The National Anti-Poverty Commission on Thursday said they have agreed with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to revisit the Community Fish Landing Center Project to help boost local fisherfolk economy.

NAPC Secretary Lope Santos III said the two agencies reached the agreement during the courtesy visit of NAPC Secretary Santos and NAPC Vice Chairperson for Basic Sectors Ruperto ‘Ka Uper’ Aleroza to BFAR Director Atty. Demosthenes Escoto.

The CFLC Project started in 2015 under the Targeted Action to Reduce poverty and Generate Economic Transformation Program of the Department of Agriculture. It was implemented by BFAR which funded the establishment of fish landing facilities and NAPC which facilitated the social preparation of beneficiary communities.

“Our fisherfolk is the poorest sector in the country with a recorded 30.6 percent poverty incidence rate in 2021,” Secretary Santos said.

“We aim to strengthen CFLC operations to help reduce post-harvest losses and promote economic activities in coastal communities,” he added.

During its four-year implementation, 729 project sites were identified with various implementation stages at present – operational, completed sites but not in operations, and unfinished sites.

Ka Uper provided updates on the conditions of some CFLCs monitored by NAPC Council Members. He emphasized that while many are functioning for its intended purpose, a number of sites are not being utilized to their full potential due to various deterring factors such as the lack of cold storage equipment and handling facilities.

Director Escoto also mentioned that the nonfunctional CFLCs have been constantly raised as one of the agenda in Regional Development Council meetings, expressing hopes that the proposed strengthening of CFLC operations will finally address project site issues nationwide.

The CFLC Operationalization and Assessment Planning in 2019 found that the fish landing centers serve many purposes aside from fish landing and trading. Its beneficiaries also utilize the buildings as venues for events, meetings, livelihood, and centers of fisherfolk organization activities.

Also present in the meeting were BFAR Information and Fisherfolk Coordination Office Chief Nazario Briguera, NAPC Vice Chairperson for Government Sector Chief of Staff Joey Villaflor, and Sectoral Technical Coordinator Stephanie Espinosa.