SENATORIAL candidate Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino yesterday pushed for government support to the oyster industry to boost production and income of oyster farmers.
Aquino said he had a consultation meeting with oyster growers from Barangay Dos in Ilog, Negros Occidental who lamented what they said was a lack of government support when their livelihood was affected by typhoon “Odette” in 2021.
He said that according to the oyster farmers, the government merely sent them relief food packs.
He said the growers were able to recover from their losses after the private sector provided them with bamboos, drums, and ropes which they used to rebuild their oyster farms.
“Maganda rin kung may support mula sa gobyerno, yung DTI dapat sila ang tumutulong sa mga nag-nenegosyo na nagkaka-problema (It would have been better if they were given support by the government, including assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry which is in-charge of businesses having problems),” Aquino said.
Aquino said the government can tap the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in teaching and training oyster growers innovative methods to grow more oysters.
Negros Occidental is one of the country’s biggest producers of oysters. In 2020, the province harvested around 1,400 metric tons of oysters.
