SP OKs MOA for BASIL Program

THE 20th City Council during its regular session yesterday presided over by Vice Mayor Jocelyn B. Rodriguez enacted an ordinance authorizing City Mayor Rolando A. Uy, to enter into and sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 10 (BFAR-10) and the Danao Lake Fisherfolk Association.

The MOA covers the implementation of the Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa (BASIL) Program at Lake Danao, Barangay Pagalungan, for one year.

Under the MOA, BFAR-10 shall designate a focal person for the program, pre-validate, and monitor the area for the establishment of the program.

It shall also provide supervision and technical assistance in terms of Fisheries Enhancement, Resource Rehabilitation, Water Quality Monitoring, Establishment of Brush Park, and Fish Catch Monitoring, among others.

Meanwhile, the city shall provide a sustainable and strategic area in the inland waters of the municipality for the fisheries enhancement program.

It shall also select the qualified beneficiaries in coordination/consultation with the BFARMC/MFARMC/BLGU and submit the list and status report to BFAR Regional Office No. 10 through the Provincial Fisheries Office for validation, among others.

For its part, the Danao Lake Fisherfolk Association shall prepare the list of members who shall be the beneficiaries of the program and submit it to BFAR-10, through the Provincial Fisheries Office, for validation.

It shall likewise manage the implementation of the program, in coordination with BFAR, ensure its timely accomplishment and provide status reports on the implementation of the program.

The legislation was reviewed and endorsed by the committees on agriculture and fisheries and cultural communities and on laws and rules chaired by Councilors Jay R. Pascual and Ian Mark Q. Nacaya, respectively.