Romblon fish ban forces residents to eat pet dog - report

MANILA, Philippines - A resident in the town of San Fernando in Sibuyan Island, Romblon where MV Princess of the Stars capsized on Friday admitted that he and his neighbors have eaten his pet dog, a television report said. The admission was made by dog owner, Rommel Gadia, who said that P50 a day which he and his friends could earn from a government program was not enough for them to live. “Sa presyo ng bihilin ngayon yun P50 isang bagay lang ang mabibili nun… sa gamot lang mahigit na P30 ang gamot dito," he said. Government earlier vowed to release P50 million in assistance for the twon but the mayor says this would not be enough as damage estimate has been placed by the town mayor at P280 million. For its part, the Department of Agriculture said that it would be launching a food-for-work program where residents affected by the fish ban would be paid P50 per day if they plant seedlings. Other residents also doubt government’s other promises like the three kilos of rice everyday which had been promised for the affected families. “Baka pangako lang yun Ngayon nga, hindi araw-araw…ngayon namin kailangan yun. Kailan pa yun darating? Beverly Vicente asked. The islanders' woes were contained in a story aired by GMA News' 24 Oras on Friday. The report also said that local officials of San Fernando are set to lead the filing of a class suit against Sulpicio Lines Inc. for the trouble it brought to the livelihood of town residents who are mostly fishermen. San Fernando Mayor Nanette Tansingco met with 12 village officials Friday morning to map out their plans on the class suit case. The plan to file a class suit came after Sulpicio promised the town mayor that the firm will pay for damages - from retrieval to the burying of the dead - caused by the incident. “Ano man ang nagagastos natin hindi ko ‘yan ire-reimburse because we are preparing a class suit. Syempre baka sabihin ng Sulpicio Line nabayaran na tayo," the town mayor told the village chieftains. Mabini village chairman Samuel Roda, said they all agreed to support the class suit to give justice to their constituents who got affected of the fish ban. “Talagang napag-usapan namin na lahat kami ay pipirma sa class suit…titingnan muna namin ang nilalaman. Dapat win-win solution ang kailangan namin dito sa lugar naming," he said. The town, which survives on fishing and is located near the spot where the MV Princess of the Stars capsized, has borne the brunt of the government-imposed fish ban. The ban was imposed over fears that 10 metric tons of the toxic pesticide endosulfan on board the ship might leak into the waters of Romblon. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV