MBTF orders demolition of all fish pens anew
LATEST DEADLINE: OCTOBER 30
MAYOR Belen T. Fernandez issued what she described as her final order to the Task Force Bantay Ilog to remove all illegal structures from the city’s river system up to October 30 this year, whether these are stocked with bangus fingerlings or not.
“We will no longer allow anyone to release any fingerling in their fish structures after the deadline. No more humanitarian consideration and no more surreptitious release of fingerlings will be allowed”, said City Agriculture officer Emma J. Molina in an interview after the flag-raising ceremony on Monday at the City Plaza.
In her message during the flag-raising ceremony, City Administrator Farah Marie G. Decano warned the Task Force Bantay Ilog about failing to meet the deadline set by Mayor Fernandez for the dismantling of all illegal structures that still operate in the main rivers and their tributaries in the city.
“Do not give us an excuse that the owner’s of a fish structure was not demolished because it is still filled with fingerlings. The mayor has already given them enough time until October 30 within which to harvest their stocks,” Decano told members of the Task force.
Molina assured that from the time the mayor made the pronouncement, the City Agriculture’s Office and the Bantay Ilog have been strictly monitoring all fish pen within the navigational lane, giving the owner and operators a verbal notice and a letter of notice warning them of not releasing anymore fingerlings in their structure.
“There were a number who still tried to release fingerlings in their structures upon hearing the deadline set by the mayor but we did not allow them anymore. If it happens that on October 30, we will see fingerlings in their structures, we will have no option but to release them to the river and demolish their structure for good,” said Molina.
Molina said that after the deadline, the city will start with the massive cleanup of the rivers as the city’s newly purchased backhoe is arriving soon.
At present, six of the 10 big structures along the navigational lane are being watched by the city while 60 titled fishponds are under verification by the City Assessor’s Office. (JCB_CIO)
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