100,000 fishermen from typhoon-hit areas need boats

Delfin T. Mallari Jr and Carla P. Gomez R

LUCENA CITY – A group of fishermen expressed frustration at plans announced by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to distribute 1,300 boats to fishermen, saying the number of fishermen who had lost their boats to Super typhoon Haiyan could easily reach 100,000.

In a statement, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the DA plan to distribute 1,300 boats and 4,000 nets to fishermen who survived Haiyan but lost their boats was not a sufficient response to the fishermen’s plight following the storm.

In Bacolod City, another group is launching a search for donors for boats to be given fishermen who lost theirs.

The Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC), a nongovernment organisation based in Bacolod, said it was searching for donors for boats to be given to at least 9,500 fishermen in northern Panay and 981 in Negros Occidental province.

Millie Kilayko, NVC president, said the group launched the campaign mainly through social media. Aside from the search for boat donors, Kilayko said NVC had also sent relief items to Haiyan survivors. But Kilayko said giving boats to fishermen was as important as providing immediate relief to survivors.

The group’s campaign, called Peter Project 2, is focused on giving back to fishermen their basic livelihood tool-the boat.

As of Wednesday, NVC had received donations of 175 boats and would continue to solicit more, Kilayko said.

She said NVC volunteers would visit fishing communities and search for qualified beneficiaries using data from government agencies, like the social welfare department.

Once an individual qualifies to become a beneficiary of Peter Project 2, he would be asked to sign an agreement stating he could not sell or rent out his boat. NVC would also keep records of the catch of fishermen who received donated boats and report these to the donors by e-mail.

The NVC has a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/nvcfoun dation) and maintains a website (www.nvcfoundation-ph.org).