7th Visayan Sea Summit Set on June 7

The 7th Visayan Sea Summit is set on June 7 in Cebu city as host of this year’s meeting. Ildefonso Toledo, department head of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office, will be the representative of the province of Iloilo in the summit.

According to Toledo, this year’s Visayan Sea summit will be the follow up of the different discussions during the past series of meetings hosted by Iloilo and Negros.

“This will be a follow up of the initiative on how to protect the resources of the Visayan Sea”, Toledo said.

Toledo also said that they are intensifying the province of Iloilo’s Bantay Dagat program with the other provinces of Negros, Cebu and Masbate expected to do the same.

Invited national agencies in the meeting include Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Command and other stakeholders that could help in the Visayan Sea.

In the meeting, they will also discuss the things that need to be done by the leadership of the four governors in managing well the Visayan Sea which is considered as one of the richest fishing grounds of the country.

Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., will be doing programs for the Sicogon Island and Gigantes Island in Northern Iloilo. Defensor has already visited the Sicogon Island and he has initial concept on how to develop the island because of its biodiversity.

Further, Gigantes Island has the great potential to be a tourist destination and the provincial agriculture is giving intervention on the proper management of the island to preserve its beauty.

“We will teach the people in the island on how to do container gardening and on how to make concoctions and organic fertilizer on their plantations for them to have a good harvest”, Toledo added.

Primarily, the provincial agriculture is teaching them to plant vegetables for their consumptions and business. (PNA) CTB/AJP/CBFERRER/VLO