Iba, Zambales – The Provincial Government is eyeing to modernize the fisherfolk of Zambales by procuring a new automated harvester vessels, as well as ancillary boats, while undergoing training on modern vessel operations.

The said endeavor came amid adverse geopolitical conditions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), prompting the Provincial Government to come up with new and better ways to ensure food security for the province.

According to Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., the modernization program includes the 96-feet long, steel-hulled harvester boat paired with two reinforced fiberglass lightboats and one service boat under an assistance program initiated by the Zambales Maritime Development Council (ZMDC).

He added that these vessels will be built by Stoneworks Specialist International Corp. in General Trias, Cavite, the biggest fiberglass boat maker in the country.

The company task to create the said boats also builds tugboats, barges, and other customized vessels. They will be operated by members of the Zambales Provincial Fishery Association, a federation of fisherfolk groups across the province.

Meanwhile, local fishermen will undergo training on modern vessel operations under the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) in San Narciso town.

Ebdane stressed that the training component of the fisherfolk assistance program is as important as procuring the new vessels. “Learning new technology and developing new skills is necessary for our fishermen to be competitive. They need to adapt in order to survive and thrive,” he added.

At least two fishermen’s clusters have already completed training under the PMMA. More fishers’ groups are expected to follow suit.

The Zambales governor has long advocated boosting the competitiveness of local fishermen as a strategic solution to the problem in the WPS, where local fishers cannot access traditional fishing grounds on account of bullying by Chinese militia vessels.

Last year, Ebdane shepherded the formation of the ZMDC to oversee, supervise, and manage fisherfolk cooperatives, as well as the distribution of P5-million worth of fish aggregating devices or payaos to 26 fisherfolk groups belonging to the Zambales Provincial Fishery Association.

Another P5.6 million worth of payaos will be distributed this year under the provincial government’s payao livelihood program under ZMDC.

Ebdane said the procurement of a modern harvester boat and ancillary vessels “is the logical next step in pursuit of a long-term solution to the WPS problem by giving local fishers a significant fighting chance.”

Meanwhile, with the prospects of operating a modern fishing vessel with automated features like computerized boom and power block, local fishermen are getting ready for training, said Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fishermen’s Association, one of the groups under the provincial fisherfolk federation.