Fishermen in Talisay City protest ‘meager’ city aid
By CARINE M. ASUTILLA, ABS-CBN Central Visayas | 12/19/2008 2:49 AM
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Pundok sa Gagmayng Mananagat sa Sugbo hold protest in front of Talisay City hall |
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PGMS members burn copies of livelihood proposal |
Some 300 members of Pundok sa Gagmayng Mananagat sa Sugbo (PGMS) gathered in front of Talisay City Hall Thursday morning to hold a protest.
PGMS launched a protest action after city officials declared that they will only be giving the group of fisherfolk P320,000 financial assistance for those affected by the South Reclamation fishport project.
Ezperanza Cambando, PGMS president, said that the amount is not enough for their 400 members. She said that these fisherfolk from Barangay San Roque and Barangay Tangke were affected after the city started the project last 2005.
Cambando said that the city and PGMS signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for livelihood assistance. The city government had tasked PGMS to submit a livelihood project proposal.
The group first submitted a budget of P2.5 million. Each affected family will get more than P5,000 to start their alternative livelihood in the proposal. City officials however did not approve the budget since they said they do not have funding for it.
PGMS then submitted a second proposal with P1 million budget but the city instead decided to give only P320,000 to the group.
City Administrator Ritchel Bacaltos said that the city cannot afford to give the fisherfolk more than what the council has decided.
Bacaltos said that the amount will be given to them early next year.
Bacaltos also said that they are not violating the MOA since no particular amount for the assistance was stated on it.
