The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Central Luzon (BFAR-3) will distribute 50 fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) boats to 100 fisherfolk in this town and Sasmuan.

BFAR-3 chief Wilfredo Cruz said on Friday the move aims to improve the livelihood of beneficiaries by providing them with durable and hard-wearing boats as well as promoting sustainable and responsible fishing.

Cruz said the fisherfolk-beneficiaries are the ones making the FRP boats designed for fishing along Manila Bay and Pampanga River and its tributaries.

He said a lecture and hands-on training on the fabrication, repair, and maintenance of the FRB boats were for the beneficiaries through the support of Pampanga provincial fisheries officer Nico Wamil and Fisheries Capture Section head Joseph Bitara of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in Pampanga.

“Ipinaalam sa mga mangingisda kung papaano nabubuo ang isang plastic na bangka at kung papaano ito patitibayin sa tulong ng fiberglass films (The fishers were taught on how to build a plastic boat and how to make it sturdy through fiberglass films),” Cruz said in social media post.

Fisherman Rey Velasco, 61, from Sasmuan and one of the participants in the training, said he was happy to have his own FRP boat which he and his group had made.

“Bukod sa mas magaan ito kumpara sa kahoy, hindi ito nabubulok at tiyak na mas tatagal ang buhay nito basta name-maintain. Buti nalang tinuro rin sa amin paano gumawa ng fiberglass (reinforced plastic] na bangka (Aside from being light as compared to wooden-made boat, it will not rot and will surely last longer as long as it is being maintained. It is good that we were taught on how to fabricate FRP boat),” Velasco said.

He added that he and his group took up to three hours to finish building the boat, spending PHP25,000.

In total, a set of FRP boat, including iron fittings and marine engine, costs PHP45,000. (PNA)