Army’s 91IB distributes 2,000 tilapia fingerlings to Aurora’s fisherfolk organizations

Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija – The 91st Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Aurora, distributed 2,000 tilapia fingerlings to the Women’s Association of Cabituculan West, Samahang Solo Parents na Nagkakaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, and L Pimentel Community Neighborhood Association (LPCNA) at Barangay L Pimentel, San Luis and Barangay Cabituculan, Maria Aurora in Aurora Province on January 22 and 27, 2021, respectively.

According to Lt. Colonel Reandrew P. Rubio, Commanding Officer of 91IB, the distribution of fingerlings was intended to provide opportunities to local farmers’ organizations to earn additional livelihood inside their organizations.

L Pimentel Barangay Captain Eladio B. Amatorio said that he was so grateful for the effort of the community support program (CSP) operators in bringing the livelihood concerns of the People’s Organization (PO’s) to appropriate agencies such as BFAR.

Amatorio believed that the PO’s will greatly benefit from the Army personnel’s initiative if they make use of the given opportunity for organizational advancement.

The livelihood initiative, which is in line with Executive Order No. 70 or the "Whole-of-nation" Approach to end the local communist armed conflict, aims to provide initial fish stocks to the groups for them to strengthen fishing projects in the province despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lit. Col. Rubio is optimistic that through the Army’s initiative, the fishpond operators’ income will further increase.

“We project increased productivity for the beneficiary organizations and an increase in the income of remote communities within the province, thus reducing poverty among the marginalized sectors in agriculture and fishery in pursuit of the country’s peace agenda,” Lt. Col. Rubio said.