With its sustained vision of attaining food security and empowering fisherfolk communities in Southern Leyte, the BFAR Region 8 turned over ₱1.8 million worth of bangus production support and Fiber Reinforced Plastic Boats (FRP) to fisherfolks of Sogod, Southern Leyte on October 24, 2025

The Consolacion Fisherfolk Association received one (1) unit of bamboo cage with bangus fingerlings and feeds amounting to ₱450,000, while the La Purisima Concepcion Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA) was granted two (2) units of bamboo cages with bangus fingerlings and feeds worth ₱900,000 under BFAR’s Regular Program Livelihood Support. In addition, four (4) units of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) boats worth ₱469,725 were turned over to the Sogod Poultry and Livestock Raisers (SPLR), Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC), and SLPA.

BFAR 8 OIC Regional Director Dominador G. Maputol underscored the benefits and opportunities that these associations and the fisheries council can gain through the proper and sustainable use of the interventions provided to the beneficiaries. He emphasized that these interventions not only enhance livelihood opportunities but also promote environmental stewardship, contributing to the region’s continuing efforts toward sustainable fisheries, fisheries protection and resilient coastal communities.

Located within Sogod Bay, one of the major fishing grounds in Southern Leyte, the associations’ sites are highly suitable for fish production and offer strategic access for the marketing and distribution of fishery commodities. With these natural advantages, combined with the associations’ determination and hard work in operating the bangus cage farming project, the beneficiaries anticipate a bountiful harvest within the year and by the first quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, MFARMC Sogod, through its Law Enforcement Committee and deputized fish wardens, also envisions utilizing the FRP boats provided to strengthen its efforts against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) activities within its municipal waters—balancing fish production with the protection and conservation of marine resources to ensure long-term sustainability for the local fishing communities.

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