BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — SN Aboitiz Power Magat, Inc.(SNAP-Magat) has donated fiberglass boats to fisherfolks in Cagayan Valley to boost their income.
The recipients of the 15 fiberglass boats were fisherfolks from Isabela, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya.
“We are grateful for this since this will enhance and promote sustainable livelihood for our fisherfolks to support their families,” Governor Carlos Padilla said .
SNAP-Magat turned over the fiberglass boats at the Magat Dam View Deck in Ramon, Isabela.
NAP Magat officials said the boats were made during a recent boat making training sponsored by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR).
The materials for the boat making were provided by SNAP-Magat funded through their corporate social responsibility(CSR) program.
The boat making training was aimed to teach fisherfolks on the design, construction and maintenance of fiberglass fishing boats.
This would enable them to develop boat-building as a skill and potential source of alternative income.
The project also promotes eco-friendly practices as use of fiberglass boats will reduce dependence on wood from trees for boat materials.
Boats made of fiberglass have the advantage of withstanding the elements under heat and cold, and have corrosion-resistant properties that allow them to last for around 30 years
The boat making training project was granted through the Magat Task Force (MTF), a multipartite advisory council responsible for sustainable aquaculture in the Magat reservoir, among others.
SNAP-Magat and BFAR in Cagayan Valley are members of the MTF along with BFAR-Cordillera Administrative Region and National Irrigation Administration(NIA)-Dams & Reservoir Division, which also provided support to the project; National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center(NFFTC); the provincial governments of Isabela and Ifugao; Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-San Isidro, provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Nueva Vizcaya and the Fisherfolk Sector Council.
SNAP-Magat owns and operates the 360-megawatt Magat Hydroeletric Power Plant at the border of Ifugao and Isabela.
It is a joint venture of SN Power of Norway and AboitizPower. PNA-northboundasia.com