22-footer fiber glass boats schedule for turn-over

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) has
scheduled to turn-over the 41 units of 22 – Footer Fabricated Motorized Fiber Glass Boats to 41 fishermen’s
associations from the six coastal/island barangays in Bohol on March 7, 2024 to be held in Talibon.

Provincial Agriculturist Liza M. Quirog said that of the 41 boats, 15 units for Talibon, 7 units each for Inabanga
and Buenavista, 6 (Getafe), 4 (CPG), and 2 units for Tubigon.

Provincial Agriculturist Quirog stressed that there are 100 units of this kind of boats powered by
7.5 Horsepower (HP) wherein 31 units of these were already turned over to Bien Unido (20 units) and Ubay (11
units) as the fabrication works are ongoing for the remaining units.

Quirog disclosed that the 100 units were acquired under the Typhoon Odette and COVID-19 Intervention
Program of the PGBh in CY 2022-2023 as she added that for this CY 2024-2025, the provincial government aimed
to provide and distribute another set of 120 units to the fishermen’s associations in Garcia Hernandez, Getafe, CPG,
Buenavista, Inabanga, Clarin, Trinidad, Panglao, Dauis, Loon, Dauis, Candijay, Mabini, Anda, Calape, Guindulman,
Valencia, Loay, Alburquerque, Baclayon, Tagbilaran and other coastal/island barangays and municipalities to be
used in their daily livelihood activities that support and sustain the basic needs of their families as well as increase
fish catch and fish production.

To ensure that the supply materials procured are fully implemented in support to our fisherfolks, the PGBh hired
experts on boat fabrication to do the boat making job, Quirog added.

The provincial agriculturist disclosed that the only counterpart of the beneficiaries of this program is to construct
their respective outriggers (katig) once the boats have already turned over to them.

She said that the Fishery Division of OPA led by Division Chief Queenie Atop has been inspecting the outriggers
of the beneficiaries to ensure that the parts of the boats are ready to be assembled once the units could be turned over
as Quirog clarified that the procurement of materials had followed the normal bidding procedure as provided for by
existing laws.

Quirog emphasized that no legal or political opposition to the project having had the noble intention to help
boost the production in the province and provide livelihood to the people.

She added that the PGBh and the project beneficiaries concerned had entered into a Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) for the operations of the pump boats.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES
The project has implemented by the PGBh through the OPA in collaboration with Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as the technical assistance provider of the project. The management of the facility is the
OPA team and coordinated Cooperative together with the identified People’s Organizations/families/households as
recipients based on the criteria of selection.

Quirog considered the fisheries is an important aspect of the agriculture sector of the province as it provides food
and livelihood to nearly 1.4 million Boholanos, and per capita consumption of fish and fishery products of 38 kg.
per year. By Atoy Cosap