Municipal fisherfolk in Pasuquin and Pagudpud are set to receive additional support for their fishing operations following the turnover of fishing vessels and livelihood assistance by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Ilocos Region.
The agency turned over 62-foot fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) handline fishing boats during a ceremony at the fish port in Sitio Dirique, Barangay Davila, Pasuquin, as part of efforts to improve fishing productivity and provide coastal communities with better livelihood opportunities.
The initiative also included the distribution of smaller fishing boats intended to support specific activities related to fishing operations, including the deployment and maintenance of payao, or fish aggregating devices used to attract fish.
BFAR Ilocos Regional Director Remely Lachica urged the beneficiaries to properly maintain the vessels, stressing that the boats should be treated as valuable livelihood assets rather than ordinary equipment.
Lachica said the assistance was intended to help fisherfolk sustain their income and improve their fishing activities, emphasizing that the long-term benefits would depend on how the beneficiaries cared for the vessels.
She also underscored the importance of effective management, cooperation and mutual respect among members of fisherfolk associations, saying these were necessary to ensure that the livelihood assistance would benefit the intended communities.
The agency's assistance covers not only the provision of fishing vessels but also support for fisherfolk organizations to improve their capacity to manage and sustain their operations.
Pagudpud Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito II welcomed the assistance, saying fishing remained a major source of livelihood for residents of the coastal municipality.
Benemerito expressed hope that BFAR would continue providing similar interventions to help local fisherfolk improve their operations and maintain their sources of income. He also assured the agency that the local government and beneficiaries would take care of the equipment entrusted to them.
Pasuquin Mayor Robert Aguinaldo, meanwhile, reaffirmed the municipal government's commitment to supporting fishing communities and working with BFAR to implement livelihood programs for local fisherfolk.
Among the recipients of the smaller vessels was Marvin Basco, a resident of Barangay Davila and president of the Pasuquin Hook and Line Fishermen Association, who received a 25-foot fishing boat intended primarily for servicing payao in their fishing grounds.
Basco said the boat would help the association carry out maintenance and servicing activities, particularly because its members had previously sought assistance for the upkeep of their fish aggregating devices.
He said the association, which was established in 2026, requested the vessel to help ensure that its payao remained operational and could continue supporting fishing activities.
The smaller boats are intended to complement the larger fishing vessels by allowing fisherfolk to carry out essential support activities in their fishing grounds.
The turnover ceremony also included the signing of a memorandum of agreement among BFAR and the local government units of Pasuquin and Pagudpud, formalizing their respective responsibilities in implementing and managing the fishing livelihood assistance.
Through the program, BFAR aims to improve the productive capacity of municipal fisherfolk, strengthen local fishing associations and expand livelihood opportunities in coastal communities.
The provision of fishing vessels and related assistance is also intended to help fisherfolk sustain their operations while promoting responsible management of livelihood resources and more sustainable fishing practices.
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