SANTA  ANA, Cagayan—The booming tourism and fisheries industries in this town are expected to grow further as workers from government and private agencies initiated starting last week efforts to enhance the marine ecosystem here via the Reeforestation Project.

Reeforestation, a term coined by proponents of the project by fusing the words reef and forest, involves seeding or placing giant clams in preidentified microsites about 10 feet below the water’s surface and enhanced with transplanted corals to form an underwater scenic spot called a clam garden.

The giant clam garden was established near Palaui island, a 15-minute boat ride from the San Vicente port here. 

The  first such project in Region 2, reforestation intends to raise the fish population while offering tourists a unique attraction.

The project is a joint undertaking of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, Department of Tourism, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Navy and nongovernment organizations. 

“The clam garden will function as a habitat as the transplanted corals and algae, and corals that will grow on the shells of the giant clams will attract other marine species,” said Louie Mencias, president of the Marine Ecosystem Council and Reefo-restation Project leader.

“Also, there will be an increase in fish population as project beneficiaries learn to protect the site,” Mencias added.

THE government should set aside at least P32 billion to subsidize the operations of small fishermen across the country and cushion the impact of successive oil-price increases in the wake of the global recession, the fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya  nf Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said.

The group pressed the call after oil companies, led by Chevron, Shell and Petron, raised anew prices of petroleum products by an average of P1, raising the prices of diesel up to P30 per liter and regular gasoline to P40 per liter.

Small fisherfolks use small fishing boats that run on regular gasoline and consume at least 10 liters per fishing trip.

“This fighting demand of the small fisherfolk for monthly production subsidy to arrest the uncontrollable hikes in the prices of petroleum products and the [impact of the] global economic and financial crises is long overdue. But this government is not taking our legitimate call seriously,” Pamalakaya vice chairman for Luzon Salvador France said in a statement.

France recalled that the demand for production subsidy was submitted to the office of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap in July 2008.

“It’s been in the office of the agriculture secretary, but Secretary Yap is not doing his assignment. The small fisherfolk have been kept in the dark with regards to their legitimate crusade for production subsidy,” he said.

The Pamalakaya leader said the main purpose of the P 32-billion production subsidy is to keep the wheels of production in the fisheries sector moving, because it is being battered by high prices of oil products and skyrocketing prices of fishing gears and equipment.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) here warned delinquent taxpayers to settle their dues to avoid the brunt of Oplan Kandado this month, following a scheduled revamp of currently assigned tax examiners in this city and the province of Sarangani.

 BIR local district officer Myrna Bernardo said the implementation of Oplan Kandado is in line with the stern directive of no less than BIR Commissioner Sixto Esquivias IV to go after tax evaders and delinquent taxpayers.

 “Our 15 tax examiners revamp will be immediately implemented upon receipt of the order coming from BIR central office in Manila.  I would like also to remind the taxpaying public to settle their unpaid dues before we are force to release closure orders against their business establishments,” Bernardo said.

 She said the reshuffling of personnel is mandatory for BIR officials to avoid familiarization, or getting closer with taxpayers, which might put at risk the specific functions of tax collectors.

 The National Internal Revenue Code requires that assessors and collectors be reassigned in three years, Bernardo said.