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The increased presence of the Philippine government in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) gives Filipino fisherfolk confidence to fish in the disputed waters, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Thursday, April 25.

During a televised media briefing aired on state-run PTV 4, BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said that so far there are over 300,000 Filipinos fishing in the WPS.

 “Nasa mahigit 300,000 ang bilang ng ating mangingisda sa West Philippine Sea. ‘Yung konteksto nung sinasabing nadaragdagan ang mga mangingisda, ito po ‘yung increased presence noong mga mangingisda na naiulat natin nitong mga nakaraang buwan doon sa Scarborough Shoal (The number of our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea is over 300,000. The context when it was said that fishermen are increasing, this is the increased presence of fishermen that we have reported in recent months at Scarborough Shoal),” he said.

“Kasi kung matatandaan natin, sunod-sunod ‘yung operations ng BFAR at nakita natin na kapag may presensya ang pamahalaan doon sa area, mas nagiging confident ang mga mangingisda na mangisda doon sa lugar dahil nakikita nila ang presensya ng pamahalaan (It can be recalled that BFAR has conducted consecutive operations at we found out that when the government has a presence in the area, the fishermen become more confident to fish in the area because they see the presence of the government),” he went on.

Amid the tension in the WPS, Briguera said various government agencies, such as the Philippine Coast Guard, are now working together to ensure the safety and protection of Filipino fishers.

“Well, ang usapin po kasi ng West Philippine Sea ay hindi lamang isang bagay na dapat i-address ng BFAR. Ito pong ginagawa natin should be whole-of-government approach na dapat po ay dapat magkakasama ang iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan para mas mabigyan po natin ng kaukulang suporta ang mga mangingisda at bahagi na po diyan ang pagbibgay sa kanila ng proteksyon (Well, the matter of West Philippine Sea is not only something that should be addressed by BFAR. What we are doing should be a whole-of-government approach wherein different government agencies work together so that we can give more appropriate support to the fishermen and giving them protection is part of that),” the BFAR spokesperson stated.

Meanwhile, Briguera confirmed that they have spotted Chinese Maritime militia in the Recto Bank during BFAR’s recent refueling mission.

“May mga presensya ng Chinese Maritime militia doon sa [Recto Bank] pero hindi naman nagkaroon ng insidente (There’s presence of Chinese Maritime militia in the Recto bank but there is no incident),” he said.

“Wala naman untoward incident na nangyari doon sa lugar so nakita na may presensya doon. So far, wala naman untoward incident (Nothing untoward occurred in the area where we saw them. So far, there’s nothing untoward).”

LAYAG-WPS

On April 16, the BFAR formally launched Livelihood Activities to Enhance Fisheries Yields and Economic Gains from the West Philippine Sea (LAYAG-WPS) in Subic, Zambales.

LAYAG-WPS seeks to enhance the quality of life for Filipino fishing communities that front the West Philippine Sea by utilizing the abundant resources of the fishing ground and promoting opportunities for fisheries as a means of subsistence in the regions of MIMAROPA (Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Central Luzon, and Ilocos.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has vowed to provide full support to the LAYAG-WPS.

During the launching, the BFAR turned over 62-footer Fiber Reinforced Plastic (RFP) vessels complete with modernized fishing equipment to select fisherfolk associations from Central Luzon and the Ilocos Region.

They also provided livelihood inputs such as gillnets to around 100 fisherfolk, while 50 women fisherfolk underwent post-harvest training and received post-harvest implements.

Earlier, BFAR had announced hat the Philippines has allocated at least P2.5 billion to purchase new floating assets to increase the government’s presence and accompany Filipino fishers in the WPS.

In July 2016, China’s nine-dash line claims in the South China Sea were rejected by an arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The case was brought by the Philippines based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

It can be recalled that Filipino fisherfolk have cried foul over the alleged harassment they experienced from foreign vessels while they were fishing in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough in 2021.

The PCG reported that a China Coast Guard ship (CCG) directed a military-grade laser light at a PCG vessel in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, West Philippine Sea on February 6, 2023.

In December 2023, a CCG ship fired a water cannon at BFAR vessels that were delivering supplies to fisherfolk communities in Bajo de Masinloc.

On February 18, the BFAR disclosed reports from Filipino fishers that Chinese fishermen are allegedly using cyanide to destroy Bajo de Masinloc in an apparent bid to discourage Filipinos from fishing in its waters.

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