UNCERTAIN FUTURE Fishermen in the village of Suqui in the Oriental Mindoro capital city of Calapan take a boat to shore as they have to wait for the lifting of a fishing ban prompted by the oil spill from a fuel tanker that sank off Naujan town on Feb. 28. —MADONNA T. VIROLA
MANILA, Philippines — The government provided over P584 million to the fishers and farmers affected by the oil spill in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, the Department of Agriculture-Mimaropa (DA-Mimaropa) said Wednesday.
The DA-Mimaropa, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) joined forces on April 15, in Pola, Mindoro, to assist the agricultural and fishery industries that suffered from the oil spill brought by the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress last February 28.
At least 178,000 individuals and 13,000 fisherfolks have been affected, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The government also offered skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to help fishers have alternative livelihoods.
The DA-Mimaropa distributed agricultural machinery, and post-harvest facilities, such as pumps and engine four-wheel drive tractors, recirculating dryers, multi-cultivator, packing house facilities, and hauling trucks.
The giveaway also included crops from the Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, such as organic black and brown rice. Besides this, the farmers were also given animal farms like cows, goats, sheep, and organic chickens.
“Ito ay may kabuuang halaga na umabot sa mahigit 499 milyong piso,” DAR-Mimaropa said in a statement.
(This would be amounted to over P499 million.)
Other government agencies also contributed — BFAR provided P25 million, and ACPC gave P60 million, which can help 3,000 borrowers.
The DA-Mimaropa said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Trade and Industry have also contacted the affected communities. — Maria Liezl Projella, INQUIRER.net trainee
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