DA-BFAR donates fiberglass boat to VSU Tolosa to fortify fisheries program

The Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) officially turned over a 38-footer Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRB) boat to VSU Tolosa to strengthen its fisheries program, particularly in the field of capture fisheries.

This initiative is part of the F/B Pagbabago Livelihood and Development Program of DA-BFAR which was nationally implemented to “uplift the economic status of the fisherfolk” by providing fiberglass boats that are durable and disaster-resilient compared to the traditional wooden-made fishing vessels.

The worth-a-million fiberglass boat was handed by Mr. Pierre Easter L. Velasco, the National Focal Person of the F/B Pagbabago Program, and Ms. Loreginia Briones, the Provincial Fisheries Officer of Leyte Province to the Department of Fisheries of VSU Tolosa under the College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (CFAS) at the KOICA Conference Room.

According to the VSU Tolosa Department of Fisheries in a Facebook post, the vessel and fishing paraphernalia were fabricated at the VSU Tolosa campus over the past weeks, from August 19 to September 2, 2024.

“Before the ceremony, a sea trial was conducted at the coast of Brgy. Tanghas Representatives from various local government units, academic institutions, BFAR personnel, faculty, staff, and students gathered to witness the successful trial,” the caption reads. 

Aside from the fiberglass boat, VSU Tolosa also extended their gratitude to BFAR for the knowledge and technical skills they gained during the two-week intensive training on constructing, repairing, and maintaining fiberglass boats.

The two-week training program was attended by selected representatives from fisherfolk organizations, local government units, regional state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as CFAS faculty and staff. 

VSU Tolosa Chancellor Dr. Quenstein D. Lauzon expressed her heartfelt appreciation to BFAR for providing them with a boat to improve fisheries instruction.

“The whole VSU Tolosa community is very grateful for this donated fiberglass boat as this will surely be useful for our students in our fisheries program. This can also be used as a vital amenity during disasters knowing that our campus is fronting the Pacific Ocean. We will surely be utilizing this donation fully so that our community can take advantage of it,” Chancellor Lauzon said.

VSU Tolosa is also excited to work with DA-BFAR for their upcoming programs and capacity-building events that are planned to be implemented at the university.

To strengthen its linkage with the DA-BFAR, Mr. Velasco highlighted that VSU Tolosa will be the lead SUC in the region for future training, workshops, and other related activities set by the said agency. This activity will be the major extension program of VSU Tolosa.

[With reports from the VSU Tolosa Department of Fisheries]

[This article aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals: No. 4 (Quality Education), No. 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), No. 14 (Life Below Water), and No. 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).]

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