image

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol (3rd from left, middle row) poses with the fisherfolk tapped as guardians of the Davao coastal areas. This was during the turn-over ceremony of P212.1 million worth of fishing boats, gears, and postharvest equipment on August 17, 2016 at the Davao Fish Port Complex in Toril, Davao City. The Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) selected 600 fisherfolk, including members of the Badjao indigenous group, in Davao Region to serve as guardians of their coastal areas particularly in Davao Gulf through the Bantay Laot Program. As guardians, their role is to make sure that there will be no dynamite and cyanide fishing and their waters are garbage-free. (Photo by Gian Carlo Luague, DA-AFID)