SECTION 1. There shall be established, under the supervision of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (BFAR-DA), a freshwater multispecies hatchery and research center, to be known as the Lanao del Norte Freshwater Aquaculture Center in the Municipality of Balo-i, Province of Lanao del Norte.

SEC. 2. The Lanao del Norte Freshwater Auaculture Center and the BFAR-DA shall conduct continuing research and experimentation on the breeding and production of freshwater species, especially as they apply to local conditions, to discover new methods and technology that shall benefit the freshwater aquaculture industry.

SEC. 3. There shall be established a Local Advisory Council that shall provide direction for the Center and facilitate the exchange of information among the Center and the stakeholders. The Council shall be composed of the BFAR Director for Region 10 as Chairperson, the President of the Municipal Mayors League of Lanao del Norte, the Mayor of the Municipality of Balo-i, and three (3) representatives from the local fisheries sector to be appointed by the Governor as members.

SEC. 4. The Center shall disperse fry and fingerlings in public bodies of water in such intervals as may be recommended by the Local Advisory Council. It may also sell such fry and fingerlings to individual organized fish farmers ar prevailing market prices.

SEC. 5. The BFAR-DA shall transfer the management of the Center to the local government of the Municipality of Balo-i within two (2) years after its establishment through a memorandum of agreement. The BFAR-DA shall implement training and phasing-in program for local government personnel on the management and operation of the Center.

SEC. 6. The Secretary of Agriculture shall include in the Department's program the establishment of the Lanao del Norte Freshwater Aquaculture Center in the Municipality of Balo-i, Province of Lanao del Norte, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. The local government units concerned shall set aside funds from any available local revenue in an amount deemed appropriate for the operationalization of this Center.

SEC. 7. Within sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue the rules and regulations on the breeding, propagation and distribution of fries and fingerlings, the supervision, monitoring and the eventual transfer of the Center to the local government of the Municipality of Balo-i.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,
 

(SGD.) VICENTE C. SOTTO III             President of the Senate

(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO            Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines on May 28, 2019 and June 3, 2019, respectively.

 

(SGD.) MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA             Secretary of the Senate

(SGD.) DANTE ROBERTO P. MALING             Acting Secretary General House of Representatives

Approved: AUG 22 2019

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
    President of the Philippines