The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya sealed partnership to ensure the welfare of fishermen in the identified damaged areas of Typhoon Yolanda.

The partnership aims to help the affected fisher folks from the areas of Basey, Sta. Rita and Marabut in Samar and Dulag in Leyte. BFAR’s AHON! Initiative targets to serve around 135,000 fisher folks whose livelihood was destroyed by the typhoon. To date, AHON already released 11,000 boat materials, and 4,000 from these have started working.

BFAR National Director Atty. Asis Perez stated that the agency is looking into developing aquaculture industry so that fishermen will thrive on the business and not only depend on the catch from the sea. Fishing boats, motor engines, fishing gears and seaweed farm implements are also going to be distributed.

“Darating ang panahong hindi na natin sila matatawag na mahihirap. Sa ngayon po kasi, 35% na halaga ng kanilang produkto ang napapakinabangan, at dahil sa kakulangan ng suportang pang-instruktura, malaking bahagi po ng produkto nila ang nasisira lamang at nabubulok,” he said. 
( Time will come when these fishermen will no longer be poor. Right now, they only enjoy 35% of their catch because of spoilage caused by the lack of facilities and infrastructure)

(L-R) Bantay Kalikasan Program Director Norie Garcia, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Chairman Gina Lopez, BFAR National Director Atty. Asis Perez and AHON Initiative Coordinator, Melanie R. Guerra signed Memorandum of Agreement to help the fishermen affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

The Aquaculture project of BFAR will provide every fisherman a cage containing milkfish, lapu-lapu and other kinds of fish that they can culture. The intervention of Sagip Kapamilya will greatly help in marketing and generating the value of produce to the larger public – eventually turning this simple livelihood into a booming business. Perez said that the benefits of this industry can be felt after three months, but it needs time to completely flourish.

"Ngayong may mga bangka na sila , paglabas nila sa laot may 10 kilos ng isda na kaagad sila, kung ibebenta ng P50 ang isang kilo, may P500 na sila" ayon kay Perez ("Now that they have their own boats, they can catch at least 10 kilos of fish , if they sell it at P50 a kilo, they can easily earn P500 , Perez says.)

Sagip Kapamilya has also started empowering the communities through training them on how to manage sustainable livelihood. On the other hand, BFAR already distributed cages and seaweed inputs to 5,000 families.

Gina Lopez of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya is optimistic about the success of this project that will benefit the fishermen. “Mahal na mahal natin ang mga mangingisda, marami sa ating mga kababayan ay mga mangingisda... kailangang ipakita nating kayang-kaya natin silang alisin sa kahirapan. ( "Many of our countrymen are fishermen and we dearly love them, we need to show them that together we can take them out of poverty . )Together with the help of the government and ABS-CBN, kayang-kaya natin yan ( we can do it ) !” she enthused.