Ilocos region: A total of 1,713 fishermen across the Ilocos Region have received a PHP3,000 fuel subsidy each from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as of April 20. This initiative comes as a relief amid the rising fuel prices affecting the sector.

According to Philippines News Agency, the distribution of the subsidy was confirmed by Jamille Anne Estolas, the information unit head of BFAR 1 (Ilocos Region), during a phone interview on Tuesday. She reported that the fishermen received the subsidy through their cash cards. The breakdown of beneficiaries includes 94 in Ilocos Norte, 316 in Ilocos Sur, 296 in La Union, and 1,007 in Pangasinan.

Martin Allayban, the officer-in-charge of the training division of BFAR-1, mentioned in an online forum that more than 20,000 fisherfolk have registered in the region. He emphasized that the registration under BoatR, a national program aimed at completing the nationwide registration of municipal fishing vessels and gear, is ongoing. This program operates under Executive Order 305, series of 2004, and the Philippine Fisheries Code.

Allayban highlighted that 80 percent of those registered under BoatR received fuel subsidies last year and are eligible for another subsidy this year through a "top-up" mechanism. The Department of Budget and Management has approved a PHP150 million budget for the government's fuel subsidy program targeting the agriculture sector. Of this amount, PHP100 million has been disbursed to the Department of Agriculture, with PHP50 million designated for farmers and PHP50 million for fishers.