Robredo to continue helping small local fisherfolk groups to combat poverty

If elected president, Vice President Leni Robredo will empower local fishing communities in the country by providing them much-needed resources to keep them operationalize, taking inspiration from a thriving mangrove rehabilitation project in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Robredo visited the mangrove rehabilitation project in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay on Monday, Jan. 24, to turn over a livelihood subsidy worth P472,700 to the Kapunungan sa Gagmay'ng mangingisda sa Concepcion (KGMC).

The aspiring president, when asked how she would help the small local fisherfolk groups in the country, said she would like to take inspiration from the initiative started by only five fishermen, including Ramon Magsaysay 2021 Awardee Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon, who were responsible for the rehabilitation of the hectares-wide mangrove project in Kabasalan, which is now providing new sources of livelihood to the community.

"Itong dito sa Kabasalan ito yung pinakamagandang halimbawa na pag tinulungan ng hindi lang gobyerno pati private sector yung community tapos yung community empowered para i-operationalize yung mga plano, ang laki talaga yung nagagawa (What you have here in Kabalasan is the best example that when the government and the private sector help the community, it will be empowered enough to operationalize their plan, it will contribute a lot)," Robredo said.

"So, yung plano talaga natin para ma-combat yung poverty, ganoon, na tulungan yung tao, i-empower siya through capacity-building saka yung, yung pag-ayos ng leadership training sa mga nangunguna sa kanila kasi 'pag binigyan mo sila ng kaunting kaalaman at kaunting tulong, yung rewards talaga hindi na lang para sa kanila pero yung rewards for the entire community (So, the plan is to combat poverty by helping and empowering the people through capacity-building and to capacitate their leaders to train them because when you give people a knowledge and help, the rewards will not only for them but for the entire community)," Robredo added.

During her visit, Robredo logged onto Facebook Live to share updates on the success of the mangrove project.

“Noong bago nila sinimulan itong project na ‘to, itong dagat kung saan nandito tayo ngayon, patay na ‘to. Wala na yung mga isda, wala nang hanapbuhay ‘yung tao (Before they started the project, this area was already dying. There are no longer fishes here, the people no longer have a livelihoood),” Robredo said.

She said that due to the lack of livelihood, at one point, only five fishermen were left in the area, including Ballon.

“Lima lang silang natira at nag-umpisa nitong project na ‘to. Tiniyagaan nila yung mangrove plantation. Dahil sa pagtitiyaga, nabuhay ulit yung dagat (They were only five who started this project. They persevered in planting mangrove. Because of that, the sea came to life once again),” she said.

At present, the mangroves are thriving and are providing various sources of livelihood to the community. Some of those who had left the town to seek better opportunities elsewhere have since returned, as the area now has rich marine resources they can utilize.

Talabahan (talaba farms) is now one of the major sources of livelihood in Kabasalan, which the locals were able to set up through the help of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and its partners.

Robredo stressed even a small help from the government and its partner will help sustain the revived livelihood in the area.

"And, pag tinulungan siya ng gobyerno, halimbawa– halimbawa kami kaunti lang naman dahil kulang naman yung resources namin. Kaunti lang naman yung tulong namin dito. Yung una naming tulong yung mga bangka. Yung susunod naming tulong itong binaba natin na 472,000 ngayon pero pag empowered kasi yung community tinutulungan, yung multiplier effect napakalaki (And, if the goverment helps them, for example the small help that we were able to give because we only have few resources. The first help we were able to extend was the boats. Our next help is the P472,000 aid we turned over today but if the community you're helping are empowered, the multiplier effect will be bigger)," she said.