TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR) in Eastern Visayas is set to distribute around 9,000 fuel subsidy cards to municipal fisherfolk this year to help them cope with rising petroleum prices triggered by global tensions in the Middle East.
The assistance will be provided through the government’s Fuel Discount Program for Farmers and Fisherfolk (FDPFF), a national initiative aimed at supporting small-scale producers whose livelihoods depend heavily on fuel for daily operations.
According to Dominador Maputol, BFAR officer-in-charge regional director, the subsidy seeks to cushion the impact of increasing fuel costs on fisherfolk who rely on motorized boats to reach fishing grounds.
“The fuel assistance is part of the government’s continuing effort to support our municipal fisherfolk, especially with the increasing fuel prices that directly affect their livelihood,” he said.
Maputol said the agency targets to distribute the assistance to about 9,000 fishermen across the region this year under the program.
Each beneficiary will receive a fuel card loaded with P3,000, which can be used to purchase fuel from accredited gasoline stations.
Maputol also disclosed that since the program started in 2022, more than P17.8 million worth of fuel assistance has already been distributed to 14,341 municipal fisherfolk across Eastern Visayas.
Beneficiaries are identified through their registration in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, the government’s official database of farmers and fisherfolk.
Priority is given to municipal fisherfolk operating motorized fishing boats below three gross tons and those practicing sustainable fishing methods.
BFAR said the program forms part of the government’s broader support for the fisheries sector, particularly as small-scale fisherfolk remain among the most vulnerable to rising production costs, including fuel, amid global market uncertainties.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
