MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday led the distribution of over PHP165 million worth of presidential assistance to fisherfolk and families affected by the massive oil spills off the waters in Bataan.
During the ceremonial distribution of aid in General Trias, Cavite, Marcos expressed hope that the assistance given to affected individuals would be enough to help them recover from the dire impact of the oil spills.
“Asahan po ninyo na ang pamahalaan ay gumagawa ng mga hakbang upang maibsan ang pinsala na idinulot ng mga insidenteng kagaya nito (You can expect that the government is taking steps to alleviate the damage caused by incidents like this),” Marcos told the beneficiaries of the government assistance.
Marcos turned over a check amounting to PHP161.5 million to Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla during the event.
He also distributed the cash assistance to select fisherfolk from the cities of Bacoor and Cavite, as well as the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon and Ternate.
The Department of Agriculture (DA)–Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) continues to monitor the situation in fishing areas affected by the oil spill caused by the capsizing and sinking of MTKR Terranova near the coast of Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan on July 25.
MTKR Terranova and Jason Bradley and motor vessel (MV) Mirola 1 sank or ran aground in the coast of Bataan in July.
More than 25,000 families from Cavite were reported affected by the oil spill in Bataan, according to government data cited by Marcos.
Marcos also lamented that 33,000 fishers suffered from the adverse effects of oil spill, as they lost over PHP200 million in income.
He vowed that the government would make sure that affected individuals would receive proper compensation.
“Sa ngayon, iniimbestigahan na natin ang paglubog ng mga barko upang makakalap tayo ng sapat na impormasyon na mapanagot ang mga may sala ayon sa batas (Right now, we are investigating the sinking of the ships so that we can gather enough information to hold the guilty parties accountable in accordance with the law),” Marcos said.
“Titiyakin din nating makakatanggap ng karampatang kompensasyon ang mga naapektuhang mamamayan (We will also make sure that affected citizens will receive adequate compensation),” he added.
Other government assistance
On top of the presidential assistance, Marcos said affected fisherfolk would receive around PHP18 million worth of financial assistance from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), including postharvest equipment, training, and cash aid for gasoline.
Marcos said the Department of Social Welfare and Development also allotted about PHP70 million for the affected families, while the Department of Labor and Employment earmarked over PHP8 million to provide livelihood assistance.
He added that there are PHP3 million worth of standby funds and more than PHP100 million worth of non-food items.
Marcos said the Department of Health also continues to conduct rapid health risk assessment and water testing to ensure that Cavite residents are safe and healthy in the wake of oil spill.
“Labis man ang epekto nito sa inyong lalawigan, ako ay naniniwala na sa tulong ng bawat isa, tayo ay makakaahon mula sa pagsubok na ito (No matter how much this affects your province, I believe that with each other’s help, we will be able to overcome this challenge),” he said. (PNA)