TERNATE, CAVITE – The fishing town of Ternate, Cavite, some 140 kilometers from Manila, may have something good to remember amid the long period of quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
One day, while looking for supply of fish to give to the poor during the lockdown, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commissioner Greco Belgica said his driver told him about the plight of fishermen in Ternate where most of the fish came from. The driver said, “Sir walang banca ang mangigisda duon, nakikiangkas lang,” (Sir many fishermen there have no banca, they just joined with others who have one).
He went to the area and knew that since the beginning of the lockdown, fishermen from various places lost their source of income. When the community quarantine was somehow eased in June, many fishermen had difficulty of going back to fishing because they don’t have boats to use. Many of them relied on some well-off fishermen who would allow them to go fishing with 50-50 share, or to rent out their boats for a fee.
After the meeting, Belgica received a request from the fisherfolks for help. In his Facebook page he said, “Natanggap ko po itong request na ito galing sa isang grupo ng mga mangigisda sa Cavite. Naawa talaga ako kasi ito lang ang hanapbuhay nila tapos nawala pa. Paano na lang ang pamilya nila? Ang iba dito siguro may lima o higit pang anak,” (I received this request from a group of fisherfolks in Cavite. I was really moved because their source of livelihood was lost. What will happen to their families? Some of them have five or more children), Belgica said.
So Belgica scouted for help and he went to the Department of Agriculture for spare boats. Fortunately, there were six units which they could give to him with his own counterpart. “Nag-partner ako sa Department of Agriculture at binili ko agad ang ibang pangangailangan at sinorpresa ko sila nang dinala ko ang banca sa Ternate,” (I partnered with the Department of Agriculture and I bought the needed materials and I surprised them when I brought the boats to Ternate), he said.
Mark Joseph Rodriguez, one of the beneficiaries of the boat project expressed his gratitude to Belgica and the DA that after a few months of lockdown and debt was piling up, finally he could have a source of livelihood for his family. A small act of kindness could go a long way, indeed.
