TACLOBAN CITY – About eight fish cages located in Babatngon, Leyte are now providing residents of the municipalities in the first district of Leyte with much cheaper supply of fish.
The harvest from these fish cages provided cheaper bangus to the residents of the seven municipalities and one city in the first district of Leyte. The fish were directly sold to the people at a lower price.
It was learned by Leyte Samar Daily Express that these fish cages were made only for the benefit and consumption of the municipalities in the first district of Leyte as these are owned by the government.
The project was initiated primarily by Leyte first district Rep. Remedios “Matin” Petilla in her effort to promote fisheries in the area under her leadership and to provide livelihood to small fisherfolks also.
Petilla said the mayors of the towns in her district were assigned to run and maintain the said fish cages. The local executives can also harvest from the fish cages entrusted to them.
The harvested bangus, for instance, are then sold to all the municipalities in the first district as the congresswoman had ordered the mayors to help one another in the marketing of the harvested products from the fish cages.
The income generated from the fishery products sold, however, are not given to the respective municipalities but as of now, it is still being returned to the existing fund for the whole project in order for the fund to rotate and further help in the establishment of more fish cages.
Petilla told Express that the fish cages were placed in Babatngon, Leyte because Leyte Gov. Jericho “Icot” Petilla himself has already declared the town as a “mariculture zone.”
with this proclamation, Rep. Petilla is pouring in her support to the fisherfolks in her district.
Aside form the said fish cages, Petilla is also giving out some assistance to the small fisherfolks in the coastal barangays of Babatngon.
Even in Brgy. San Jose, this city, Petilla is also assisting some fisherfolks as she is starting to establish some fish cages here.
The first district of Leyte covers the municipalities of Palo, Sta. Fe, Alang-alang, San Miguel, Tolosa, Tanauan, Babatngon, and the city of Tacloban.
