A general shot shows houses destroyed by the strong winds caused by typhoon Haiyan at Tacloban, eastern island of Leyte on November 9, 2013. AFP
ILOILO CITY—More than 10 months after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” destroyed or damaged thousands of fishing boats, fisherfolk are picking up the pieces mainly due to the help of private individuals and groups.
Private donors have given fisherfolk in Iloilo 6,308 fishing boats through the “Adopt-A-Fisherman Project” of the provincial government.
Target readable
The boats were directly handed over to beneficiaries or assembled by the fisherfolk from materials bought with donated funds.
Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor said cash donations for the project reached P11.5 million.
Addressing the province in August, the governor said he was confident that the provincial government’s target of 9,000 boats would be met and even surpassed.
Providing livelihood to communities ravaged by Yolanda is considered key in helping coastal communities back on their feet.
Yolanda survivors in coastal areas and villages in northern Iloilo have repeatedly appealed for boats to be given them ahead of houses because what they wanted was to return to their source of livelihood—fishing.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) earlier said 31,655 fishing boats in four regions had been destroyed by Yolanda when the storm struck on Nov. 8 last year.
Most donors in Iloilo wanted to remain anonymous.
Some of those named were One Meal Foundation, headed by philantropist Teresa Chan, which donated 1,500 motorized boats worth at least P30 million.
Other donors include Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Panay, according to Defensor.
Provincial administrator Raul Banias said the project would continue until the target is met.
“So much has been done, but we all know that a lot more needs to be done,” said the governor.
“We simply have to move on because, for us, there is no turning back,” he said.