The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) joins the Department of Agriculture (DA) in celebration of the National Famers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month with this year’s theme, “Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya.”

The month of May every year is proclaimed as Farmers and Fisherfolks Month by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 33 issued on May 21, 1989 to recognize the role and contributions of the farmers and fisherfolk in alleviating poverty, ensuring food security and sustainability. This month-long celebration is a tribute to the farmers and fisherfolk who tirelessly toil to produce food.

By virtue of the Department of Agriculture Special Order No. 88 (Mangingisdang Direktor para sa Matatag na Balikatan Program) and BFAR Fisheries Office Order No. 080 series of 2005, one fisherfolk is elected and immersed as the Regional Fisherfolk Director of BFAR for the whole month of May.

The Program is designed to strengthen the partnership between the fisherfolk and the government. From a pool of Provincial Fisherfolk Representatives, the Regional Fisherfolk Director is selected. He is guided to represent the fisherfolk community of the region to various regional and national activities of the Bureau.

Along with the immersion to understand the government’s intervention programs and projects, he serves as the effective conduit in fitting a timely match of the interventions to the needs of the fisherfolk community.

For the month of May 2023, Mr. Judith B. Castres, MFARMC Chairperson of Boston, Davao Oriental is selected as the Regional Fisherfolk Director of BFAR XI. He shall perform the duties and responsibilities as listed in the BFAR FOO No. 080, which includes familiarization of BFAR XI facilities and stations as well as the projects and programs being implemented within the region. He shall attend to selected communications received by the office in the month of May and act as representative of the regular Regional Director during program implementation and other major events.

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