The World Bank  1^st Review and Supervision Mission team conducted a field visit  in the Brgy. Tortosa, Manapla, Negros Occidental for the Small Livelihood Project (SLP), Rehabilitation of Equipment for Blue Swimming Crab Enterprise of Tortosa Pumpboat Association.

During the dialogue,  the association expressed that at least Six  (6) pump boats owned by the association members were damaged at the height f super typhoon Yolanda (Hiyan) on November 9, 2013.

The Swimming Blue Crab Enterprise is their existing livelihood opportunity. Their produce were sold to one of the  crab meat processing plants in Manapla.

The association treasurer shown to the World Bank Head of Mission  Carolina F. Geron and RED Larry P. Nacionales and DPD Arnel De Mesa their Rural Bank pass book with P50,000 deposited on January 22, 2015.

DPD Arnel De Mesa recommended to the association to establish an account with the Land Bank of the Philippines rather than with the Rural Bank. De Mesa said, there were several cases in  Mindanao that depositors of Rural Bank were not able to withdraw their deposits when the Rural Banks were ordered foreclosed.

The total project cost is P500,000.00, which will be cost-shared by WB, PLGU and the proponent group.  There will be 51 (M-32; F 10) beneficiaries for the project.  This SLP aims to recover their means of livelihood. A stock en-hancement endeavor introduced by the association to its member in which live berried blue swimming crab caught by fisherfolks are placed in the crab enhancement cage area, allowing them to spawn their eggs back to the sea to sustain stock population. Moreover, to sustain the fish catch/production, members established a mangrove nursery to sustain their mangrove reforestation in the area.