Filipino fishers: P10,000 aid won't cut it amid Chinese threats

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino fishers driven away by Chinese vessels’ encroachments in the Philippines’ waters will “surely make use” of the government’s P10,000 cash aid. But they will need more than just dole-outs for their long-term survival, the leader of a fisherfolk federation said.

While the government has vowed to send more Coast Guard and other vessels to escort fishing boats, Ronnel Arambulo, vice chairperson of fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, said government vilification of progressive fisherfolk leaders casts a blight on its promise of protection.

“We acknowledge the distribution of aid, but that shouldn't be the main focus — it should be something sustainable that the fishers can truly benefit from,” Arambulo told Philstar.com in mixed Filipino and English.

"The aid given to the fishers is significant, but in our view, it shouldn't just be a band-aid solution,” he said.

At least 150 fishers from Subic, Sta. Cruz and Masinloc in Zambales received P10,000 in financial aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in an event organized by the National Security Council (NSC) and other agencies on Tuesday, September 24. 

Addressing representatives from the NSC and the Philippine Coast Guard, fishers expressed their continued apprehension about sailing to parts of the West Philippine Sea as tensions between the Philippines and China continue to flare over the disputed waters.

Last week, the Philippine Navy recorded 251 Chinese vessels crowding eight features of the West Philippine Sea — the highest tally so far this year. 

For Arambulo, the government’s forum with fishers appears to be a “consolation” as Chinese vessels remain in the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The two features most surrounded by Chinese ships in the contested waters — Sabina (Escoda) and Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal — are not traditional fishing grounds. 

It’s at Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) – a coral reef formation teeming with rich resources — that Filipino fishers feel the brunt of Chinese vessels’ incursions the most.

NSC spokesperson Jonathan Malaya told the fishers during the forum that Coast Guard and other government vessels would