By Liezelle Soriano
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is set to allocate confidential funds to bolster its monitoring efforts in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Earlier, BFAR National Director Demosthenes Escoto expressed his appreciation to the lawmakers for an increase in fund allocation, emphasizing that it will significantly improve their surveillance operations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
This statement comes in response to the House of Representatives announcement of plans to realign confidential funds and boost the budget for intelligence and security forces.
Escoto stated, “This initiative will empower our agency to fortify and enhance our existing monitoring, control, and surveillance activities in the WPS and other fishing areas, ensuring the sustainable utilization of our marine resources and safeguarding the livelihoods of our fisherfolk.”
He also added, “The DA-BFAR respects the wisdom of our lawmakers in assessing the necessity for budget augmentation.”
Senior Vice Chair Stella Luz Quimbo of the House Committee on Appropriations emphasized their commitment to “strengthening the guardians of the WPS” as their top priority.
“We are currently reviewing fund allocations across various agencies and rationalizing the use of confidential and intelligence funds. As of now, ten agencies have been affected,” Quimbo stated.
The lower house gave its approval to the proposed 2024 national budget totaling P5.768 trillion on September 27.(ai/mnm)
