FORMER Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno, who is attempting to snatch back the position he relinquished three years ago via election this May, is proposing for the creation of a city fisheries department separate of the city agriculture department.
Moreno made the vow in a meeting with close to a hundred fisherfolk from coastal barangays in the western part of the city March 12.
The former three-termer mayor said that the responsibility of the city agriculture office has become so broad in the past decade that it could not anymore juggle itself catering both the farming and fisheries sectors.
“Daghan na kaayo sila og trabaho tending to our farmers that oftentimes, dili na medyo maatiman ang atong mga mangingisda,” Moreno said.
The ex-mayor, who served a total of nine years, said the new city fisheries department would deal with fishermen from both the eastern and western coastal areas of Macajalar bay.
With this, Moreno suggested that fisherfolk associations be federated in each district.
“Mas sayon ug lig-on istoryahon kung mag-usa mo,” he told the fisherfolk who met him at a coastal spot in barangay Bonbon. These fishermen came all the way from Bayabas and Bulua. “Pero impractical man sad kung paanhion nato ang taga-Tablon diri so lahi pud sila nga federation didto.”
Moreno said the city government could fund the construction of a meeting place for each federation and other needs such as fishing gear.
One of the concerns aired by the fisherfolk is the existence of a common docking area which has not realized yet mostly due to land issues.
“Tanan butang mapangitaan og pamaagi. What is key here is teamwork. Let us not just involve City Hall ug ang mga kapitan sa barangay. Apilon usab nato ang national government, ang BFAR ug uban pa. Kurambos kini,” Moreno said.
The former mayor is also set to hold meetings with other stakeholders in the city.
