By Henry Empeño | November 14, 2026

IBA, Zambales — A 96-foot steel-hulled fishing vessel, designed to jumpstart modernization of the local fishing industry and sustain fisherfolk’s livelihood, is being primed for delivery by the Zambales provincial government early next year.

Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said the vessel, named FV Zambales II, is now in the final stages of construction at the Stoneworks Specialist International Corp. boatyard in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

“It’s already 80 percent complete, and what remains to be done are the finishing touches,” Ebdane said after inspecting the ongoing construction on Thursday, November 12.

“We want to have the boat ready for the start of the summer fishing season, so we’re checking up on the construction to ensure that the specifications and the timetable are met,” he added.

The vessel, which will serve as a harvester or “mother boat” for the payao fishing project initiated by the provincial government in late 2024 under the Zambales Maritime Development Council (ZMDC), will complete a five-vessel package intended for local fisherfolk.

The provincial government already delivered three other fishing boats under the ZMDC project: two fiberglass-hulled 45-foot fishing boats, the FV Zambales III and FV Zambales IV, and a 62-foot harvester vessel christened FV Zambales I.

The 45-foot fishing boats will serve as ancillary vessels to gather catch from “payaos,” which are fish-aggregating devices (FADs) anchored in open sea.

Another vessel, the MV Province of Zambales, was delivered last January for use in patrol operations in waters off the province.

Ebdane said the payao project directly addresses the difficulty faced by local fishermen who increasingly face hazards in eking out a livelihood in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid bullying by the Chinese militia.

“This project seeks to provide small-scale fishermen with a competitive edge, so that they can safely go out in the WPS, have a better harvest, and provide more for their family and the community,” he said.

Engr. Domingo Mariano, head of the ZMDC Technical Working Group (TWG), said FV Zambales II will be powered by twin diesel engines and equipped with an ice maker and a desalination system. It will also have adequate storage holds for weeklong fishing trips normally undertaken by payao fishers.

Mariano said the builder, with approval from ZMDC-TWG, has incorporated technical inputs from members of the Zambales Provincial Fishermen’s Association (ZPFA) into the design of the five vessels. The ZFPA, a federation of 10 local fisherfolk groups, will eventually operate and manage the fishing fleet.

To prepare local fishers for the fishing operation, the provincial government is also training ZPFA members to serve as fishing vessel crew.

Ebdane said the training is required as the vessels will be registered with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), which regulates safety standards and documents Philippine-listed fishing boats.

Ebdane also encouraged the ZPFA to formally form a fisherfolk cooperative so it can avail of government capacity-building training on managing and operating the fishing business.

Leonardo Cuaresma, ZPFA vice chairman and president of the New Masinloc Fishermen Association, said one batch of ZPFA members had completed training courses with the MARINA and the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in San Narciso, Zambales.

These included 26 boat captains and six mechanics who had received seafarer’s certification from the training, Cuaresma said. ▲