RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HON “COMPAñERA” PIA S. CAYETANO, SENATOR, CHAIRPERSON, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, TO APPROPRIATE AND RELEASE THE AMOUNT OF EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS
( P8,000,000.00 ) FOR THE PURCHASE OF MOTORIZED BANCAS AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT FOR THE USE OF OUR POLICE, DEPUTIZED FISH WARDENS AND BANTAY DAGAT VOLUNTEERS, TO PATROL MARIBOJOC BAY OF MARIBOJOC, BOHOL WHICH HAS BECOME A POACHING HAVEN OF COMMERCIAL FISHERS FROM THE PROVINCES OF CEBU, NEGROS AND EVEN FROM OTHER TOWNS OF PROVINCE OF BOHOL.

Authored by : Hon. Fructuoso F. Redulla, Jr.

WHEREAS, one of the most important features of Republic Act 8550, otherwise known as the Fisheries Code of the Philippines, is to promote sustainable development of our marine resources for the benefit of the marginalized sector of the fishing industry;

WHEREAS, Maribojoc Bay is one of the biggest, if not the biggest bay in the Province of Bohol which is rich in marine biodiversity;

WHEREAS, due to its rich marine resources, it has become a haven for poachers coming from as far as the Provinces of Cebu , Negros and even from the neighboring towns of the province;

WHEREAS, diligent efforts notwithstanding from our local leaders I tandem with our police force, deputized fish wardens and bantay dagat volunteers from the coastal barangays to curb illegal fishing activities with our municipal sea waters and the bay in general, all our efforts fall short of being totally successful owing to the poachers’ superiors crafts, engines and equipment;

WHEREAS, although we’ve already made quite a number of apprehensions and registered quite a high batting average of convictions, still the poachers kept coming back as they can easily pay the fine of Two Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P2,500.00) the maximum ceiling for imposable fines set by the Local Government Code for Local Governments to impose;

WHEREAS, we sincerely believe that this illegal poaching must be minimized, if not totally stopped, otherwise overfishing of our municipal seawaters and the bay itself and would bring untold misery to our marginal fishermen and would forever make our waters barren of fishery resources;

WHEREAS, more than apprehensions, we are of the honest opinion that the best and most effective way of discouraging rampant illegal fishing is police visibility through regular sea-borne patrols especially during late nights and this can only be done if we equip our enforcers the necessary support mechanism such as better- powered patrol boats with efficient communication equipment such as hand-held radios;

WHEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Sangguniang Bayan of Maribojoc, Bohol in its session duly assembled,

“To request the Hon. “Compañera” Pia S. Cayetano, Senator, Chairwoman of the Senate, Committee on Environment & Natural Resources, to appropriate and release the amount of Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos ( P800,000.00) for the purchase of motorized bancas and communication equipment – for the use of our Police, Deputized Fish Wardens and Bantay Dagat Volunteers to patrol Maribojoc Bay of Maribojoc, Bay which have become a poaching haven of commercial fishers from the province of Cebu and Negros and from the other tows of the Province of Bohol.

RESOLVED FURTHER, that a copy of this resolution be furnished the Office of Senator, Hon. “Compañera” Pia S. Cayetano, for his information and very kind consideration.

Unanimously adopted.

I HEREBY CERTIFY TO THE CORRECTNESS
OF THE ABOVE-QUOTED RESOLUTION:

ERLINDA V. CASTILLON
Acting, Secretary to the Sanggunian

ATTESTED:

ENGR. GABINO C. REDULLA
Municipal Vice Mayor
Presiding Officer