COTABATO CITY — Motorized boats have been distributed to fishermen in conflict-affected Maguindanao communities as the regional government stepped up its dispersal of livelihood assistance to the province’s constituents.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is eyeing 4,000 fisherfolk in Maguindanao to benefit from numerous fisheries-based livelihood projects under a special program called Humanitarian and Development Assistance Program (HDAP).
“Residents dependent on fishing from the second district of Maguindanao will be assisted with livelihood projects to help them generate income and improve their living conditions,” said Janice Musali, executive director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-ARMM.
Freshwater fisherfolk in 15 towns surrounding the Maguindanao marshland are beneficiaries of the projects. These are the towns of Shariff Aguak, Pagatin (Datu Saudi), Mamasapano and Shariff Saydona that the military called “SPMS Box” where government forces and Moro rebels frequently clash.
“Dispersal of motorized boats is going on,” Musali said, adding that as of Dec. 31, a total of 2,535 fishermen had so far benefited from the project.
Following the bloody Mamasapano encounter on Jan. 25, 2015, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman formed the HDAP to attend to calamity victims. The program is an anti-poverty initiative covering barangays in 15 municipalities affected by intensified law enforcement operations launched immediately following the events in Mamasapano.
Since its implementation, BFAR-ARMM has distributed a total of 162 motorized boats, 875 non-motorized boats, 4,280 cribs of fish corals, 2,000 fish pots, and 50 fish cages for fisherfolk in the towns of Datu Salibo, Mamasapano, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Guindulungan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Talayan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Rajah Buayan, and Datu Piang.
Three community fish landing centers with market stalls are also being constructed in the towns of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Talitay and Datu Piang.
The landing centers will house fish and fishery products, equipment and tools. Other projects include community-based hatcheries, ice plants and ice storage facilities.
Musali said the HDAP projects were initiatives geared towards improving the living conditions of families in conflict-affected areas, and building resilient and empowered communities in a secure environment. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
