Article 131p. 131

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS STATUTES and IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

(P100,000,000.00), which shall be administered by the

Land Bank of the Philippines. The fund shall be made

available for lending to qualified borrowers to finance

the

development

of

the

fishery

industry

under

a

program to be prescribed by the Department.

For

the

same

purpose,

the

Department may seek

financial assistance from any source and may receive

any donation therefrom.

SECTION 145. Fishing Vessels Development Fund. —

There is hereby created a Fishing Vessels Development

Fund to enhance the building and/or acquisition of

fishing vessels. This shall be a long-term loan facility that

shall be administered by the Development Bank of the

Philippines. The amount of Two hundred and fifty million

pesos (P250,000,000.00) per year for five (5) years is

hereby appropriated out of the Department’s allocation

in the GAA to support this Development Fund.

SECTION

146.

Special

Fisheries

Science

and

Approfishtech Fund. — The Department shall provide

subsidy for full technical and financial support to the

development of appropriate technology, both in fishery

and ancillary industries, that are ecologically sound,

locally source-based and labor intensive, based on the

requirement

and

needs

of

the

FARMCs.

An

initial

amount of One hundred million pesos (100,000,000.00)

shall be authorized for the purpose of a Special Fisheries

Science and Approfishtech Fund, and thereafter shall be

included in the GAA.

SECTION

147.

Aquaculture

Investment

Fund.

—

An

Aquaculture Investment Fund in the minimum amount

of

Fifty

million

pesos

(P50,000,000.00)

shall

be

established for soft loans which shall be extended to

municipal fisherfolk and their organization who will

engage in aquaculture, and for the development of

underdeveloped or underutilized inland fishponds.

SECTION 148. Other Fisheries Financing Facilities. — In

addition to fisheries credit guarantee, grant and other

similar

facilities

granted

under

this

Code, qualified

Filipino fisherfolk and fisheries enterprises shall enjoy

such other facilities granted them under existing and/or

new laws, specially as to rural credit, with preference

being given to fisheries cooperatives.

SECTION 149. Professionalization of Fisheries Graduates.

— There is hereby created a Fisheries Board of Examiners

in the Professional Regulation Commission to upgrade

the Fisheries Profession: Provided, however, That those

who

have passed the Civil Service Examination for

Fisheries shall automatically be granted eligibility by the

Fisheries Board of Examiners: Provided, further, That

they have served the industry in either public or private

capacity for not less than five (5) years: Provided, finally,

That

the

first

Board

Examination for B.S. Fisheries

Graduates shall be conducted within one (1) year from

the approval of this Code.

SECTION

150.

Upgrading

of

State

Fisheries

Schools/Colleges. — The Department, in coordination

with

the Commission on Higher Education (CHED),

Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS),

and

Technical

Education

and

Skills

Development

Authority

(TESDA),

shall

upgrade

State

Fisheries

Schools/Colleges

which

provide

both

formal

and

non-formal

education:

Provided,

however,

That

the

CHED shall incorporate Approfishtech in the curricula of

fisheries schools/colleges.

The Department and the CHED shall jointly formulate

standards

to

upgrade

all

fisheries

schools/colleges.

Fisheries schools/colleges that do not meet minimum

standards shall be closed.

SECTION 151. Inclusion of Fisheries Conservation Subjects

in School Curriculum. — Fisheries conservation subjects

shall be incorporated in the curricula of elementary and

secondary schools both private and public.

SECTION 152. Educational campaign at all levels. — The

Department, the CHED, the DECS and the Philippine

Information

Agency

shall

launch

and

pursue

a

nationwide educational campaign to:

a.help realize the policies and implement the provisions

of this Code;

b.promote the development, management, conservation

and proper use of the environment;

c. promote the principle of sustainable development;

and

d.promote the development of truly Filipino-oriented

fishing and ancillary industries.

SECTION 153. Infrastructure Support. — The Department

in cooperation with concerned agencies shall:

a.prepare and implement a nationwide plan for the

development of municipal fishing ports and markets;

b.prioritize the construction of farm-to-market roads

linking the fisheries production sites, coastal landing

points and other post-harvest facilities to major market

and arterial roads/highways;

c. identity community infrastructure facilities such as

fish landing ports, ice plant and cold storage facilities in

consultation with fishery cooperatives/associations and

prepare plans and designs for their construction that

would be consistent with international environmental

impact;

d.establish and maintain quality laboratories in major

fish ports and prescribe the highest standards for the

operation

and

maintenance

of

such

post-harvest

facilities;

e.arrange and make representations with appropriate

funding institutions to finance such facilities for the use

of the fishery cooperatives/associations;

f.

develop

and

strengthen

marketing

facilities

and

promote cooperative marketing systems; and

g.promote and strengthen local fisheries ship-building

and repair industry.

SECTION 154. Extension Services. — The Department

shall

develop

cost-effective,

practical

and

efficient

extension services on a sustained basis, in addition to

those

provided

by

state

educational

institutions,

especially to municipal fisherfolk in undeveloped areas,

utilizing

practicable

and

indigenous

resources

and

government

agencies

available,

and

based

upon

a

system of self-reliance and self-help.

SECTION

155.

Protection

of

Sensitive

Technical

Information.

—

The

Department

shall

take

such

measures as may be necessary in order to protect trade,

industrial and policy information of Filipino fisherfolk,

fisheries

owners/operators,

entrepreneurs,

manufacturers and researchers, when disclosure of such

information will injure the competitiveness or viability of

domestic fisheries.

SECTION 156. Assistance in Collecting Information. — The

Department, in coordination with other government

entities concerned, may require Filipino representatives

abroad and foreign-based personnel to assist in the

collection of fisheries data and information.

© 2018 Compiled by RGL

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