BFAR eyes 5-year transition for seafood processing plant
A FIVE-YEAR transition period is all that is needed to make the newly completed RP/Dagupan-Korean Seafood Processing Plant in Bonuan Binloc sustainable.
This was the assessment of Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the Dagupan-based National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), who hailed a resolution of the Dagupan Sangguniagn Panglunsod temporarily transferring the control and supervision of the plant to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Outgoing Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. recently signed a memorandum of agreement between the city and BFAR.
Agriculture Secretary Bernie Fuendevilla, however, has yet to affix his signature for the DA- BFAR.
Under the agreement, BFAR will assume the budget of the plant for the next five years and the city government of Dagupan will not have to spend for anything, said Rosario.
The project will remain to be co-owned by the city government and BFAR.
Rosario also stressed that the BFAR cannot manage the plant forever, adding they will have to train personnel of the city government for an eventual turnover.
Rosario said without the five-year transition period, the processing plant financed from a P100 million grant from the South Korean government would become a white elephant.
The chief of the NIFTDC estimates that after one year, the plant will only be 30 percent sustainable; 70 percent in two years; and 100 per cent in three years.
Rosario also announced that per the advice of outgoing Second District Congressman Jose de Venecia Jr. and representatives of the Korean International Cooperation Agency, the grand opening and inauguration of the processing plant has been reset from July 21to August.
The postponement is in consideration of the schedule of President-elect Benigno Aquino III.
Rosario said the plant would also need to undergo two test runs before the inauguration.
Construction work for the plant is now 100 percent complete and all processing equipment are in place. However, work on the waste water plant by the city government is still ongoing.
The construction of a mini-port to serve deliveries for processing from western Pangasinan is also being planned -LM
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