This Act provides for the establishment, under the supervision of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (BFAR-DA), of a technology verification station with tilapia and freshwater prawn hatcheries in the Municipality of Sto. Domingo, Province of Nueva Ecija. Prior to its establishment, BFAR-DA shall conduct a full-scale feasibility study in support of the construction of the facility. Within two years following construction, management of the station and hatcheries shall be transferred to the local government of Sto. Domingo through a memorandum of agreement, accompanied by a training and phasing-in programme for local government personnel. BFAR-DA shall undertake continuing research and experimentation on the breeding and production of tilapia and freshwater prawn species, particularly under local conditions, with a view to developing methods and technologies that enhance the fishing industry. The Secretary of Agriculture shall incorporate the feasibility study and establishment of the facilities into the Department's programmes, with funding included in the General Appropriations Act. The concerned local government unit shall also allocate funds from available local revenue for the operation of the station and hatcheries. The Act further requires the Secretary of Agriculture to issue implementing rules and regulations governing the supervision, operation, monitoring and eventual transfer of the facilities to the local government.
Philippines · 2022-05-27