The group of Filipino fishermen who were abandoned and left floating in the West Philippine Sea after a Chinese vessel hit their boat recently has only two requests to President Duterte – for the government to make their perpetrators liable and for them to be given exclusive rights to fish in Recto Bank.
Their fishing vessel F/B Gem-Ver 1 suffered major damage after it was hit by a Chinese vessel, causing it to sink and leaving all 22 fishermen floating in the middle of the sea for about six hours before being rescued by a Vietnamese ship.
The fishermen’s requests now seem far-fetched given the administration’s efforts to dismiss the issue and calling it as a “small incident” but Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he will make sure such appeal will reach Duterte.
Piñol also committed to extend assistance to the fishermen victims.
According to him, the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Credit Policy Council will release P25,000 to each of them under the Survival Response Loan Program to help them recover from their losses after the unfortunate incident.
Piñol said the loan assistance is payable in three years with no collateral and no interest.
DA, through Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, also committed to grant the fishermen 30-footer fiberglass boat with complete accessories, including engine and nets.
Piñol said 11 boats will be given, each will be shared by two fishermen, so they could have another source of additional income while the F/B Gem-Ver 1 is being repaired.
In addition, each of the 22 fishermen also received one sack of rice from the DA.
Piñol also tapped the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. for some additional funding to be used not only for assisting the 22 Mindoro fishermen, but also for the establishment and procurement of ice-making machines and cold storage in the area. (Madeleine Miraflor)
