TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) –Eight municipalities situated in the fifth district of the province of Leyte are recipients of some P5.5 million worth of projects identified through the Bottom-up-Budgeting (Bub) program.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) looked forward to turnover their intended projects composed of fiberglass motorized boats and multiple hook and line fishing gears before the year ends.
BFAR regional director for Eastern Visayas Juan Albaladejo said that some P3.5 million of the fund was for the 145 motorized boats that will benefit some 145 fisherfolks.
Of the eight towns, Matalom was able to get the bigger pie amounting to some P1.582 million for 25 units of multiple hook and line and 40 units of fiberglass motorized boats.
All the other municipalities to include Abuyog, Inopacan, Hindang,Bato, Javier and Hilongos and Baybay City will each have 15 fiberglass motorized boats and 25 multiple hook and line.
Albaldejo added that BFAR will install additional 59 fish aggregating devices or payaos in these areas to complement the fishing gears. An initial 14 payaos have been deployed in the area.
He added that fisherfolks need motorized boats as some of them are just using paddle when they go out to the rough sea.
The payaos will also prevent them from going out to the high seas just to fish.
BFAR was allotted some P27 million for the implementation of the BuB projects this year. The bigger chunk went to Samar province worth P20 million.
The BuB approach ensures the participation of the grassroots organizations and communities during the budgeting process of local and national governments.
Through this, funding requirements of projects intended for the development of poorest local government units are included in the proposed budget of national government agencies.