BFAR provides P4.95 million worth of equipment to Pag-asa fisherfolk

The fishing gear and post-harvest equipment for beneficiaries will be transported by BRP Francisco Dagohoy (MMOV 5002) from Puerto Princesa City to Pag-asa Island.

A multi-mission offshore civilian patrol vessel operated by the BFAR, BRP Francisco Dagohoy will embark on a two-day journey to Pag-asa Island starting Monday, June 12, coinciding with the 125th commemoration of Philippine Independence.

This voyage, which aims to provide livelihood support to the residents and fisherfolk of Pag-asa

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

IT was sweet irony that a man who stood for peace and democracy died as the nation marked its 125th Independence Day. This was how the death of former Senator Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon—the coup-busting general who became Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff and was later elected senator—was described by his peers after his death was announced Monday morning by his family.

This is a bittersweet Independence Day, as the nation mourns the passing of Senator Rodolfo Biazon, one of our staunchest defenders of the peace and democracy that we are enjoying today,” said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri in a statement.

Biazon succumbed a day after his son Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon tweeted that he was still alive and battling pneumonia, in response to some social media posts claiming he was already dead.

A ccording to Ruffy Biazon, the former senator “was diagnosed with lung cancer in July of 2022 and underwent chemotherapy.” Last month up until his death, the elder Biazon was confined at the Asian Hospital for severe pneumonia that further weakened his lungs.

He courageously fought his last battle like a Marine would, but it is the Lord’s will which prevails. The family is grateful that we were able to spend his last moments with us intimately and peacefully,” Ruffy Biazon said.

Zubiri said, “It was a gift to have been a novice senator during a time when Senator Biazon was still in office. I had the great fortune of learning from him, and being inspired by his uncompromising public service—not just as a veteran legislator but also as a veteran military man, having been the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces. He brought that same military discipline and commitment to his work in the Senate, and to every aspect of his life as a public servant.

I am grateful for the time that we spent in the Senate together, and I am glad we had one last chance to reconnect with him last November when he attended the Senate reunion. He was as bright and astute as ever, and a fountain of guidance and wisdom for those of us currently in the Senate. My prayers and condolences go out to his family, friends and to the people whom he served with dedication as a senator, congressman, and as a member of the uniformed service.”

S en. Grace Poe for her part said, “His valuable work in fortifying the military institution and in lawmaking will not be forgotten.”

D eputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said Biazon’s passing “on this Independence Day [is] a reminder of his formidable, lifelong fight for our Inang Bayan.”

S ince his days as a Philippine Marine commandant to his years in Congress, “what remained true all throughout was his unwavering love for the Philippines,” Hontiveros said.

Long before I met him in person, I read about Sen. Pong in an 1981 Who magazine feature about his being a Marine commander in Davao. I remember being taken by his critical mind and his respect for human rights, qualities essential for an officer and a gentleman.”

Hontiveros said Biazon “always answered the call of duty even when he was no longer in office. When the former administration could not express a clear stance vis-a-vis China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Pong did not hold back from calling on our top officials to take a united position against China.”

S en. Chiz Escudero lauded the decorated military general for serving the Philippines “impeccably” all throughout his more than five decades in government service.

For his part, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said: “We witnessed first hand his unparalleled passion for public service and unwavering advocacy for low-cost housing and increased benefits for our soldiers. His wisdom, experience, and exemplary work ethic were always evident, making him an invaluable asset to our institution and a true inspiration to us all.”

S en. Nancy Binay said: “As a soldier and a lawmaker, he staunchly defended democracy and made sure that our country’s sovereignty is always protected. Our nation lost an officer and a true gentleman who dedicated his life to public service.”

S en. Robin Padilla issued a statement, saying Biazon’s “principles, both as a soldier and as a lawmaker, will be one legacy we will never forget. His place in our history is secure, and what he has left behind— which was briefly considered to be made into a movie where I would have played a role—will always be an inspiration to me.”

Engineering, then PMA

THE elder Biazon was born on April 14, 1935 in Batac, Ilocos Norte and took up mechanical engineering at FEATI University before deciding to enter the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1957.

A ccording to his Senate biography, Biazon served in these posts: Superintendent of PMA in 1986-87, Commandant of the Philippine Marines in 1987-89, Commanding General of the NCR Defense Command in 1988-90, AFP Vice Chief of Staff in 1990-91 and AFP Chief of Staff in 1991.

B iazon quelled several coup attempts by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) against the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino. However, per a tweet by his son Ruffy, coup leader-turned-senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan had a long, warm “warriors’ reunion” late last year when the latter visited him.

Biazon was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and was reelected in 1998. In 2010, he ran and won as congressman of the lone district of Muntinlupa and was reelected in 2013. He retired from politics in 2016.

Island, is one of our initiatives in accordance with the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to strengthen our support to the fisheries sector, as well as in farflung communities,” Escoto said in a statement.

The BFAR official also expressed optimism that through the initiative, Filipino fisherfolk would be further equipped with tools and skills to increase their catch in the resource-rich waters.

Moreover, Escoto also recognized the members of the Philippine Coast Guard and other partner agencies who have been supporting the bureau’s livelihood initiatives for the fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea.

We salute courageous public servants who have been working with the DA-BFAR. Through this collaboration, we are able to provide government aid to our fisherfolk in far-flung areas,” he added.

A board BRP Francisco Dagohoy are various fishing gears that include fish stalls, fish containers, plastic floaters, twines, lead sinker, and deep-sea payao, which will all be awarded to Palawan fisherfolk.

A lso included are post-harvest equipment such as blast freezer, ice coolers, industrial weighing scales, crate storages, seawater flake ice machine, and a generator set. BFAR said, “Beneficiaries will come from the Kalayaan Palawan Farmers and Fisherfolk Association, as well as the Spratlys Strong and Brave Women Association.” M eanwhile, Escoto said the bureau is eyeing to provide additional livelihood inputs to Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea and in adjacent areas to boost their production.

Raadee S. Sausa

DAR, PCA to develop coconut processing hub in N. Cotabato

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) are eyeing to develop a coconut-processing hub in North Cotabato to support the industry’s growth in the region. I n a statement, DAR Assistant Regional Director H. Roldan Ali, Al-Haj, said the department is now looking for potential agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) that would be developed for the proposed coconut value

Villafuerte reminds ‘Ted’ on unsettled pandemic pay for HCWs, non-HCWs

A SENIOR lawmaker is hoping that newly-appointed Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa will make good on his promise on his first day in office to look into the speedy release of the unpaid health emergency allowances of health-care workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs who had played a critical role in saving lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said Herbosa should find out at the soonest what could be done about the P12.57 billion worth of health emergency allowances that the medical frontliners have yet to receive but which the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) claimed had been released already to the DOH.

We hope that newly-appointed Secretary Ted [Herbosa], who is a long-timer in the health-care sector, would deliver on his promise to give priority to looking into the still-unpaid Covid-19 allowances— and get to the bottom of what happened to the P12.5 billion in Covid-19 allowances that the DBM claimed to have released to the DOH months back but which have yet to be handed out by the health department to the intended beneficiary—HCWs and nonHCWs—as provided by law,” Villafuerte said.

“We want to know soon enough from the new Secretary when the DOH is going to release the balance of about P12.57 billion from the P19.96 billion in Covid-19 benefits and allowances of HCWs and non-HCWs for their medical services rendered to our people at the height of the pandemic that the DBM claimed to have released already to the health department,” he added.

Given the new DOH chief’s impressive record in the health sector, including stints as Special Adviser to the National Task Force Against Covid-19 and trauma division chief at the surgery department of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), “I assume Dr. Herbosa, as a medical frontliner himself, will agree with me that it doesn’t make sense that for all their life-saving efforts at the height of the pandemic, our HCWs and non-HCWs in hospitals and other health institutions have yet to receive the emergency allowances due them up this time when the WHO [World Health Organization] had already declared this global public health emergency as over,” said Villafuerte.

Aside from HCWs, the extra benefits also cover frontliners who are non-healthcare workers (non-HCWs), including those rendering medical, allied medical, administrative, technical, and support services in hospitals, health facilities, laboratories, medical or temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, and vaccination sites.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz chain support project.

“ The DAR aims to improve the processing and products of the ARBOs so that they would have a steady or even expanded bigger market,” he said.

E vangeline Bueno, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, explained that potential ARBOs will be assessed for further interventions to strengthen their operations and to establish tie-ups with private sector players to expand their markets.

A v alidation team, composed of DAR regional and provincial officials, has recently paid a visit to Bagong Pag-asa Credit Cooperative (BPCC), a DAR-assisted organization engaged in virgin coconut oil (VCO) production at New Panay, Pigcawayan.

S eminiana Bawik, project manager of BPCC, said she is thankful to the DAR for considering them as a potential recipient of the proposed coconut value chainboosting project.

“ We are very grateful to the department for their continued assistance in improving our livelihood projects,” she said. The BPCC is a recipient of various support services from DAR. One of the projects they received is the VCO processing machine and equipment under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project, which is now in the process of registration with the Food and Drug Administration.

Jonathan L. Mayuga