It’s not only transport drivers who are affected by the sudden spike in the price of oil prices in the past few weeks.
Also affected are those in the agriculture sector, particularly fishermen who rely on their motorized bancas for their daily living.
With the planned distribution of fuel subsidy cards in Eastern Visayas, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) hopes to ease the burden of fisherfolk in the region who now can barely afford to sustain their livelihood.
Over 9,000 fuel cards worth P3,000 are expected to be distributed to beneficiaries under the BFAR’s Fuel Discount Program for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (FDPFFP), which can be used when purchasing oil in partner gasoline stations.
The distribution began this month and the goal is to release all cards by April this year.
The distribution of cards, according to Cristine Gresola, BFAR regional information officer, is part of their agency’s efforts to distribute more than 23,000 fuel cards to municipal fisherfolk in the region.
BFAR data show that more than P17.8 million worth of fuel assistance has already been distributed to 14,341 municipal fisherfolk in Eastern Visayas.
The beneficiaries of the program are identified through their registration in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), Fisherfolk Registration System, and Boat Registration System.
“The list of beneficiaries is based on their registration under these systems. If they are not registered, we are encouraging them to have their names listed at their respective municipal agriculture office,” Gresola added.
She said registration ensures that fisherfolk are included in the official database used in identifying beneficiaries of government assistance programs.
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