Amidst the pandemic presently experienced by the country and affecting
everyone in the process, member-associations of the South Cotabato
Purse-Seiners Association (SOCOPA) initiated a move to support the national
government’s relief goods distribution by giving out fish to all Barangays.
Dominic R. Salazar, SOCOPA president, stressed the need to assist every
Filipino whose life was altered by the pandemic. Salazar underscored the
Fishing Industry can help put food on the table of the targeted beneficiaries.
As agreed on the same meeting called for the purpose, each
member-association would donate boxes of fish to Frontliners in recognition of
their tireless work and sacrifice.
For the month of April 2020, SOCOPA member-associations released a total
of 108 boxes of fish to military and police Frontliners which include the
Bureau of Quarantine, Philippine National Police (PNP), Joint Task Force
GenSan, Philippine Army Reservist Group, PNP-Special Action Force, and through
other partners like Brigada Group of Companies and Batang Star Philippines,
Inc.
For the month of May 2020, SOCOPA member-associations targeted all 26
Barangays of General Santos City as recipients of the relief goods. As of the
2nd week June 2020, out of 26 barangays, 21 Barangays have been covered. A
total of 96 boxes of fish have been distributed.
On June 22, 2020, SOCOPA officers and members agreed during another meeting to sustain the relief goods distribution to the remaining 5 Barangays of General Santos City.
The fish distribution of SOCOPA concluded on July 7, 2020. The total
number of boxes distributed has reached 308.
According to Jun, a traysikad (pedicab) driver, of Purok
Bagong Silang, Barangay Labangal in General Santos City, “The distributed fish helped
a lot to provide food on the table for his family”. He further said the present
situation especially for him as traysikad driver is hard particularly on
sustaining his family’s daily needs. He is very thankful to the people who kept
on helping everyone quietly.
Meanwhile, for Helen B. Javines, Purok Chairperson of Bagong Silang in
Labangal, General Santos city, “The fish that came from SOCOPA helped
individuals assigned at checkpoints”. “The Barangay COVID-19 Control Force
volunteers are very thankful because in spite of the crisis, there are still
individuals who are willing to extend help”, said Javines.
