W. Visayas fisherfolk to get PHP 3,000 fuel subsidy in April

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

An initial 1,698 registered fisherfolk in Western Visayas are set to receive PHP 3,000 each in fuel subsidies, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said, as authorities move to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.

The beneficiaries are part of an initial batch under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide fuel aid to qualified fisherfolk owning boats of three gross tons or less.

BFAR-6 director Remia Aparri said Monday, April 6, that fuel cards will be distributed in areas with easy access to gas stations, while remote communities will receive fuel vouchers redeemable at designated stations commissioned by BFAR.

Aparri said subsidy distribution has become more efficient since BFAR established program guidelines and systems when the fuel subsidy program began in 2022.

“From our past experience, implementation is now more seamless, especially amid the current Middle East crisis affecting oil prices,” she said.

The 1,698 beneficiaries are part of 3,000 additional fisherfolk that BFAR-6 aims to include in this year’s expansion of its fuel subsidy program.

“Those that were not given yet, it seems that there is a purpose that they can utilize it now. There is always a reason for everything,” Aparri said.

To qualify, fisherfolk must be registered under the National Program for Municipal Fishing Vessels and Gears Registration, known as BoatR, and the Department of Agriculture’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.

Aparri said priority distribution is given to fisherfolk in 5th- and 6th-class income municipalities.

“We are advising those identified beneficiaries to meet with the Know Your Client (KYC) with Universal Storefront Services Corporation (USSC),” she said.

BFAR partners with USSC, which handles the KYC process at its branches, to distribute fuel subsidy cards to eligible marginalized fisherfolk.

From March 30 to April 1, BFAR-6 reached three island barangays in Ajuy — Pantalan Nabaye, Nasidman, and Tagubanhan — where 97 fisherfolk received vouchers under an earlier distribution ahead of the Middle East tensions.

The Ajuy local government unit provided transport support, ferrying beneficiaries to the nearest mainland fuel station to claim their subsidies.

The PHP 3,000 subsidy is estimated to cover five to seven fishing days, based on average consumption of four to six liters per trip at prevailing fuel prices of around PHP 100 per liter.

A typical municipal fisher operating 22 days a month spends about PHP 13,200 on fuel, according to BFAR-6.