ALFONSO LISTA, IFUGAO – – Filling up the gaps in the fishery sector of this bustling village of Alfonso Lista town is indeed a big challenge to the leadership of Punong Barangay Jovito Valenzuela.
There is a pressing need, of course, to modernizing the operations at the small fish landing port at Sitio Nagtipunan. This shall require sourcing out vital funds to jumpstart the project.
By doing so, the positive side is that the barangay council engages in an effort to raise money for development.
As it is, funds allotted by the municipal government to the fishery sector, whose members are long considered among the “poorest of the poor” are too small. Analysts and economic planners said such allocations were absurd and unimaginable.
Many are affected by the poor conditions at the port as well as the slowdown of economic activities brought about by the COVID-19 crisis.
Punong Barangay Jovito Valenzuela has asked the barangay tourism officer to look into this matter.
“Our fishermen are experiencing difficulties. There is a need to act and help them. This can be done through improvement of the facilities at the port,” Punong Barangay Valenzuela said.
“I am glad that the barangay council continues to foster a strong relationship with Congressman Solomon Chungalao, Agriculture Secretary William Dar, Governor Jerry Dalipog and Vice Governor Glenn Prudenciano. I know that they are our important partners in our goal to improve the lives of our fishermen,” he added.
Thanks to the punong barangay’s deep devotion and dedication to duty, programs and projects are being implemented at the barangay. For now, something powerful is about to change their lives beyond one’s imagination. Interested people who want to help the marginalized sectors increased into the thousands.
Infrastructure needs in the barangay’s fishery sector are simply enormous. Thus, the expectation is that barangay council officials will continue to work closely with the barangay tourism officer.
For his part, the barangay tourism officer said in a meeting with Punong Barangay Valenzuela that he is forwarding to his office a proposal that will focus on infrastructure designed to modernize the port.
“It is actually a doable and attractive proposition,” he added.
For one, he explained, that the provision of a cold storage or ice facility shall become an opportunity to gain better incomes for fishermen, thus, allowing their families to live more comfortably.
The barangay tourism officer noted: “Cold storage facilities maintain the freshness of fishery products. These facilities placed at fishing grounds and at the village’s fish port are most helpful in reducing post-catch losses by at least 35 percent. Then consider adding them up to the overall food supply, thus, lowering the prices for the benefit of the people.”
“It is, therefore, important to understand that with access to modern refrigeration and storage facilities fishermen could sell their marine produce at better prices to consumers,” he added.
Expounding on this, he said, that ice is essential to bringing their catch to the markets as fresh as possible and so they can command better prices. There is no underestimating what a cold storage can do for the fishermen.
The novel component of the planned program is not only intended to make a turnaround in terms of the desperation and hardship being endured by fishermen in the absence of the cold storage facility, but also in the creation of new employment opportunities. Fishermen may be transformed into “fish entrepreneurs.” Their loved ones or relatives may then sell their produce in the proposed fish satellite market at the barangay. Unleashing the potential of a fisherman as an entrepreneur remains a big challenge which government officials should address with a sense of urgency. Over time, the difference will be huge.
“Often times, I’ve been moved by the deplorable conditions involving health and sanitation of fishermen. Severe situations occurred that left the fishery sector in deep slumber for a long time. Easing the burden they faced would be compensated by increasing their incomes,” the barangay tourism officer bewailed.
Going forward, some questions arise at the horizon. What infrastructure is available to address this problem? Can a block of ice solve the problem?
What a better thing to enhance the lives of poor fishermen than an ice plant and cold storage facility? A cold storage facility provides joy and security to the fishermen. Inability to upgrade and modernize fish port sites as this one is likely to result in downside risks to fisher folk and their beneficiaries.
Feeling anxious and stressed? This plan is good news for fisher folk of this barangay and members of the Namnama Fishermen Association.
Barangay Sto. Domingo is blessed with vast fishery resources. It straddles along the Magat Dam, one of the largest dams in Asia. It is about 4,500 hectares.
Many see a lot of potential here because of this and the outstanding work of the punong barangay and the barangay council. There is a burst of energy at the barangay hall that signals readiness to enhance change with a positive outlook.
“We should devote our time to help our fishermen and many others,” Valenzuela said. His commitment to help cash-strapped folks is indeed salutary and commendable.
Valenzuela was right on point. He has helped move the village towards achieving the dream of improving the lives of fishermen. With great focus in the area of infrastructure development, the barangay government serves as an instrument in preparing them for a bright and fruitful future. Punong Barangay Valenzuela guided the barangay council with perseverance and patience.
Study after study show that fish ports and fishermen wharfs are points of interest in the tourism industry. Therefore, there is so much to do at the village’s fish port. If and only if, there is indeed an honest-to-goodness effort to develop it and make it an attraction for local and foreign tourists. Many other fish ports in the Philippines and abroad managed to convert their facilities as destinations even under the unforgiving scrutiny of tourists, local and national officials as well as the media.
At the fish port, the famed Rancho Domingo (also referred to as Domingo Integrated Organic Farm where there are a few Narra trees) and nature trails, a visitor creates even bigger memories as he or she explores places of hidden beauty, lush greens and vast plantations of fruit-bearing trees.
An optimist, the barangay tourism officer is even projecting the facility as a “home port to ferries.” “It is high time to learn a lot of the Magat Dam and Magat River, the natural habitat of marine resources, through an exciting ferry boat ride and this is the best way to level up the ante in promoting the tourism industry,” he asserted.
Likewise, he stressed that the ferry plan provides interconnectivity among some Isabela towns and this village and to stimulate growth in the province. In effect, this meant that the urgency of solving the problems on the tourism and fishery fronts was finally understood by the government at the least possible cost.
He also motioned that there are beautification plans for the port as a preparatory step for its “takeoff” to modernization that can be generated and sustained from within.
Over the years, improvements here are hardly noticeable. “Why do you have to concentrate on a place they call 1,000 steps, when there is this port that can be developed?” he asked. While others focus their sights elsewhere, the fisher folk remain poor.
Building more access roads to the port and other important tourist destinations has its own benefit.
Be that as it may, many are still looking at the inspiring leadership at the Sto. Domingo Barangay Hall for solutions to problems at hand. For one, the lack of a cold storage facility is a solvable problem.
Where is the Barangay Sto. Domingo Fish Landing Port in the national government’s list of priorities, if one refers to it as the only facility of this kind in impoverished Ifugao? Undoubtedly, it is a critical component in enhancing the ability of the province to extricate itself from its underdevelopment status. The blanket assumption that a project in a remote village should get little attention from Imperial Manila is open to question. Or can be due to the perception that the fish port is situated in a quiet, secluded place of nature and improving it is a small-ticket project?
Modernization has many aspects and one is trade facilitation through a cold storage facility. It shall bring about the desired outcomes to ensure economic and social progress in underserved communities.
The government must provide sufficient resources for the fishery sector, the hope of the nation and Filipinos. It is giving back for all the things fishermen have given to the people. So one can just imagine their frustrations if they won’t be able to earn adequately.
Even though the Philippines has enormous maritime resources, the government imported 45,000 MT of galunggong (round scad) last year. The Philippine seas were filled with fish, but foreign fishermen (mostly Chinese) did the catching for them.
Today’s cold storage facilities come in all shapes and sizes. Amid all those differences, one thing is certain: the provision of one at the Barangay Sto. Domingo fish landing port is a priceless contribution to the fishery sector. **By Anthony A. Araos
