Mapanas, Northern Samar – The people of the towns of Mapanas and Palapag, which are literally at the end of the road going North in the Eastern Seaboard of Samar Island, have long considered themselves as neglected and overlooked.
Facing the Pacific Ocean which could be rough from October to December, the two towns, including the town of Gamay, are actually rich fishing grounds where about 100 small fishing boats with fishermen using handheld hooks catch as much as three huge Tunas each during the season and such other high value fish as Tanguige, Blue Marlin, Mahemahe and Skipjacks.
They could actually catch more but their problem is they do not have an ice plant to supply them with ice and no cold storage to keep extra catch and enjoy a better price on off-season.
The quality of the Tuna and high value fish species that they harvest from the rich fishing grounds actually deteriorate because of the absence of post harvest facilities.
Worse, they do not even have a decent fish landing facility where they could bring their catch.
Yesterday, in just a day in their lives, the fishermen and farmers of Palapag and Mapanas, including Gamay, got what they have long been waiting for – the caring hands of a compassionate government.
It was a historic day for Mapanas, according to Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido Tejano, whose son, Francis John, is the mayor of the town.
Ambassador Tejano said my visit was the first ever by a Cabinet-level official of any administration ever since the day he was born in this scenic town facing the Pacific Ocean.
During the Biyaheng Bukid forum with fishermen and farmers, the Department of Agriculture through its attached agencies made the following deliverable commitments within the year:
1. P10-M loan from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) through the conduit banks to be extend to the fishermen’s association so they could build their own ice plant;
2. A refrigerated van which the fishermen could use in delivering their catch to as far as Manila to the North;
3. A working capital of P1-M for the fishermen’s group so they could buy the catch of their members which they in turn will sell to the big markets;
4. A loan allocation of P10-M for the towns of Palapag, Mapanas and Gamay for the farmers and fishermen under the Production Loan Easy Access Program of the DA and ACPC which would also cover livelihood projects by the woman groups in the area like dried fish processing;
5. Training and technology transfer in seaweed production through the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) to enhance the seaweed production in the area;
6. The introduction of a management and service provider group which would help the three town’s rice farmers to develop their rice farms and increase their productivity.
Yesterday, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona delivered the first 50 units of the FB Pagbabago fiberglass boats committed to Mapanas town.
The remaining 60 units will be built by the fishermen of the town themselves using materials and funding provided by BFAR.
During the forum where farmers and fishermen listened intently, I saw men and women of Mapanas shed tears as they heard officials of the Central Government talk to them directly and made commitments which they know will really be realized.
Ambassador Tejano described the moment as that “strange feeling of drowning with joy” as opposed he said to the many years when the people of the area were “drowning in hopeless and frustration.”
(Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA AFID, Mayette Tudlas and Diane Faith Garcia, DA OSEC)
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