“Every LGU should have fisheries staff,” BFAR-Kalinga OIC urges to open more employment opportunities to scholars

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Kalinga is urging local government units (LGUs) to create permanent positions for fisheries personnel to give graduates of the Fisheries Scholarship Program (FSP) more employment opportunities and strengthen local fisheries development.

Officer-in-Charge Provincial Fishery Officer Clifford L. Fernandez said LGUs need dedicated fisheries staff who can apply their specialized knowledge in developing the sector and serving fishing communities.

“Ti maysa nga purpose daytoy nga program, ket kayat mi koma nga every LGU ket ada koma ti permanent item da or staff da nga fisheries,” Fernandez said in an interview with Guru Press Cordillera on October 20.

Fernandez, himself a beneficiary of the scholarship program, said many graduates have been hired by BFAR after completing their studies, but he hopes local governments will also absorb fisheries scholars into their workforce.

He recalled that after graduating in 2016, he was hired by BFAR in August of the same year, initially as a job-order employee, before eventually securing a permanent position.

From only 10 scholarship slots across the Cordillera when he entered the program, the allocation has increased to 26 for School Year 2027-2031.

On October 10, a total of 218 applicants took the qualifying examination for the scholarship, competing for the 26 available slots in the region.

Fernandez said the program should not only help students complete their education and find employment but also ensure that their expertise reaches communities that need specialized fisheries services.

He cited Pasil, Kalinga, where a fisheries scholarship graduate has already been hired by the municipal government, as an example of how LGUs can provide career opportunities while giving greater attention to local fisheries programs.

“Uray kuna tayo nga agriculture graduate da ket sabali latta nu fisheries forte,” Fernandez said, emphasizing that fisheries graduates have specialized training that can help address the sector's distinct needs.

He added that having dedicated fisheries personnel in municipal governments would allow local officials to focus more on fisheries development and better serve communities dependent on aquatic resources.

Fernandez hopes more LGUs will follow Pasil's example by creating permanent fisheries positions, allowing scholarship graduates to contribute their knowledge and skills to local development.