DPWH acts to save seafood plant from erosion
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has approved the release of P20 million for the repair of the eroded embankment of the Dagupan-San Fabian river which is posing danger to the Dagupan Seafood Processing Plant in Barangay Bonuan Binloc.
Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia sought the funding from Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, noting that the river is now getting wider and inching close to the seafood processing plant built from a P100 million grant from the Korean government.
De Venecia inspected the site in one of her visits in Dagupan and was shocked to see the gravity of the situation.
Second Pangasinan Highway District Engineer Rodolfo Dion said the repair of the eroded embankment is expected to start next month.
FISH PORT
At the same time, De Venecia said she has filed a bill in Congress seeking to build a fish port in Dagupan that will complement the seafood processing plant.
She said though there are so many offshore fishing activities in Dagupan, particularly in Barangay Pantal, and there is no fish port where deep-sea fishing vessels can drop anchor to unload their catch.
She added that having a fish port will make Dagupan truly the Bangus Capital of the world.
STANDARDS PASSED
Meanwhile, Director Westly Rosario, interim manager of the Seafood Processing Plant, announced that the facility already passed the strict requirement of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
He said this was issued based on the monitoring conducted by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) when the plant resumed operations in May and processed 21 tons of milkfish.
BFAD has also issued an accreditation after observing the operation of the plant.
However, no further processing has been undertaken since the 21-ton batch, as raw materials are not available.
Local milkfish producers vowed to avail of the services of the plant when they harvest their fish.
The plant is still being managed by BFAR until a new memorandum of agreement among the Dagupan City government, BFAR and the Korean International Cooperation Agency which bankrolled the project.
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