TACLOBAN CITY- Finally, fisherman Castolo Holares could return to the sea to catch fish again, seven months after his fishing boat was destroyed during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda. On June 9, the 49 year old fisherman from Barangay Sta. Cruz, San Miguel in Leyte, was among the 20 fishermen who received their motorized pump boats from the office of Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito. “I could not catch fish using my own pump boat. It’s hard for me not to have a pump boat for I have to beg some of my friends to allow me to use their fishing boats or join them during their fishing just to earn a living,” Holares said. Aside from Holares, a father of two children whose house was totally destroyed due to Yolanda, 19 fishermen from the towns of Tolosa, Palo, Tanauan, San Miguel, Babatngon and the city of Tacloban, received their motorized pump boats. Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin “FM” Romualdez, during the turn over held at the grounds of the Balyuan Convention Center, expressed his gratitude to Sen. Ejercito for his assistance to the fishermen who lost their pump boats during the onslaught of Yolanda. Romualdez said that with their new pump boats, the fishermen could now go back to fish and ensure income for their respective families. All the fishermen were from Leyte’s first congressional district of which Romualdez represents at the House of Representatives. The Leyte solon asked the fishermen to take good care of their fishing boats to show their gratitude to Sen. Ejercito’s generosity.
“You know, we don’t have PDAF (priority development assistance fund). Sen. Ejercito used his own personal money just to donate these pump boats to you. Hope you will take good care your pump boats for your livelihood,” Romualdez said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
