PAGBABAGO

The month of May is National Heritage Month, established through Presidential Proclamation 439 in 2023 for the purpose of “creating among the people a consciousness, respect, and love for the legacies of the nation’s cultural history.”  The purpose is not merely to make people aware of museums and centers of art and culture,  but also to acknowledge the value and contribution of various ethnic cultures and indigenous peoples. 

During this month we are encouraged to visit places like the baroque churches in the country, the town of Vigan, Banaue Rice Terraces, the Tubbataha Reefs, Fort Santiago, and the Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental, among others.  But more than that, we are encouraged to learn about our shared identity by passing on stories of our ancestors to our children,  participation  in historical enactments, as well as learning  traditional dances and handicrafts. 

May is also a time of festivals when most provinces celebrate events such as Flores de Mayo and  Santacruzan, a religious festival in honor of the Blessed Virgin.  There is the annual Pahiyas, a colorful display of “kiping”  or colorful and decorative rice wafers, as well as fruits, vegetables and various  agricultural products in the towns of Lucban and Sariaya, Quezon; the Pista y Dayat, a thanksgiving   festival for the bounty of the sea  in Lingayen and  Dagupan, Pangasinan; the Magayon festival, a month-long celebration of the beauty and culture of Albay province. There is the Pulilan Carabao festival in Angono, Rizal; the Obando Fertility Rites in Bulacan;  and the annual Antipolo pilgrimage. 

While fisherfolk in several regions of our country gather to celebrate the gift of the ocean,  their counterparts in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) continue to suffer from harassment by Chinese vessels. 

To help address the plight of fisherfolk in the WPS, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) had launched a project that seeks to improve livelihood opportunities for fisherfolk in the area. Under the 370-kilometer economic  zone, the WPS will have fuel subsidies, new fishing tools and post-harvest equipment and other livelihood  programs.  Pagasa fishermen received P5 million worth of livelihood assistance – from fishing related tools and equipment including a 30-foot fiberglass boats, blast freezers, and fishing paraphernalia. The UP Marine Institute estimated the value of fisheries resources in the WPS at “billions of pesos.” The WPS is expected to improve the country’s fish supply since 373,733 fisherfolk depend on the West Philippine Sea. ([email protected])