‘Frank,’ ‘Princess’ knock down Romblon economy

MANILA, Philippines - The twin blows delivered by typhoon "Frank" and the capsizing of the MV Princess of the Stars have wrought extensive damage to Romblon's economy, leaving local residents hard-pressed to meet even their basic needs. A radio report said according to Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap, many residents could not even buy low-priced rice supplied by the National Food Authority (NFA) after the collapse of the province's fishing industry. A fishing ban was imposed in Romblon last Friday over fears of pesticide poisoning after the capsized MV Princess of the Stars was found to be carrying a 10-metric ton shipment of endosulfan - a pesticide used in pineapple plantations. “Alam mo ang NFA dito nagbobomba ng bigas, walang bumibili e dahil walang pera ang tao. Ang buong ekonomiya ng Romblon dependent po ito sa fishing industry (You know, the NFA here are pouring out rice but no one’s buying because the people have no money. The entire economy of Romblon is dependent on the fishing industry)," a radio dzXL report quoted Yap as saying. “Talagang knocked down din ang local government dito e (The local government is really knocked down)," he added. In the interview, Yap said the national government is finding ways to help revive Romblon’s economy. “Lahat ng mga magsasakang nangangailangan ng assistance, mga rice seeds na gustong magtanim kaagad pinabibigay na po namin, mga vegetable seeds rin (All farmers who need assistance, we’ve given them rice seeds. We are giving them vegetable seeds as well)," Yap said. “Imagine mo naman e itong Romblon 30 minutes lang to sa Boracay ang gulay dito galing pa sa Divisoria (Just imagine, Romblon is only 30 minutes away from Boracay but the vegetables here come all the way from Divisoria)," he added. Effects of the fishing ban are not only felt in Romblon. Trade Secretary Zenaida Maglaya had earlier said in an interview that fish prices in Metro Manila markets went down by P10 to P20 due to the scare caused by the ban. Last Monday, fish dealers at the Navotas fish port also attributed slow sales to the fishing ban. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV