Farmers and fisherfolk of Lake Mainit received 8-M worth of agri-fisheries interventions from the Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR),today, Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 on the Farmers and Fisherfolk Forum fronted by DA-Secretary Emmanuel Piño las part of his “Byaheng Bukid” – to deliver assistance to farmers and fisherfolk.
DA-Secretary Emmanuel Piñol personally had his dialogue with the farmers and fisherfolk of the lakeside municipalities namely; Mainit, Surigao delNorte, Kitcharao and Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.
After hearing issues from farmers and fishers, Secretary Piñol assured a 5-M worth of credit assistance through the Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA)- to be given to each of the lakeside municipalities in addition to the agri-fisheries interventions that were formally turned-over to the local farmers and fisherfolk.
“In my existence being a son and grandson of a farmer, I have witnessed a lot of hardships and struggles being a farmer, that is why I have no other dream but to serve in the Department of Agriculture, to realize the long term vision of my late father and grandfather – to deliver services and interventions that will uplift the lives of every farmer and fisherman,” Sec. Piñol said.
Agri-fisheries interventions include 75 units of paddle boats and 50 units of motorized, fiberglass boats and three (3) units of patrol boats and other fishing paraphernalia for the lakeside municipalities were distributed amounting a total of P4.7 Million. DA-Caraga distributed various production support which include rice seeds, farm inputs, planting materials, farm equipments, and drugs and biologics for livestock amounting P1.7 Million. Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) also gave out Abaca plantlets amounting P1.2 Million while Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) released insurance checks amounting P265 Thousand.
The distribution of the fiberglass boats is one of the priority programs of DA-BFAR better known as FB Pagbabago (Fiberglass Boats for Change) which aims to support the livelihood fishing activities of the marginalized, artisanal fishermen.
Likewise, an initial stocking of around 130,000 fingerlings in the 17,300-hectare Lake Mainit was spearheaded by DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director Abel James Monteagudo together with BFAR-Caraga Regional Director, Dr. Juan Albaladejo and Mayor Crisanta Mondano earlier in the morning.
It was the first batch of seedlings that were released in the lake for the year 2018. In the previous year (2017), BFAR-Caraga has accounted a total of 403,820 pcs of bangus and carp fingerlings stocked along the lakeside municipalities of Lake Mainit.
The dispersal of fingerlings is one of the major components of the Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa (BASIL), a program of the DA-BFAR which aims to repopulate and bring back the integrity of the country’s lakes and river systems. (Andy Ordoña, BFAR-Caraga)
