PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will inaugurate on Wednesday a community fish landing center and a fisheries office in Oriental Mindoro province.
Worth about PHP8 million, the project is located in Barangay Wawa, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, BFAR Assistant Regional Director Roberto Abrera told reporters in an interview Monday.
“Ito na yung pinagsama na three-storey office at community fish landing. Ganito na ang ginagawa ngayon ng BFAR na magkasamang officeat fish landing. ‘Yung iba kasi nating ganito ay magkahiwalay, pero itong sa Oriental Mindoro ay iisa na (This is a three-storey office and community fish landing. What we’re doing now in BFAR is to build the office with the fish landing. In other projects, the office is separated from the fish landing, but this project for Oriental Mindoro, we constructed them together),” he said.
The prototype office building cost PHP5 million to construct, and the community fish landing costs PHP3 million, Abrera said.
He said the project is one-of-a-kind since it is a combination of an office and fish landing in one location, which is equipped with storage facilities and eight stainless stalls.
“Landing centers are very important for supplying freshly harvested fish to different markets or selling points,” he said, adding that the fisher folk of Pinalamayan and nearby towns can use it for their livelihood.
Abrera said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol was invited to grace the occasion, but his office has not sent any confirmation so far.
Other officials expected to attend are Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries retired commodore Eduardo Gongona, Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali Jr., 2nd District Rep. Reynaldo Umali, 1st District Rep. Paulino Salvador Leachon, Pinamalayan Mayor Aristeo Baldos Jr., BFAR Regional Director Elizer Salilig, and BFAR-Provincial Fisheries Office OIC Lea Dagot. (Celeste Anna Formoso/PNA)
