SAN JOSE De BUENAVISTA, Antique — The chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries of the SangguniangPanlalawigan (SP) on Friday said the new PHP40 million fish port here will not only boost the capital’s economy but also provide jobs to residents.
SP Board Member Fernando Corvera said the new fish port, which was turned over by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) to the local government of San Jose de Buenavista on Wednesday, will attract new investments particularly on the fishery sector.
“I even have a friend who has now expressed interest of putting up a private cold storage at the fish port (sic),” the board member said.
Corvera said the new fish port will also generate employment for the families of fisherfolks and the nearby community. “They can assist the fisher folks unload their catch or the traders in buying the commodity and be able to earn some money,” he said.
He recalled that before the construction of the new fish port, the fisher folks had difficulty in landing and anchoring their boats due to the dilapidated port.
Maneuvering the boats to the shore was also challenging due to shallow waters. The PFDA constructed the new port away from the shorelines where there is a deeper seawater.
Meanwhile, Custodio Balawin, officer-in-charge of the Iloilo Fish Port Complex, said the fish port is part of the post-harvest facilities to enhance the livelihood of the fisher folks and fishing industry in the capital town of the province.
He added that the new fish port will ease business not only for fisher folks of San Jose de Buenavista but even those from as far as Cuyo, Palawan who come to trade in Antique.
He said hopefully within this year another fish port in Patnongon will be constructed. (PNA)
