Name: Karen Clyde M.

Pama
Degree Program and Year Level: BA (Community Development) II
Course: CD 112 (Development Programs for the Basic Sectors)

Reflection Paper #1
The State of the Filipino Fishers in Scarborough Shoal and Reed Bank

“Para kaming magnanakaw sa sarili nating ano…karagatan,” an emotional Rommel

Cejuela said in an interview by Jun Veneracion for a Reporter’s Notebook documentary.
Cejuela is a captain of a fishing vessel, and together with the fishermen under his command,
they sail an 18-hour journey to reach Scarborough Shoal, also called Panatag Shoul or Bajo de
Masinloc or Kalboro. It is 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales, and according to the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a part of the Philippines’ 200-NM
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). As a part of the Philippines’ EEZ, freedom of navigation is
vested to other countries but the Philippines has sovereign and exclusive economic rights,
therefore, giving the Philippines the right to get and benefit from the maritime resources found
in Scarborough Shoal – something that China finds difficult to understand. Fishermen sail for
days before reaching Kalboro and stay for days in the middle of the sea but cannot even catch
enough fishes to sustain their families’ needs. Despite of being fishermen for so long, all they
can say is “Wala pa ring asenso.” All they can do is reminisce, “Dati, malaya.” Filipino
fishermen in Panatag Shoal still use manual and traditional methods in fishing such as small
boats and sibat (so they catch fishes one by one) – since these are what Chinese coastguards
allow. Exploitations were even perpetrated by the Chinese in the Philippine waters, its own
territory – making them question Philippines’ arbitration case award against China. Chinese
fishermen destroy coral and their fishing vessels were also caught carrying endangered marine
species. There were also instances where the fishermen’s sibat as well as fishes of good quality
were taken by the Chinese. Fishermen ended up going home to their families heavyhearted and
without anything to sell. Areas where Filipino fishermen can fish were also limited by China
and they even stopped the media to cover the situation in Kalboro. Fishermen in Reed Bank,
also called as Recto Bank, also have the same fate with those in Panatag Shoul. Areas where
they are allowed to fish were also limited because of China’s presence. They were not allowed
to fish in areas near Spratly’s Islands. Recto Bank is 85 NM, Northeast of Taytay, Palawan,
and is suspected to have oil and natural gas deposits - the reason why many countries show
interest in oil exploration in this area. According to the Department of Energy, Reed Bank has
165 million barrels of oil and 10.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas – 21% greater than what
Malampaya has.

Philippines, based on what the documentary showed, is a country abundant with marine
resources. Numerous species of fish and other marine animals are found in the Philippine
waters. We are also surrounded by bodies of water and many Filipinos in the coastal areas are
dependent on fishing as their livelihood. Observably, fishes are sold at high prices in the market
but the fishing sector is still considered as one of the poorest sector in the country. We often
see fishes served in our tables during meals but we seldom think about our fishermen. Most of
us are probably not aware of what they experience in the seas before they can bring fishes to
us. They encounter gigantic waves that destroy their small fishing boats before they can even
catch anything. Aside from that, they are the most vulnerable of the maritime disputes that our
country is facing – that most of the Filipinos ignore. After watching the videos, I am saddened
by the fact that Filipino fishermen are exploited and violated by foreigners in our own waters
– the territorial waters where they all have the right to fish. They are kicked-out by Chinese
coastguards whose country is more than 400 NM away from what they are claiming to be theirs.
Even fishing in traditional or common fishing grounds is not even safe for them anymore.
Maybe the government is not completely ignorant of the fact that these maritime issues exist
and these make it even difficult for the fishermen to earn a living – but the effort and
intervention of the government, if there is, is not enough to clear up these disputes or even
lessen the burden of the fishermen. Even the media, who just does its job to inform and update
us on the current situation in these areas, is being prohibited by China. It seems that we totally
lost the control to what is ours, it is starting to be evident but many chose not to care. Some
government officials even partnered with China to facilitate several projects in the country.
Several months ago, the government even questioned the statements of some fishermen who
said that their fishing boat was intentionally hit by a Chinese vessel and left them drowning.
At some point, this incident made me think if for whom really is our government. In the case
of Reed Bank, which is also part of our EEZ, China has no right to set the limit of where are
our fishermen can fish or where the Department of Energy is allowed to do oil exploration.
Similar to other countries, we also need natural gas and oil and we are not sure if how long can
Malampaya still provide for us. I think the government should pursue its oil and natural gas
exploration and come up with policies that can protect these areas from both international and
local exploitation. Ever since I have known the different marginalized sectors, I already have
bias to Indigenous Peoples. After watching the documentary, I realized that all sectors have
different struggles and all of them need unique interventions. If IPs fight for their ancestral
domains, fisherfolks also fight for their rights in our waters.

Article 1 of The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines says that The
national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters
embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or
jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial
sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around,
between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and
dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. I hope that the Philippine
government as well as its people will stand by this. Aside from protecting our resources, this
also means protecting our fishermen and their livelihood. To the academe, we can always go
back to the famous line “Knowledge is power.” I challenge them to integrate in the discussion
the pressing issues faced by the basic sectors in our society as well as matters relevant to
Philippine society. To the media, they must continue relaying uncensored and unbiased
information, especially the critical information that the masses need to know. To CD
practitioners and professionals, we should continue to educate, organize, and mobilize
marginalized communities to help them fight for themselves. This problem faced by Filipino
fishermen is not only a problem of their sector but a problem that should be fought by the
government and its people.