The United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated P5 million ($89,500) in aquaculture equipment to the provincial government of Ilocos Norte to support sustainable tilapia farming.
On Friday, USAID Philippines deputy mission director Rebekah Eubanks handed the donation to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc at the Pasuquin Fish Farm.
“The United States is proud to support fishers in Ilocos Norte with tools that can increase their income and build resilient communities,” Eubanks stated. “These supplies will aid fishers impacted by super typhoon ‘Julian’ in restoring their livelihoods and enhancing long-term food security by providing affordable protein sources for local communities.”
Manotoc expressed gratitude to USAID on behalf of the fisherfolk and over 610,000 Ilocanos, stating, “We look forward to closer collaboration with USAID for the benefit of our people.”
The donation includes a generator, a 1,000-watt solar-powered outdoor light, a ring blower, an oxygen tank, a submersible pump, a paddle wheel aerator, a sewing machine for net production and repair, fish fingerlings, fish breeders, and feed.
USAID also provided fish cages to 70 fisherfolk from Pasuquin, Bangui and Pagudpud, whose equipment was damaged by super typhoon “Julian.”
This assistance is part of USAID’s P41-million grant to Implement Project Philippines, which aims to create conservation-based livelihood projects, manage marine protected areas, and research seaweed and aquaculture farming in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and Palawan.
During her visit, Deputy Mission Director Eubanks reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to enhancing innovation, education, and economic development in the region.
On 9 October, she visited Mariano Marcos State University’s Batac Campus to celebrate its inclusion in a network of 22 universities under USAID’s Energy Secure Philippines project, which provides career mentoring for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She also launched USAID’s WISER app, an interactive platform for educating the public about renewable energy.
Eubanks attended the graduation ceremony for 91 young Ilocanos who completed a 15-day construction course as part of USAID’s Youth Works PH project, helping them secure jobs in construction firms like AsiaPro, Worklife and Datem.
Additionally, she witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between USAID’s US-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation and Lifelong Learning Program and the Ilocos Norte Regional Development Council’s Regional Research, Development, and Innovation Committee. This partnership aims to strengthen cooperation between the government, private sector, and academia to align investments and foster innovation for regional growth and development.