Former punong barangay becomes 'Mangingisdang Direktor'
ROXAS CITY – A former Capiz village chief is now Mangingisdang Direktor in Western Visayas.
Norberto P. Apaitan, a former barangay captain of Balaring, Ivisan, Capiz, has been chosen as the country's Mangingisdang Direktor for Region VI.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) National Director Malcolm Sarmiento, Jr. said that Mangingisdang Direktor program, now on its fourth year of implementation, aims to provide the fisherfolk leaders a glimpse of the government's regular operations by trading places with the regular directors.
The undertaking is one of the key programs of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap in empowering the fisherfolk, based on Department of Agriculture's (DA) Special Order No. 88 s. 2005 and BFAR FOO No. 80 s. 2005.
Sarmiento said that under the program, the fisherfolk leaders will perform all the routinary functions of the regular directors, except those involving financial and policy-related matters, while the latter also undertakes immersion in the coastal communities.
The newly installed national and regional BFAR Mangingisdang Direktor will help to address the global threats of climate change affecting the country, the DA online news revealed.
Accordingly said Direktor will simultaneously launch a nationwide mangrove and watershed tree-planting program on May 26, particularly in 17 key coastal and watershed areas all over the country.
Dubbed as "Puno ko, sagip-buhay mo", the undertaking, which aims to plant 6 million mangrove sampling, will involve multi-sectoral participants from the communities including the LGUs, NGAs and NGOs.
National Mangingisdang Direktor Milagros Chavez, along with 16 other Mangingisdang regional directors of BFAR will head the office for the whole month of May as part of the highlights of the Farmers and Fisherfolks Month celebration. (PIA/Jemin B. Guillermo)