Tacloban fishermen: What happened to Yolanda fishery fund?

TACLOBAN CITY – Local fishermen are asking no less than President Duterte to investigate the long delayed implementation of projects under the R32, 645,000 Yolanda Rehabilitation Funds for the fishery sector in this city.

Losanto P. Castillo Jr., president of the Tacloban City Fisherfolks Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC), sought the assistance of the President regarding their plight at the Presidential Complaint Center at the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) in Tacloban City during the launching of the Biyayang Pagbabago of the Office of the Participatory Governance here yesterday.

He said the R32.64-million fund was released by BFAR to the city government for the rehabilitation of the damaged Mariculture Park in the coastal barangays of this city which were damaged by super typhoon Yolanda in November, 2013.

Castillo said that based on the memorandum of agreement entered into by the BFAR through Director Atty. Asis G. Perez, BFAR – Eastern Visayas Regional Director Juan A. Albaladejo, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez and Tacloban City OIC City Agriculturist Victoria Collantes, some 160 cases at R160,000.00 or R24,000.00 will be constructed while 1,220,714 fingerlings worth R8,545,000.00 will be purchased for the use by the fishermen.

The plan, according to Castillo, did not materialize.

“We are asking the help of President Duterte to help us find this fund for the mariculture park projects for fishermen of Tacloban City affected by the Yolanda as this has been released by BFAR to the city government since 2014” Castillo said.