Iloilo: The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Western Visayas (BFAR-6) will release fuel subsidy to an initial 1,698 fisherfolk in the region this month in response to the increasing prices of fuel.

According to Philippines News Agency, BFAR-6 Regional Director Remia Aparri announced at a media forum that the Department of Agriculture, through their office, aims to distribute fuel subsidies to nearly 3,000 beneficiaries. "It's PHP3,000 per beneficiary, to be withdrawn from the fuel station being commissioned by BFAR. It will be directly withdrawn by the fisherfolk from the assigned gasoline station in their respective provinces," Aparri explained.

The selection process is conducted in coordination with local government units, prioritizing the fifth and sixth class municipalities. To qualify, beneficiaries must be registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, Fisherfolk Registration, and the National Program for Municipal Fishing Vessels and Gears Registration.

Aparri emphasized that BFAR-6 has been implementing a fuel subsidy program since 2022, which included the distribution of fuel vouchers and cards. "We have a target of 16,000 and for this year, we have around 1,600 beneficiaries waiting for distribution. This intervention was before the geo-political crisis in the Middle East. We are continuing this program to support our fishers," she stated.

In addition, BFAR-6 continues to monitor the prices of top fishery commodities in the region and has not recorded any significant changes. Aparri noted that she is personally overseeing the Estancia fish port in Iloilo, one of the larger fish ports in the area. "So far, based on the monitoring of BFAR, the prices are still the same and we have sufficient supply," she said. She further mentioned that some commercial fishers have halted their activities due to the market's absorptive capacity.