Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc filed separate House Resolutions at the House of Representatives this Monday, 25 May, seeking an investigation into the impact that commercial fishing has had on the livelihood of fisherfolk around the country.
During an interview after filing their resolution, Gabriela Women’s Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago expressed that the particular issue they sought to probe was connected to the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2024 where fishing vessels from large corporations were allowed to operate within the 15-kilometer municipal waters.
Elago expressed that the ruling further depleted the share that local fisherfolk had on their own waters, an issue that was further amplified by the volatile oil price market in recent months.
“Ngayon National Fisherfolk Month, bukod sa panawagan ng 15-kilometer municipal waters para sa ating mga maliliit na mangingisda, kasama din natin sila sa panawagan na isuspinde na ang VAT at excise tax sa langis, magkaroon ng malawakan na hindi lang ayuda kundi ng production subsidy na P30,000 sating mga mangingisda,” she said.
(This National Fisherfolk Month, aside from the call to protect the 15-kilometer municipal waters for the small fisherfolk, they are also with us in the call to suspend VAT and excise tax on fuel, and to implement not just a simple aid but a production subsidy of P30,000 for our fisherfolk)
The Supreme Court decision that Elago referenced was in the case of Mercidar Fishing Corporation vs the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) wherein the petitioner challenged the provisions under the Philippine Fisheries Code that indicated the municipal water zone exclusivity.
Mercidar argued that regulation was too restrictive and that some municipal waters should be opened for commercial fishing as well.
The case was first referred to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Malabon which ultimately determined that these particular sections of Philippine Fisheries Code were indeed unconstitutional in nature.
It was then subsequently affirmed by the high court’s first division as the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Department of Agriculture, and BFAR did not manage to submit their motions for reconsideration at the appropriate time.
Based on the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), the ruling could have an effect on over 1.3 million fisherfolk in the country that utilize the waters for their livelihood.
Aside from the issue on commercial fishing, another resolution filed by Makabayan was related to offshore wind energy projects that were being implemented in the Bicol Region that were said to have also affected marine ecosystems.
For her part, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co said that the filing was meant to safeguard and protect the rights of fisherfolk in the country through ensuring that the waters they thrive in were not overtaken by different industries.
“Sa puno’t dulo po nito, gusto natin ma-protektahan ang mga mangingisda, ang kanilang kabuhayan, masuportahan ito at hindi maiwan nalang sa malalaking korporasyon na ang puno’t dulo hindi naman naseserbisyuhan ang maraming miyembro ng sektor ng mangingisda,” she expressed.
(At the forefront of this filing, we seek to protect fisherfolk, their livelihood, and to support them so that big corporations won’t be the only ones that benefit without consideration for the many members of the fishing sector)
The lawmakers mentioned that the resolutions were meant to be referred to the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources that would then be tasked with investigating the concerns raised in the resolutions.