First Congressional District of Davao City Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte extended rice and financial assistance to 2,028 fishermen from Barangays 21-C, 22-C, and 23-C at the Davao Coastal Road on Monday and Tuesday.
Rep. Pulong’s son Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II led the distribution of rice and cash assistance to the beneficiaries.
“Naa mi diri karon kay nag request ang fisherfolk association ug tabang sa bugas. Naa pod mi gamay giapil nga panud-an (We are here following the request of the fisherfolk associations for rice assistance. We also have a small amount for additional help),” Rep. Pulong said in a message read by Rigo.
The First Congressional Office said that 2,423 fisherfolk from five areas have yet to receive the same aid. The distribution of the rice and cash support will last until Friday, September 22, 2023.
Rep. Pulong prioritizes the fishermen because they contribute to food security in addition to employment and trade.
“Naiintindihan ko sila kasi ako mismo hobby ko fishing pag nasa Davao ako. Pag masama ang panahon wala talaga (I understand them because I enjoy fishing when I’m in Davao and it is not possible to fish during bad weather),” he said.
He assured that all fishermen get service from his office during difficult times. He added that the purpose of the activity is to improve the food supply of families affected by the rainy season.
Rigo also expressed his profound gratitude to everyone for their endless support to his father and the First Congressional District Office.
Meanwhile, Johnny Toleran, president of the Davao Federation of Fisherfolks Association, said in an interview that the association requested support for fisherfolk affected by the cloudburst.
“Kami naga pasalamat sa opisina ni Congressman Pulong sa pag apruba sa among request. Sukad mi lingkod siya isip congressman sa Distrito Uno, wa gyod mi niya kalimti hilabi na sa panahon nga nagkinahanglan mi ug tabang (We are thankful to Congressman Pulong’s office for approving the request. Since he took office, he has never forgotten us every time we needed help),” Toleran said.
He also thanked Rigo for leading the assistance distribution to the members of the 46 fisherfolks associations in Cluster 4 in the city. He said everyone is indeed happy and grateful.
Toleran said fisherfolk had difficulty in fishing during the rainy and closed seasons. He added that though small fishermen can still fish in closed season, the changing climate makes it very slow.
It can be recalled that the government implemented the closed season to protect the spawning period of small pelagic fishes in Davao Gulf, as outlined in the government’s Administrative Order (JAO) No. 02.
“Kung nihit ang pangisda, wala sab koy mabaligya sa palengke (I have difficulty selling fish to the market because of the minimal source),” Melissa Tagalog, 82, a fish dealer from Barangay 21-C, said as she thanked the lawmaker for the assistance.
On his end, 64-year-old Nestor Villa, a fisherman from Barangay 22-C, said the rainstorms and big waves made it difficult for them to fish customarily. He added that they can only wait until the seas are calm.
“Salamat, Congressman Pulong, ni ining tabang. Among panginabuhian nakasalalay ra sa pangisda gyod. Kung nagmaot ang panahon, wala gyod mi mabuhat kundi magpaabot mamaayo usab ang panahon para makapangisda mi (Thank you, Congressman Pulong, for your help. We solely rely on fishing for our livelihood. If the weather is bad, we can only wait for it to improve and return to fishing),” Villa said.
