OLONGAPO FISHER FOLKS ORIENTATION AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) conducted their first Orientation and General Assembly on September 23, 2010, Thursday morning at Rizal Triangle Covered Court and FMA hall, 2nd flr. City Hall Complex. The assembly will be focusing on the function of FARMC and election of CFARMC officers of the city.

According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), CFARMC is a “council responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the country's fisheries and aquatic resources”.

The participants in the orientation were fish workers, vendors and fishermen. The assembly was conducted to hear the suggestions of fishermen in terms of policies, programs, projects and preservation of bodies of water.

The main speakers of this event which was initiated by Mayor Bong Gordon were Mabel San Jose, Region III Asst. FARMC Coordinator, Lilian C. Garcia, Region III Asst. Regional Director of BFRA and Laureano Artegame, Chairman of Subic Bay Integrated FARMC (SBIFARMC) who discussed about the functions of FARMC in the community and the livelihood of fishermen.

Fishermen’s Side

According to Jhobal Sebarrotin, City Agriculturist, CFARMC assembly aims to provide the fishermen’s awareness on the proper way of fishing and bay clean-up. He also added that “the city has two Barangays with coastlines, Baretto and Kalaklan. These two main coastlines are the main livelihood source of fishermen that’s why they’re creating programs to save and conserve the coastlines”. These programs include “Mangroves Planting, Construction of Artificial reefs, Participating on Clean up Drives, and Fish Warden Training.”

The other municipalities who are also conducting the same activities are San Antonio in Zambales and Morong, Bataan.

Fish Folks Goal

The orientation of the said assembly focused on the implementation of the programs on the conservation of Subic Bay waters. Mayor Gordon said: “I want to bring back the beauty of the 1950’s Subic Bay.With tourism, we create employment and with fishes, we get food security.” Garcia and San Jose also added that the FARMC office will also provide assistance to fishermen folks.

There were 6 officers elected for CFARMC. Danny Mejia, 63 of Barreto as President, Natiola Teodoro, 70, of Kalaklan as Vice president, Joan Deane Mejia, 30, of Barreto, as Secretary, Angelito Villegas, 53 of Kalaklan as Treasurer, Juanito Agam 50, of Kalaklan as Auditor and Reynaldo Abiertas 51 of Kalaklan as Sgt. at Arms. They all agreed that the said assembly “encourages fishermen to take good care of the bay because it’s the main source of their food and livelihood”.

Mayor’s Support

Later, after his speech Mayor Gordon gave 20 gillnets to the fishermen. It was given to the three groups of fishermen in Olongapo City for communal use.

The first Orientation and General Assembly of the Fisher Folks in Olongapo City. Through the initiative of Mayor James Gordon, Jr., the City Agriculture Office headed by Jhobal Sebarrotin aims to provide awareness on the proper way of fishing and bay clean-up.