Sen. Cynthia Villar and Bataan officials on Thursday led the groundbreaking of the P180.3 million Orani Fish Landing and Trading Post in Pantalang Bago, Orani, Bataan.
The fish port will have 60 consignee stalls and will be constructed on a one-hectare area replacing the old Orani fish port.
Villar said the project will level up Orani as a world-class fish port serving fish traders and fishers in the area. She also said the modern fish port will also open tourism opportunities for Orani.
The funding of the project came as a grant from the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Provincial Planning Development Officer Butch Baluyot said the DA loaned from World Bank to be able to fund the project by way of grant to Orani. He added both the national and provincial governments each provide ten percent of the project cost as counterpart.
Gov. Joet Garcia said there will be huge economic impact for local folks once the modern fish port is constructed.
“Napakaganda ng proyekto, maraming mga nag-aalimango, nagsusugpo, at ngayon mga nagsisilinyasi makikinabang,” Garcia said.
Vice Gov. Cris Garcia said they thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the two PRDP projects in Bataan. She said the other project is a road in Hermosa.
Noting that other provinces get even bigger grants from PRDP like Isabela getting P1 billion project, she urged municipalities to study the meticulous preparation of the requirements of PRDP.
Orani Mayor Bonjong Pascual said what is good is that the new fish port will not only primarily for sugpo and alimango but as well as silinyasi.
“Yung silinyasi traders at fishers ay karamihan pangkaraniwan mamamayan, ma-cacater sila ng bagong fish port”, the mayor said.
“Ako mismo nagulat ang laki pala ng silinyasi trade sa aming bayan”, he said.
“Sa bagong fish port yung sustainable agriculture ma-aachieve at magkakaroon ng economic growth sa bayan ng Orani”, he said.
He thanked Villar and provincial leaders for their commitment to help the people of Orani.