The Mindanao Daily Mirror

FOCUS MDM

P4 SATURday | march 9, 2019

By EDWIN G. ESPEJO

Go vows to continue Duterte’s campaign vs drugs, crime, corruption

MASS BASE. Senatorial candidate Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go meets with supporters outside the Olivarez College Coliseum in Parañaque City on Wednesday.

PARAÑAQUE CITY – Former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) and aspiring senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go reaffirmed his commitment to continue President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, crime, and corruption.

Alongside fellow members of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) political party, Go spoke at HNP’s rally held at the Olivarez College Coliseum in Parañaque City, reiterating to the crowd in Parañaque that he follows Duterte’s lead in attaining a better Philippines for the next generation.

“Alam po ninyo, galit po si Pangulong Duterte

sa mga kriminal, galit din po ako sa mga kriminal. Galit si Pangulong Duterte sa mga kurap na opisyal (ng gobyerno), galit din po ako sa mga kurap na opisyal (ng gobyerno). Galit si Pangulong Duterte sa durogista, galit din po ako sa durogista,” he said.

Go delved deeper as to why he and President Duterte see eye to eye on government action towards the sale and use of illegal drugs.

“Layuan natin ang droga. Mayroon kemikal na hinalo diyan para sirain ang utak ng Pilipino kaya ganoon na lamang kagalit ang Pangulo (sa paggamit at pagbebenta ng bawal ng gamot),” he said.

Go related the story

of how Duterte fired a government official who had been proven to be corrupt even though the official had helped him during the campaign in 2016.

“Maghiwa-hiwalay na tayo dahil interes dapat ng bayan muna ang dapat manaig bago ang interes ng sarili o kaibigan.’ Ganoon po si Pangulong Duterte. Galit po talaga si Pangulong Duterte sa kurapsyon,” he said.

Go said if he makes it to the Senate, he will propose laws that would strengthen the campaign against drugs, crime, and corruption. He said he will also promote sports development so that the youth will not be tempted to use and sell drugs.

Gensan fish landings up, reach 10-year high

Photo by Edwin G. Espejo

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Total fish landings at the country’s second largest fishing port complex drama-tically grew by 17 percent although local fish production slightly fell by -0.01 per cent last year, according to the latest statistics provided by the Philippine Fishing Development Authority here.

A record total of 247,637.20 metric tons were landed at the fishing port complex in General Santos City last year, up from 210,760.85 metric tons in 2017.

The 2018 figures saw the largest spike in frozen fish landings since local tuna manufacturers and processors began importing frozen tuna more than a decade ago.

Last year’s frozen fish landings were up by 38,279.53 MT from 2017 of which 31,577.56 MT were brought in by foreign vessels.

Of the frozen fish landings, 6,701.97MT were landed by Manila-based

fishing companies.Frozen imports rose by

37 percent during the same period.

Total fish landings in General Santos City however continue its upward trend over the last 10 years.

In 2010, total fish landings were just 143,139.17 metric tons compared to the 2018 figure of 247,637.20 MT.

But local fish landing was marginally down last year, from 107,368.86 MT in 2017 to just 105,965.68 MT last year after a decade of continued growth.

Rosanna Contreras of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industry (SFFAI) said the spike in frozen imports was driven by increased demands from local canning plants.

“We see this as a positive sign and maximizing the capacities of our canning plants,” Contreras said.

She said local productions are no longer meeting the high volume of fresh tuna

landings needed to sustain the operations of local canning plant.

More than 85 percent of total fish landings at the General Santos City fishing port complex are yellow fin and tuna-like species, earning the city the moniker as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines.

Six of the country’s eight tuna canning plants are located in this southern port city where more than 80 percent of the tuna landings are canned and processed for export.

The SFFAI executive director said conservation measures have helped boost local tuna landings.

The country, in com-pliance to the conservation measures instituted by the 26-nation member Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, has been closing its fishing grounds for tuna fishing from July to October each year to allow highly-migratory tuna fish species to replenish their stocks.