Catanduanes Forum

December 31,2008 -Catanduanes Tribune-Top Stories

The caretaker of the Catanduanes Crab Center has denounced a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for his "speculative" outbursts in the local print media regarding the alleged failure of the center and continuous poaching and smuggling of crablets out of the province.

A fuming Greg Tan lashed back at PBM Neil Azansa, author and proponent of Provincial Ordinance No. 004-2008 establishing the Catanduanes Crab Center, by saying that the PBM doesn’t seem to know what he is blabbering about the ordinance he himself authored.

Tan said that Azansa has been airing lies and speculative statements in the local media without thinking of its possible negative effect on the implementation and operation of the center.

He added that the PBM has been blaming him for every imaginable failure and has been after his neck since the center began operation in Palnab, Virac on November 20, 2008. "He is even blaming me for the continuous poaching and smuggling of crablets out of the province which is not within my sphere of work," Tan said.

"If ever", the caretaker added, "it should be Azansa who should be faulted because as the author of the ordinance, why did he not secure its implementation with safety measures?"

Tan said he could not understand why, after barely a month of operation and without even checking if the center is making any money or not, Azansa already wants the operation suspended.

Tan said that the center has already made a little over P40,000 in that short period. He bared that the governor would like to save the amount as seed money to be loaned out to local prospective crablet traders or future grow-out fatteners.

The governor, he said further, would like to encourage Catandunganons to engage in this business which ultimately will prove to be a much better and bigger revenue producer than the abaca industry.

He also explained that this amount is not even ten (10%) percent of the expected crablet trading revenue if all crablets will be channeled to the center and if crablet poaching will be totally eliminated. Ninety eight (98%) per cent of the province’s crablet catch still go to illegal traders who even spend the night in the homes of local poachers in pursuing their nefarious activities’ Tan disclosed.

In response, Governor Joseph C. Cua interrupted his vacation and called on his staff to prepare memoranda and letters of instructions to all concerned officers and employees of the provincial government to cancel their personal activities and attend an emergency huddle for the creation of a task force that will apprehend on sight all ready-to-sell crablets and to arm each team with receipts and cash payments for all the crablets that will be "confiscated".

Cua said that he will not enforce the penalty provisions for those who will be caught but on the other hand, the catch will be fully paid according to the price specified in the ordinance.

"No confiscation, no imprisonment for the time being", the governor said, guaranteeing that the policy will gradually teach the people that it is also important that they should cooperate and work with their government for a change.

"Besides", Gov. Cua argued, "this will provide this specific group of our citizenry the opportunity to have a change of character and avoid living in ignominy by being publicly identified as a poacher".

The provincial administration said the time has come for every Catandunganon to consider a change in their person, in their character and prove to the rest of the Filipinos that they are also capable of maintaining respectability. The governor expressed high hopes that the task force that will be formed will live up to realize the dream of truly establishing this province as the crab center of the country.

"Aanhon mo pa yan Gabon..kon Natunok ka na nin Hararom".

http://www.seafdec.org.ph/commodities/mudcrab_hatchery.html
"Aanhon mo pa yan Gabon..kon Natunok ka na nin Hararom".

from Bicol Peryodiko Online

Malawakang pagpupuslit ng crablets, ibinunyag ng alkalde
Written by Vince Villar at Marlon Suplig
Viga, Catanduanes – Ibinunyag ni Mayor Abelardo Abundo ng Viga ang patuloy na pagpupuslit ng mga crablets mula sa tinaguriang crablets capital sa mga bayan ng Bagamanoc, Panganiban at Viga sa lalawigang ito.

Ayon kay Mayor Abundo, lumalabas na walang ngipin ang Ordinansang nagbabawal sa pagpupuslit ng mga crablets na pinandayan ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan at mga Sanggunian ng tatlong bayan.

Una nang nasagap ng alkalde ang impormasyong dalawang beses umano sa isang buwan bumibiyahe ng crablets ang ilang runner papalabas ng lalawigan sakay ng ferryboat at ang pinakahuli ay sinasakay na ito sa eroplano.

Lingid sa kaalaman ng mga otoridad isinalaysay ng alkalde na malimit umanong pinupuslit ang mga crablets mula sa bayan ng Viga at mga kalapit lugar sa pamamagitan ng single motorcycle na inilalagay sa backpack. Ayon umano sa mga nanghuhuli (catchers) ng mga crablets sa kanilang bayan ay meron itong permit mula sa gobernador.

Noong Nobyembre 17 nitong nakaraang buwan, nang magtungo si Abundo sa Maynila sakay ng Philippine Airlines, dito nakasabay ng alkalde ang mismong tauhan ni Gobernador Joseph Cua na merong dalang mga crablets na nakasilid sa kahon. Hindi muna pinangalanan ng alkalde ang tauhan ng gobernador at ito umano ay naka-assign mismo sa Palnab na siyang care-taker sa ginawang fattening area ng lalawigan

Sa Memorandum of Agreement ng tatlong bayan, meron umanong pisong (1) share ang munisipyo sa bawat crablet na ibabiyahe papalabas ng viga, subalit sa puntong ito, walang mapapala ang kanilang bayan dahil hindi umano pinapaalam sa kanila, kaya’t hindi nila namomonitor ang mga transactions.

Kaugnay nito, mariing kuwenistyon ni Abundo ang legalidad ng provincial Ordinance hinggil sa pagbibyahe ng mga crablets papalabas sa lalawigan na halos hindi pinapakialaman ng mga otoridad.

Samantala, sinuportahan naman nina Mayor Odilon Pascua ng Bagamanoc at Mayor Gregorio Angeles ng Panganiban ang pagbubunyag at ginawang pagbatikos ni Mayor Abundo sa talamak na illegal na pagpapalabas ng mga crablets sa lalawigan.

Ayon sa dalawang alkalde, sa ganitong sitwasyon anila unti-unting pinapatay ang kabuhayan ng mga fisherfolks sa kanilang mga bayan na kinikilalang sentrong pinagkukunan ng naturang produkto.

Bukod dito, kinuwestyon din ng dalawa ang Ordinansang ipinasa ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan kamakailan na bukod sa hindi sila kinunsulta ay komokontra umano ito sa kanilang mga local ordinances na ipinasa.

Partikular na tinukoy ni Mayor Angeles ang pagpapatayo ng Crab Center sa Palnab, Virac na binabayaran pa ng probinsiya samantalang mayroon namang 12 hectares na pag-aari sa Tarahid, Panganiban na matagal ng nakatiwangang at di nagagamit.

Kung seryoso umano ang programang matulungan sila sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalakas ng produksyon, bakit hindi na lang aniya ito isagawa sa kanilang mga bayan kung saan mas makakatipid pa ng gastos ang probinsiya.

Sa payo kadakor yan mga ikan dyan mga private fishponds.Ano daw kon tabangan mag gibo nin Proyekto yan mga alkalde ta sa bilog na Catanduanes na mag tukdo nin LIvelihood program tungkol sa MUdcrab Production,buko man sana yan na puro ikan fishpond ang pwede dyan ,kundi gabos na Catandunganons. Midbid na yan Banwa ta tungkol sa KINIs.pwede yan na atamanon sa mga enclosed cages na harani sa mga higad ni suba na ikan mga mangroves.Yan ako ,,tabang lamang nin mga munisipyo para sa mag akababanwa ta.

"Aanhon mo pa yan Gabon..kon Natunok ka na nin Hararom".

Baad yan Kinis sa ato kurang pa yan experience.Maluya pa yan Mentalidad.Mai pa magayon na bado.Maitom pa.
Piga ethnic-cleansing na yan sa Virac.nganing mag mahar na.Dapat panoyan gakod nin kinis ta bukong TIGOR,kundi NYLON na nganing SOSYAL..Baa bagaano na daw yan pag binakar mo na oi?

masiram yan kinis hare sa viga payo bagamanoc. naka namit na ako nin kinis sa palnab, magnesia iba man yan namit. kaya dapat cguro na sa norte na sana padakuroon yo mga crablets.

DOLE helps in Catanduanes crab meat production
November 13, 2008 5:44 pm by pna
VIRAC, Catanduanes, Nov. 13 — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Bicol recently launched Project Crablets or crab meat production in the island province of Catanduanes.
DOLE-Bicol regional director Ernesto C. Bihis pledged to the townsfolk they would find ways to channel more funds for Catanduanes in support to the provincial government's commitment in strengthening its people's earning capacity.
"We will definitely help Catanduanes to be the crab capital of the Philippines," Bihis said.
He recalled that crab meat production in Camarines Norte first gained popularity in 2006 when an organization in the province started to export its produce to other parts of the country.
However, it was discovered that an abundant source of "crablets", where crab meat is derived, was found in Catanduanes, where Camarines Norte also got its raw material.
The provincial government of Catanduanes, headed by Governor Joseph Cua, mapped the island and identified three barangays as the crabs' source.
The governor provided a common service area or 'bagsakan' for the catchers.
A provincial ordinance was also put in place, preventing catchers from selling or smuggling the crablets to outside buyers.
Bihis said the governor wanted that all catch be brought to the provincial government bagsakan.
Through the initiative of the provincial government, DOLE-Bicol has seen the benefit of a fund grant to improve the technology for crab meat production.
"This project would definitely generate additional income to the constituents and will actually increase employment," Bihis explained.
He instructed the DOLE provincial officer of Catanduanes to expedite the feasibility study for funding purpose and for the immediate release of fund. (PNA)
Aanhon pa yan Gabon....kon Matunok Hararom.