced Philippine Seaweeds Development Program, and Cage Culture Livelihood Project.
Cruz said the agency will continue implementing programs to strengthen livelihoods and promote fisheries development in communities.
The assistance aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to increase productivity in the fisheries sector and maintain a stable food supply through sustained programs for farmers and fisherfolk.
For recipients in Dilasag, the equipment is intended to replace gear lost or damaged and to support day-to-day operations at sea and in cages.
Samahan ng Diniog Mandaragat President Warlito Cacayan said the support will help ease financial pressure as fisherfolk rebuild their primary source of income.
"It is a great relief for us to have boats and engines again, so we can continue our livelihood. Many thanks to BFAR for its unwavering support for us fisherfolk, especially those who lost their livelihoods because of the typhoon," Cacayan said.
BFAR said the mix of capture-fishing gear, payao, longlines, and cage culture inputs is designed to give associations multiple livelihood options.
Cruz said the agency expects the interventions to help fisherfolk in Aurora strengthen their livelihoods and develop more resilient, sustainable income sources over time.
“With the boats, engines, nets, and cages now in place, the seven associations and individual beneficiaries are set to resume and expand fishing and aquaculture activities in the town’s coastal and nearshore areas,” he said. LEANDER C. DOMINGO