The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), through the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project, continues to dive into the needs of its target beneficiaries in FMA 6 and 9, by conducting Scoping on Environmental and Social Safeguards for future livelihood interventions.
On August 20-23, 2024, the Project’s second component, MARLIN or Modern and Resilient Livelihood Investment component, visited one of the remote areas in Region 4B (MIMAROPA) to conduct scoping activities.
Through MARLIN, the FishCoRe Project aims to develop aquaculture and fisheries enterprises in aqua-industrial business corridors by establishing subprojects like satellite multi-species hatcheries, offshore mariculture in climate-resilient cages, postharvest handling and fish/shellfish processing, with packaging and labeling intervention, and provision of climate-resilient technologies, and storage house for dried seaweed production, among many others.
Among the millions of the FishCoRe Project’s beneficiaries in the target FMAs 6 and 9, the fisherfolk from Sitio Tabao, Brgy. Ambil Looc, Occidental Mindoro are among those targeted to be provided with climate-resilient fish cages for off-shore mariculture, which are capable of holding around 15,000 milkfish fingerlings that will soon grow and become one of the municipality’s available and accessible aquaculture products. The area of the beneficiaries is a remote location approximately 30 minutes away from the mainland of Looc, Occidental Mindoro and accessible only through sea vessels. With the possible intervention of the FishCoRe Project, President of the Samahang Mandaragat ng Tabao, Martin F. Auguis, believes that this could help them in gaining more income but through sustainable ways of fish farming, “Sa pamamagitan nito may tsansa na lumaki ang aming kita sa mas maayos na paraan.”
Melanie Mecion, one of the women members of the organization, believes that through this government interventions under the FishCoRe Project, they can play more roles specifically in management of their fish cultures, “Sa amin po, baka matulungan kami bilang kababaihan ng Tabao na mas magkaroon ng pagkakataon na makatulong sa aming mga asawa sa pangangasiwa ng mga alaga naming isda.”
The scoping for livelihood also covered the Municipality of Lubang. Known for its dried fish products, the municipality aims to diversify and apply new available technologies as the FishCoRe project management office is set to establish a Techno-Package on Smoked Fish Production.
During a focus group discussion with one of the active fisherfolk organizations in the municipality—the Bislad Tagbac Fisherfolk Association led by their President, Evelyn Maculit shared her thoughts on the project. “Madagdagan po ang aming income at makakapag-serve ng product na nasa quality po at para na rin po hindi na kami aangkat sa ibang lugar para makatulong din sa aming community,” Maculit said as she cites the opportunities to improve the quality of their product/s with the help of the FishCoRe Project.
For Lubang’s Municipal Agriculturist, Ellen Morales, the FishCoRe Project is another step towards a better life for their fisherfolk. “Hopefully sa pamamagitan ng FishCoRe, mapaganda ‘yong buhay nila lalo na sa mga kababaihan para magkaroon sila ng dagdag na income. Kung mag-succeed ito, hindi na namin kailangan pang umangkat ng produkto sa malayong lugar at masusuportahan pa namin ‘yong local product namin.”
The interventions that are proposed in both Looc and Lubang are interconnected with one another as these capacitate the former to supply the raw materials, and the latter to process these raw materials into a new product that the two municipalities can offer into the market within and even outside Occidental Mindoro. Now in its second year, the seven-year FishCoRe project is expected to execute more projects that are both sustainable and attainable, and directly and effectively answer the needs of the Filipino fisherfolk and consumers.
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