TACLOBAN CITY- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-8) assured the public of sufficient supply and increased production of fish and other fish products in the region.
In an interview with the BFAR Regional Director Norberto Berida during the ‘Suruswerte ha PIA’ radio program hosted by Director Olive Tiu of the Philippine Information Agency, it was learned that the Eastern Visayas region has a good fishery and aquatic resources status, with a 68.4 percent sufficiency of fish products.
This, according to Director Berida, is higher as compared to last year’s sufficiency rate of 56 percent. However, in spite of the sufficiency, it has been observed though that fish and other related products are priced high ranging from P360 to P380 per kilo.
“The increased price of fish boils down to the law of supply and demand. We have enough catch, but we lack the supply, as these products are being exported to other areas, leaving the region with fewer and lower quality products that are being sold at a higher price,” Berida said.
Along with this premise, the BFAR official shared that there is a move particularly in Calbayog City, to prohibit fisherfolks from bringing quality fish out of the city. Through this strategy, people in other places may opt to visit the city instead, just to patronize quality marine products. The said plan, however, remains to be considered as regards feasibility.
The director added, “Whether there is exportation or not, the income of fishermen remains the same. The middlemen are getting better income.”
During the interview, Director Berino also disclosed some priority programs of the agency for the year 2021. These programs include the focus on expanding aquaculture products such as tilapia, bangus, shrimps, and non-food products like seaweeds and shellfish.
Here, the office targets to provide at least 11 million tilapia fingerlings for the whole year to owners of fish cages in the freshwater, fish pond, or backyard ponds, while 2 million fingerlings are targeted for bangus.
The BFAR Central Office is likewise ready to extend its support considering the current health crisis. The office has also targeted to develop shrimp nursery, particularly in Jiabong, Samar, having a total budget of P4 million.
Director Berida also shared the plan to expand the existing seaweed nurseries in Basey, Samar; Guiuan, Eastern Samar, and in the province of Northern Samar. As to the government’s efforts to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), the BFAR official bared its participation through the rice and fish culture production during the last two years, particularly in the municipalities of Paranas, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, and Matuguinao, all in the Samar province.
Plans are also underway for the provinces of Eastern and Northern Samar.
During the program, some plans related to ecological management, governance, and the welfare of the region’s fisherfolks were also discussed, considering that BFAR 8 leads the Fishery Management Area (FMA) 8 comprising the sea areas of San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, Surigao Strait, and the Caraga region. The plans include the livelihood support and capability building for the fishermen, and the control of fishing activities and harvest of the marine stocks.
“We are committed to sustaining fish sufficiency and we are targeting to increase our aquaculture production by 33.6 percent metric tons. With the increased harvest, our place could expect lower prices of fish products,” Berida said.
Meanwhile, Director Berino has cautioned the public on Red Tide Poisoning, which according to him, is a natural phenomenon that occurs yearly nationwide, with region 8 having the most number of occurrences.
“Presently, there are still 10 areas affected by the Red Tide poisoning. These are the Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan and Daram, Samar; the Coastal waters of Zumarraga, Samar; Calubian, Leyte; Leyte, Leyte; Biliram Islands; Guiuan, Eastern Samar; San Pedro Bay in Basey, Samar; Matarinao Bay of General MacArthur, Quinapondan and Hernani, all in Eastern Samar; Carigara Bay along Babatngon, San Miguel, Barugo, Carigara and Capoocan, in Leyte province, and; Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City.
He added that during the occurrence of Red Tide, the public is advised to refrain from selling and eating all kinds of shellfishes such as mussels and talaba, among others. Fish, shrimps, and crabs are safe for human consumption, provided they are washed with running water and fish intestines removed.
Moreover, the Director shared some temporary home remedies should red tide poisoning occurs, through drinking at least 1 glass of buko juice coupled with some teaspoons of brown sugar, so as to detoxify the body. Consulting with health experts at the nearest health center or hospital is also advised, according to him.
(Nbq/GTT/PIA-Leyte)
BFAR 8 ensures sustained sufficiency, increased production of fish products
Eastern Samar gov’t to provide cash aid to COVID-19 patients, families of fatalities
TACLOBAN CITY- The provincial government of Eastern Samar will be providing financial assistance to individuals who were infected and those who died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Under the financial assistance program initiated by Governor Ben Evardone, dubbed as assistance to individuals in crisis situation (AICS) program, persons who were confirmed to have been tested of COVID-19 will receive P5,000 while the families of those who died due to complications compounded by the dreaded virus will be receiving P10,000.
Evardone said that the financial aid is their way of providing socio-economic relief to those directly affected by the coronavirus especially those whose family members died due to COVID-19.
The Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) in cooperation with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) is already processing the payroll of more than 1,000 beneficiaries from different municipalities in the province.
The releasing of the financial assistance to beneficiaries will commence as soon as the payroll is finalized.
The province has 1,181 total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started last March,2020 of which 21 of them have died due to complications of the virus.
It was learned from Phres Evardone, provincial information officer, that the funding to be used for this financial assistance was sourced from the donation extended to the provincial government by former House Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano.
“The governor secured the fun from Congressman Cayetano then it was coursed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development and downloaded to us,” he said.
According to Evardone, the recipients have to present barangay certification, a social case study, and a valid identification, for them to avail of the cash assistance.
He added that they expect to start the distribution within the month.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Tacloban receives high compliance rating on road clearing ops
TACLOBAN CITY-The city government of Tacloban, thru the leadership of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, has obtained a high compliance rating for the second phase of its road clearing operations, as assessed Thursday (February 18) by the regional validation team.
Tacloban City got a score of 91.60 percent, which is higher compared to the 2019 validation result. To recall, the city garnered 70 %, a substantial passing rate set by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
According to DILG Ormoc City Local Government Operations Officer Jean Redi Briones, who led the validation team composed of representatives of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and civil society organization, the city under in general community quarantine (GCQ) with a required partial implementation of road clearing, was evaluated whether road obstructions exist along or within the entirety of the selected roads.
Based on the assessment, common obstructions are plants over drainage, illegally parked vehicles, encroaching vending stand, among others. Construction materials, debris, and trees were also noted by the validation team.
Meantime, on behalf of Mayor Romualdez, Executive Assistant Atty. Agnes Pacheco though elated over the results of the validation, acknowledged the problem on road obstructions, saying the city has “room for improvement.”
Despite the intensive conduct of road-clearing works through the pronouncement of DILG’s directive regarding the resumption of clearing operations in November last year, the city will continue with the clearing operations even after the evaluation.
As Mayor Romualdez commits to be consistent in putting order and cleanliness, Taclobanons’ are urged to help in sustaining the city’s efforts.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Gov’t conducts dry run on arrival of anti-COVID vaccines in EV
The region needs at least 3 million doses
TACLOBAN CITY-A simulation on the transportation and delivery of anti-COVID-19 vaccines was staged by different government agencies on Wednesday (Feb. 17) to ensure a smooth delivery of the vaccines once they actually arrive in the region.
The dry-run started at the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport where assigned officials waited for the ‘arrival’ of 27,000 doses of unspecified vaccines placed in six plastic vaccine carriers.
From the airport, with the plane supposed to arrive at past 9 am, the ‘vaccines’ loaded in two vehicles owned by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were travelled to the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH), which took 25 minutes travel, where these were temporarily deposited at its storage facility.
Police personnel were also present during the simulation to provide security and ensure free flow of traffic.
The Office of Civil Defense(OCD) whose regional director, Lord Byron Torrecarion being the regional chairman of the Regional COVID-19 Task Force, spearheaded the simulation.
It was at the storage facility, which has a temperature of 228 Celsius centigrade, where the vaccines were accounted and segregated for delivery at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), this city, and at Ormoc City.
Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, DOH regional officer-in-charge, said that about 1,700 vials were supposed to be deliver to Ormoc City while 400 vials were intended for EVRMC.
But in actual, the number could be higher, she said, saying that the region at least needs 3 million doses of the anti-COVID vaccines.
During the simulation, the vaccines carriers, which were actually not loaded with the vials, were handled by DOH personnel with the vaccines were ‘counted’ at the cold storage facility and if there were ‘breakages.’
Sabalberino said that the simulated exercise was carried out to determine possible problems that they will encounter once the actual delivery took place considering that these vaccines need ‘extra precaution.’
And during the dry run, the DOH said that ‘minor’ things were noted like improper marking of one of the six vaccine carriers where there were said to be ‘breakages’ of vaccine vials.
Social distancing among officials and personnel who were at the airport were also noted not to have been observed, Sabalberino said.
Meantime, Sabalberino said that she hopes that once the vaccines arrived in the region, expected to be anytime this month or on March, the people would allowed themselves to be vaccinated.
“So we encourage our people to submit to the vaccination (as the vaccines) are safe and approved by the World Health Organization,” she said.
Health and hospital personnel, security personnel and senior citizens and indigents are among the priority sectors for the vaccination, Sabalberino said.