National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya emphasized the importance of securing maritime security in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to attain national security.
During the conduct of the second country’s fisherfolk congress in Coron, Palawan on November 28, Malaya said that attaining security in aspects of maritime, food, energy, and environmental is vital to having economic security.
The congress dubbed “Kongreso ng mga Mangingisda sa Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran” was joined by 200 fishermen from indigenous communities in Coron, Busuanga, Culion, and Linapacan towns.
“Itong aming ginagawa na Kongreso ng mga Mangingisda, ang dahilan nito ay bigyang-diin na ang pambansang seguridad o national security ay hindi hiwalay sa seguridad ng ating karagatan. Ang pagkakaroon ng maritime security ay kaugnay sa ating hangarin na magkaroon ng pambansang seguridad sa pagkain,” he said.
The congress not only aims to inform fishermen of the government policies and actions to protect the West Philippine Sea but also deter aggressive acts and unlawful presence inside the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
It also gave a platform for fishermen to express their concerns about fishing, such as limitations with municipal water and their ancestral waters.
This is a follow-up to the congress held in Subic, Zambales, last September, to visit all areas where fishermen are facing the WPS.
The council plans to bring the other agencies in the next congress, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to also help fishermen in forming cooperatives.
Regional Director Roberto Abrera of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) MIMAROPA encouraged the fishermen to register themselves in the Municipal Fisherfolk Registration System (FishR) and the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
These systems will enable them to access various forms of assistance, including the provision of 62-foot fishing vessels to chosen groups or associations.
Abrera has not yet confirmed the precise number but initially stated that there are approximately six to seven 62-foot fishing vessels available in the region.
“Ayaw natin na saka kayo gagawa ng cooperative kapag nandyan na ang bangka. Dapat may financial capability muna kayo—Bantayan natin ang municipal waters para maprotektahan natin ang ating West Philippine Sea,” he said.
The bureau also launched its regional Livelihood Activities to Enhance Fisheries Yields and Economic Gains (LAYAG)—WPS—alongside the Congress to help raise the production and capability of fishermen across the country.
Under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also provided the participants with financial assistance totaling P10,000 each.
“Walang sino man na tao pwedeng magsabi na ito ay galing sa kaniya. Galing ang assistance sa national government, ipinadaan lamang sa DSWD,” said DSWD MIMAROPA Regional Director Leonardo Reynoso.
Malaya, on the other hand, visited the BFAR’s monitoring, control, and surveillance station in Northern Palawan located at Sitio Carbon, Brgy. Lajala, Coron to gather updates on its operation.
The BFAR explained that the site serves as an important impounding area for confiscated fishing vessels involved in both international and domestic operations, which have committed violations such as poaching. It is also the most accessible and strategic site for monitoring, particularly in WPS. (RG/ PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
