Villar seeks fuel, livelihood subsidies for small fishermen as they appeal for his help in recovering from the effects of the recent typhoon and ever increasing cost of fuel. Senatro Villar has met with the officials of the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations at the Navotas Fish Port, assuring the fishing industry of his help. He told that he will ask the national government to extend fuel and livelihood subsidies to the country’s small fishermen who are reeling from the effects of typhoon Frank and high fuel costs.
According to him the fishermen are one of the most adversely affected by the calamities and they deserve help from government to enable them and the fishing industry to recover from the effects of the typhoon and the high cost of fuel. He added that the livelihood support and fuel subsidy are essential to be extended at this time to severely affected fishermen to allow them to cope with the trying times.
He explained that small fishermen whose fishing equipment and bancas were destroyed by the typhoon especially deserve urgent help. The recent typhoon in Iloilo left the fishing industry poorer by at least 407 million, confirmed the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. Then there was flood that brought heavy losses to fish producers and fish pond operators who lost dikes and fishponds to floods. Villar said fishermen also deserve diesel subsidy like that recently extended to public utility drivers.
Besides, the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations, a nationwide organization of subsistence and commercial fishermen, called for amendment of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998m for the granting of loans to buy secondhand vessels, and for fuel subsidy. Mayor Toby Tiangco also expressed sympathy for the local fishing industry.
