10 November 2022 (Candijay, Bohol) – Good Neighbors Philippines (GN PHL) together with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), Metrobank Foundation, US-Philippines Society, and the Municipal Local Government Unit of Candijay, awarded six (6) Fiberglass Boats to the fisherfolks in Candijay, Bohol.
The said activity is part of the Community Rehabilitation and Recovery Support of GNIP to the affected fisherfolks on the super typhoon Odette that hit the Philippines last December of 2021 which aims to restore their livelihood. The beneficiaries of the fiberglass boats are members of registered fishing associations in Candijay – Candijay Association of Fisherfolk and Fish Farmers (CAFFF) and Cogtong Active Fisherfolks Association (COAFA).
“Right now, today, I feel much happy, and in January when I got here (Candijay), you know some anxiety and concern and how we can support this community but right I see much progress and also I can see your smiles, I’m very happy to see you,” GNIP Country Director Jae Choon Lee.
Through the support of various partners and donors, the fisherfolk were not just provided with fiberglass boats but were equipped with skills and knowledge of boat construction.
“I think ito yung isang magandang example na ‘pag lahat tayo nagtutulungan mas maganda yung outcome natin, kasi marami sa atin gusto natin tayo lang muna yung kikilos ta’s susundan tayo. We want to be the leader that everyone else want to follow pero during Odette ito yung parang example na lahat tayo will step up, dumating sila Good Neighbors, dumating si Metrobank, nakisawsaw kami (PDRF), tinaggap kami ng Candijay, tapos na-push natin yung mga programa natin. Pero napakarami po nating nailatag na programa because of this cooperation, this partnership that we’ve made overtime,” PDRF’s Head of Development PRograms and Innovations Unit Ms. Anna Katrina Aspuria.
(I think this is a good example that when we all work together, our outcome is better because many of us want to be the first to act and then others will follow. We want to be the leader that everyone else wants to follow, but during Odette, this is an example that we will all step up, Good Neighbors came, Metrobank came, we got involved (PDRF), Candijay welcomed us, then our programs were pushed through. But we have laid out so many programs because of this cooperation, this partnership that we’ve done overtime.)
Apart from this, they were also trained in Financial Literacy and Disaster Preparedness to establish a strong support system for livelihood activities and enhanced knowledge of disaster preparedness within the family.
“To my fellow fisher folks, I hope that whatever learnings imparted throughout the training attended by us being the recipient of the fiberglass boats, we will take good care of it, and we will use them in our daily fishing activities and will not use them for illegal fishing. That we will always be cooperative and united as a group so that we will be able to receive whatever programs are given by the NGOs because in an association much assistance will be obtained. It’s better to connect, cooperate, and most of all love one another to be able to attain the goal of success because this event today is a great opportunity for us, fisher folks, who already knew how to construct fiberglass boats and at the same time who also awarded the one we constructed,” Mr. Joseph Galagar, President of COAFA.
The Municipality of Candijay also expressed their gratitude to the partners and to GNIP for helping the community in Candijay especially in restoring the livelihood of the fisherfolk in Candijay.
GNIP is beyond grateful to the fisherfolks and to our partners and donors for putting in much time and effort in restoring the lives and livelihoods of families and communities in Candijay, Bohol.