Mindanaotoday.com | Oro fisherfolk call ‘fish list’ a burden
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The local fisherfolk in this city raised concern over the burden they experienced with the required submission of their journal, which contained the data of the kind of fish they caught, sold, and consumed, among others, as required by the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Councilor James Judith II, in a meeting led by the city council’s committee on agriculture on Tuesday, April 18, presented his special report, relaying the concerns of the local fishermen that the supposed monthly reporting of data has become daily.
“Sa mga subsistence nga fishermen, dili naman ni trabaho nila. Mura’g para sa ako, lisod (To those subsistence fishermen, this is not their job. For me, it’s hard),” Judith said.
The RSBSA is a registry of farmers, fisherfolk, and farm laborers that serves as a targeting mechanism for the identification of beneficiaries for different agriculture-related programs and services of the government.
Since the monthly submission of data has only been required by the City Agriculture Office (CAO) here, Judith suggested making it every six months.
He added that the tallying of data should also be done for a certain focal person, either from the barangay or the association.
Apart from the struggles with data reporting, the CAO was also asked by the said councilor if they could also amend the order that requires the fishermen to renew their licenses every year, as well as their fishing vehicles.
“Nahimo gani sa atong passport, nahimo sa atong lisensya… Nganong lisod-lisuron man nato sila sa duha ka rekisitos (It has been made to our passport, to our [driver’s] license as well… Why do we give a hard time to them as to the two requirements),” Judith said.
Pablo Rojas Jr., head of the CAO’s fisheries division, who was also present during the committee meeting, said they already consulted the fishermen’s concerns and later expressed their favor for amending the monthly data reporting.
To ease the burden on the fishermen, the CAO also contracted people on the ground called the barangay fisheries extension workers for whom the office provides incentives to do the data gathering.
“Gihan-ay pa nato ang pamaagi ana. Dili pa perfect, pero I think mao na ato buhaton moving forward para mas klaro ang information and data gathering. (We are still finalizing the procedures for that. It’s still not perfect, but I think that’s what we’re going to do moving forward to have clear information and data gathering),” Rojas said.
A total of 20 individuals were contracted as barangay fisheries extension workers, of whom six –one worker per two barangays – have been assigned to the 12 coastal areas in the city. Meanwhile, the remaining 14 workers have been assigned to the upland areas.
Councilor Yevonna Yacine Emano echoed the importance of the said journal as a way to determine the situation and aquatic resources available in a particular coastal area.
She supported the required submission of the said journal, but in a way that wouldn’t add additional burden to the local fishermen.
“Benefit sad nato kay ma-exhaust man ang mga limited resources (it’s for our own benefit because we can exhaust our limited resources),” Emano said.
As to Judith’s concern when it comes to the validity of the fishermen’s license and fishing vehicle, Rojas said they can always amend the renewal requirement since there was no national mandate that strictly required the renewal every year.
However, for the fishing vehicle’s registration, both Emano and Councilor Agapito Suan were in favor of the yearly or just prolonged registration for the security of the fisherfolk.
“I would want that the burden be removed, but I also want to maintain the safety and security of our fisherfolk,” Suan said, suggesting an easier registration process.
At the later part of the meeting, Judith was being asked to provide in written form his recommendations and amendments for the ordinance.
Judith is aiming to finish his recommendations and amendments this week, and a following meeting will be conducted for the ordinance. (MT)
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