Govt allots P200M to upgrade fish port in Iloilo

A P200-million fund has been allotted by the government to rehabilitate and upgrade the Iloilo Fish Port Complex (IFPC) and complete the construction of a breakwater to improve port services.   This was according to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, who said the project is part of the fish port modernization program of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA).   The 21-hectare IFPC, which was inaugurated last week, as well as the completion of the 600-meter breakwater, is expected to transform Iloilo province into a major fish trading hub next to Navotas in Manila.   During the IFPC’s inauguration, Sen. Franklin Drilon thanked the Department of Agriculture and the PFDA for their assistance in completing the construction of the breakwater along the eastern side of the complex. The IFPC already has an existing breakwater at its western side. The construction of another breakwater at the eastern side came about when Drilon, who shared P30 million under his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), embarked on a project to clean up Iloilo River and clear it from fishing vessels that have been docking along its banks.   PFDA, which operates and manages the IFPC and other major fish ports in the country, will have to submit a rehabilitation and upgrading work and financial plan for DA’s approval at the soonest possible time.   Alcala asked PFDA general manager Eduardo Chu to coordinate closely with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, fisherfolk groups, and Panay Fishing Boat Operators to craft a plan on how to make optimum use of the Iloilo fish port complex.   He added that once the IFPC is upgraded it would attract more investors and locators, particularly fish processors, thus providing more income for fisherfolk and their families, and generating additional employment. — KBK, GMA News