Villar wants to boost fisheries development

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO Senator Cynthia Villar wants to strengthen the sustainable management of aquatic resources and promote stakeholder engagement on resource protection and conservat i on.

She bared this during the recently held coastal cleanup drive dubbed “Manila Bay Gawing MMK” (Malinis at Masagang Karagatan) at the Bamboo Hub in Lubao town.

Villar, with House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, Lubao Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, BFAR Regional Director Lilian Garcia and Sasmuan Mayor Nardo Velasco, led the coastal cleaning and mangrove planting her e.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agricultural and Food and Environment and Natural Resources, also conducted fingerlings dispersal. This she believes, can control and lower the prices of fish in the market.

With this, the lady senator encouraged all the attendees including Provincial Government of Pampanga department heads, other officials and representatives from mandamus agencies, and local government units (LGUs) and students from different schools to be responsible enough in the preservation, protection, conservation and rehabilitation of coastal resources since the Manila Bay is already five times dirtier than the 2008 r ecor d.

Meanwhile, Arroyo said the idea to intensify the efforts in reviving the environmental condition of Manila Bay and its coastal provinces can help the fisheries industry, environmental rehabilitation and lowering the market prices for fish.

“We help protect the environment, we help the fisheries sector and we help lower the prices of commodities,” the Pampanga representative said.

For her part, Cayabyab said that the responsibility to conserve aquatic resources would always start within ourselves.

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” the Lubao mayor mentioned.

Cayabyab also said that the eco-tourism park and Bamboo Hub attract tourists from other provinces and even families who spend their weekends her e.

According to her, even if her mayoral term ends, the development of the hub will be continuous.

Meanwhile, the lady governor thanked Villar and Arroyo for always supporting and extending their hand to the provincial government of Pampanga.

Fishermen from Pampanga received P637,915 worth of livelihood assistance fishing gear, paraphernalia, post harvest equipment (techno-demo), fisheries livelihood development projects under MMK, fingerlings and dfry dispersal for fishpond operators and communal dispersal under the “Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa” program from BFAR. -Leah Isidro De Fiesta/ Pampanga PIO