MANILA, Philippines- Kailangan ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ang P450 million sa susunod na taon para bumili ng tatlong monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) vessels para tulungan ang mga mangingisda sa West Philippine Sea.
Inihayag ni BFAR Director Demosthenes Escoto ang nasabing halaga sa pagdinig ng Senate Finance Committee ukol sa panukalang P167 billion budget ng Agriculture Department at attached agencies nito kabilang na ang BFAR.
Ani Escoto, ang bawat MCS 50-meter vessel ay nagkakahalaga ng P150 million hanggang P200 million.
“We have 12 MCS vessels supplying fuel to our fishing vessels in West Philippine Sea area, but we have submitted a proposal for the refleeting of these vessels, considering that these vessels are already old. In fact, they were procured more than 15 years ago. Some are actually being repaired and some are not ready for sea,” sinabi ni Escoto sa mga senador.
“We are proposing purchasing about three new [MCS] vessels, at least every other two years, so that probably in around 10 years, we will be able to complete a new set,”dagdag na wika niya.
Tinuran pa ni Escoto na ang uri ng vessel ay may kakayahang mag-suplay ng langis at maaaring gamitin para sa relief operations sa panahon ng kalamidad.
Sa kabilang dako, suportado naman nina Senador JV Ejercito at Cynthia Villar ang naging kahilingan ni Escoto na dagdagan ang pondo.
“It is very important for us to support this because this will aid our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea, especially those fishing boats who are deployed far from the shore,” ayon kay Ejercito.
“We have to take advantage of our marine resources. It is our fisherfolk who should be there in the West Philippine Sea area,” sabi pa niya.
Para naman kay Villar, ang P50 million confidential fund ng DA sa ilalim ng panukalang 2024 budget ay dapat na i-reallocate sa BFAR sa halip na pondohan ang pagbili ng MCS vessels para sa West Philippine Sea deployment.
“The confidential fund should be realigned to this to protect our fishermen so such a fund won’t be questioned anymore,” ayon kay Villar.
“But then again, that is just P50 million,” dagdag na pahayag nito. Kris Jose
