MANILA: Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel on Tuesday bared plans to assist fisherfolks in areas affected by the oil spill from the sunken motor tanker (MT) Terra Nova off Limay town, Bataan province.
In an ambush interview, he said the DA may utilize part of the fund intended for fuel subsidies, or from the PHP1-billion of its quick response fund (QRF).
‘Ang tingin kong pinakamagandang gawin diyan is the fuel subsidy para makalayo sila at makapunta sila sa ibang lugar (I think the best thing to do is give them fuel subsidy so they can go to other areas) to continue their catching fish and deliver it to the market,’ Laurel said.
The DA has around PHP510.447 million budget for fuel subsidy which is initially set to be distributed to crop, livestock, and poultry farmers who own or rent production machinery.
‘We are also figuring out the menu kung ano kailangang ibigay (what is needed to be given) using the QRF,’ Laurel said.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), m
eanwhile, assured continued assessment and evaluation of the quality and safety of fish for consumption from the affected areas.
‘Diyan po sa bahagi ng (In the parts of) Tanza, Cavite, Naic, Noveleta, and Rosario. May napapabalita nang dumadaong na oil slick na posibleng nanggagaling na doon sa lumubog na barko (There are reported oil slick that are possibly coming from the sunken ship),’ BFAR Spokesperson Nazario Briguera said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon (BPN) briefing.
In terms of fishing ban implementation, Briguera said it is now up to the local governments to assess the real-time situation.
‘Nasa local government units na ang pagpapasya kung magdedeklara sila base doon sa actual na nangyayari sa kanilang lokalidad (The decision will be coming from the local government units based on the actual events in their localities),’ he said.
Briguera said the public should no longer consume crustaceans, shellfish, and other fishes with visible oil slick.
Overall, the BFAR said the estimated loss of inc
ome for all registered fishers in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon may reach as high as PHP351 million if the oil spill continues to spread for 22 days.
To date, there are 46,000 fishers registered in the said regions.
Source: Philippines News Agency