By: Social Marketing

[caption id="attachment_1221" align="aligncenter" width="368"] BFAR-7 Regional Director Andres M. Bojos (second from left) accept the check from DSWD-7 Sustainable Livelihood Program Focal Head Jennifer Quimno (third from left). Also present during the Ceremonial Turn-Over of Check are Department of Agriculture-7 Regional Director Angel Enriquez (second from right), Cebu Provincial Fisher folk Director Gil Entoma (rightmost), Regional Fisher folk Director Expedita Acibo (leftmost), DSWD-SLP Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Gilbert Carredo (Center) and DSWD-SLP External Relations Officer Lovelyn Garcia (third from right).[/caption]

As the fisher folks in Northern Cebu are trying to get their life back after Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the area, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Central Visayas help fisher folks regain their self-worth and dignity to live a normal life after the devastation.

Recently, BFAR launched a project called “AHON” that aims to carry out the rehabilitation and reconstruction of boats destroyed by Yolanda and provision of fishing gears to fisher folks.

BFAR-7 Regional Director Andres Bojos commended the project’s initiatives in enhancing the synergy and collaboration of different national government agencies and other stakeholders in helping people uplift from poverty.

“Most of the affected families are into fishing and we need to help them rebuild their means of livelihood,” DSWD-7 Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat said.

“Through our Sustainable Livelihood Program or SLP and in partnership with BFAR, we will help them in the repair of their bancas or boats,” Jabagat added. In this partnership, BFAR will construct 2,000 units of boats which will replace the totally damaged or beyond repair boats. The total cost for these units is Php 6,440,000.00. DSWD for its part will give Php 3,220,000.00 as counterpart to the project. The repair works shall be done by the owners and they will be paid through the Cash for Building Livelihood Assets (CBLA) of DSWD at a cost of Php 322.00 per day for 5 days.