Diwal harvesters in Valladolid slam Mayor for unfair competition
BACOLOD CITY -- More than 200 fisherfolk or harvesters of "diwal" or angel wings led by Brgy. Capt. Melecio Mailim of Poblacion, Valladolid are up in arms against their town mayor Rommel Yogore.
They accused Mayor Yogore of engaging in unfair business competition with them. The group alleged that the mayor is also into the diwal business and has allowed other fisherfolk from neighboring towns like San Enrique and Pontevedra to harvest in Brgy. Poblacion without a permit from the barangay.
Diwal harvesting is the main source of livelihood of the fisherfolk in Brgy. Poblacion.
Under Municipal Ordinance No. 2002-02, series of 2002 it is stated that harvesting of angel wings is exclusively for fishermen and residents of the town and must secure first a mayor's permit.
A minimum of 1,000 kilos of diwal is being harvested daily by the local fisherfolks in Brgy. Poblacion alone according to Brgy. Capt. Mailim.
Its resurgence this year is a blessing to the local residents here after it has slowed down in the last few years.
Its habitat was badly affected with the waste disposal of a big swine business in the town.
Since it is a rare kind of seashell, it is now considered as among the exotic delicacies in the restaurants of Bacolod City and other parts of the country.
It is sold at P500 per kilogram in restaurants. But Mailim alleged that Yogore intends to monopolize the industry by diving the buying price in the town at P100 per kilo but sold it in Bacolod at P250 per kilo.
Ten barangay captains in the said town supported the cause of the fisherfolk in holding a protest rally against the mayor yesterday.
Barangay Captain Ebenecer Gatuslao said that they are concerned about the fate of the industry because many of the respondents are dependent on the diwal industry. The Mayor is intervening using his own people, he said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Yogore denied that he engaged in the diwal business. He labeled the allegation as politically motivated. He said that he is willing to hold a dialogue again with the complainants although series of dialogues were already conducted on the issue. He also denied allowing harvesters who are not residents of the town.