By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Notwithstanding the assertion of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr to defend the West Philippine Sea in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) that received the loudest applause and standing ovations from the gallery, the fisherfolks of Masinloc in Zambales were not so ecstatic as they have long been seeking government assistance on life insurance and larger boats as the China Coast Guard continues to control Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag or Scarborough Shoal), a resource-rich traditional fishing ground in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Leonardo Cuaresma, president of New Masinloc Fishermen Association, noted that the President only mentioned his programs on aquaculture and mariculture, which small-scale fishers do not have the capacity to do.
“Bagamat may mga ilang programa na kanyang nabanggit sa atin pong mga mangingisda, pero hindi po kami na-satisfy,” Cuaresma quipped in an interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo in a telephone interview shortly after PBBM delivered his SONA on Monday (22 July 2024).
He also said that it would have been better if the government has provided them with larger boats to help them sustain their fishing livelihood in the face of challenges from the China Coast Guard.
“Kung meron sana kaming magagandang sasakyang pandagat bukod sa makakatulong kami sa seguridad ng atin pong soberanya…ay makakatulong din ito para sa sustenableng pangkabuhayan po ng bawat mangingisdang Pilipino,” Cuaresma stressed.
Based on the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea, Bajo de Masinloc is a traditional fishing ground and no coastal nation should block access to it.
(el Amigo/MNM)
