NGOs for Fisheries Reform

In a recently concluded forum by the NGOs for Fisheries Reform, Inc. and the National Anti-Poverty Commission last April 26, 2016 at the PHILDHRRA Partnership Center in Quezon City, representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Land Management Bureau reveals that the government is on its way of mapping out the foreshore lands and their current uses with the aim of better management and regulating their uses.

‘We have started the mapping of foreshore lands and their uses in the Philippines because we see these particular land resource as important in industries such as fishing and tourism, among others,’ Engr. Rolando Pablo of the DENR-LMB quipped. Participants of the forum, who are mostly fisherfolk and civil society organizations, welcomed this initiative though they cautioned that consultations should be conducted among stakeholders in order to verify and correct possible mistakes especially on the current and intended uses of foreshore areas.

Foreshore areas are important to fisherfolk because this serves as their access to the sea, their primary sources of income and subsistence. The adjacent land which is called salvage zones are either used by fisherfolk as seaweed and fish drying areas, boat docking sites and gleaning areas for women fisherfolk. Most of the time, salvage zones are used for settlement despite being highly vulnerable to hazards such as storm surges and soil erosion.

The forum facilitated discussions for possible collaboration with the DENR and the Department of Agriculture (DA) for faster resolution of land conflicts especially for areas potentially good for the establishment of Community Fish Landing Centers. In 2015, the DA through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), aimed to construct around 252 fish landing centers. Another 200 are targeted to be constructed in 2016. Eventually, these fish landing centers will be managed by fisherfolk organizations.

The DENR representatives were likewise notified to look at Joint Administrative Order 01 series of 2014 between the DENR, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of National Defense and the Department of Science and Technology on hazard zone classification. Maps of foreshore land and its uses should be overlaid with the geo-hazard maps in order to make a comprehensive take on the status of foreshore land resource in the country.

Article written by Mr. Dennis Calvan

The NGOs for Fisheries Reform, Inc. (NFR), the Tacloban Fisherfolk Urban Association, women fisherfolk in Kankabato Bay and in northern barangays of Tacloban City, some members of the Artisanal Fisherfolk Sectoral Council of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and other civil society organizations assessed the implementation of the Fisherfolk Shelter for Stewards Program, which was funded by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR). The evaluation was held at the PHILDHRRA Partnership Center in Quezon City last April 25, 2016.

The NAPC pilot tested the fisherfolk settlement program in 13 coastal municipalities. Coastal areas were severely affected where around 205, 128 houses in danger zones have been severely affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda. Government’s response to housing needs following the devastation of Yolanda is wanting. The primary challenge in making swift interventions in terms of relocating people in danger zones is the bureaucratic process that land-related permits and documents need to undergo from one department to another. Policy such as the Joint Administrative Order 01 series of 2014, which provided guideline on the determination of safe zones, unsafe zones and no dwelling zones does not consider the possible impacts to lives, livelihoods and well-being of people living in danger zones. Yolanda survivors were not satisfied as well with programs initiated by local government units.

“Maraming mga mangingisda ang bumabalik sa San Jose district galing sa northern barangays ng Tacloban City kasi malayo ito sa dagat, malayo sa kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda,’ Ms. Saleha Badidles, Secretary of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council and President of the Rural Improvement Club.

Section 108 of Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, which appeared as Section 141 in Republic Act 10654 that amended the former, mandated the DA-BFAR in coordination with other government agencies to determine fisherfolk settlement areas that are near the sea. In the recently formulated Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan (CNFIDP) by DA-BFAR, Php300 million per year starting 2017 has been allocated for fisherfolk settlement.

The forum led to the discussion on the possibility of having a memorandum of agreement between the DA-BFAR and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to facilitate the identification of suitable sites for fisherfolk settlement as well as the one stop shop for faster issuances of land-related permits and clearances. It was also raised that there is a need to re-convene the National Inter-Agency Task Force on Fisherfolk Settlement, which was composed of representatives from concerned government agencies, fisherfolk and civil society organizations to sustain the implementation of the FSSP.

Article written by Mr. Dennis Calvan

PRESS RELEASE

20 April 2016, Pangasinan–Fisherfolk leadersgatheredtoday in front of PHINMA University of Pangasinan, venue of the third and last PiliPinas Presidential Debates, to remind the five Presidential candidates not to forget about fisheries issues, saying that El Niño, climate change, and many forms of illegal and unregulated fishing have greatly affected the sector, resulting in low catch, job insecurity and massive loss of income.

Marine conservation advocates joined fisherfolk in challenging the Presidential candidates to address persistent poverty in coastal communities and the deteriorating conditions of Philippine fishing grounds.

“Ang mga mangingisda ang pinakamahirap na sektor sa Pilipinas. Dahil sa kalabisan, paunti nang paunti ang nahuhuling isda sa karagatan at halos hindi na ito nakakabuhay ng pamilya,’ says Iza Gonzales of the Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan. ‘Sa darating na halalan, mahalaga na iboto natin ang mga kandidatong sa tingin natin ay may malasakit sa ating likas yamang-dagat at may malasakit sa mga mangingisda,’ Gonzalesadded.

(Fisherfolks are one of the poorest sectors in the Philippines. Because of exploitation, our fisherfolks catch lesser fish and can barely afford to support their families,” said Iza Gonzales of Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan. “This coming elections, let us vote the candidate who cares about our oceans and fisherfolks,” Gonzales added.)

The group unveiled its 10-point Blue Agenda for Sustainable Fisheries days before the last Presidential debate, infront of the University of Pangasinan. “We offer our 10-point agenda to the Presidential candidates because we observed that despite the relatively significant contribution of fisheries to our national economy, we have yet to hear programs that support the small-scale fisheries sector,”  Dennis Calvan of the NGOs for Fisheries Reform cited.

Aside from being the poorest of the poor, fisherfolk are also highly vulnerable to impacts of climate change– all the more reason for government to offer programs that ensure the sustainability of fish supply in the future. In 2014, the Philippine Statistics Authority said poverty incidence in the fisherfolk sector reached 39.2% for the year 2012, the highest among the basic sectors, followed by farmers at 38.3% and children at 35.2% [1].

In order to strengthen fisheries law enforcement and resource management, a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is being put forward. A fisherfolk settlement program and establishment of community fish landing centers are likewise recommended to help fisherfolk improve their fishery products.

The group is also calling for better protection of our oceans; completion of delineation of municipal waters; implementation of traceability mechanisms for fishery products; sustainable fishing; and capacity building for our fisherfolks to better adapt to climate change.

“The next administration would be critical in ensuring that the legal frameworks in place are implemented properly and the transition towards sustainable fisheries is achieved. We need to show other fish producing countries that we are serious in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” Sonny Batungbacal of Greenpeace Southeast Asia noted. He also emphasized the importance of establishing a network of large marine reserves to allow our oceans to fully recover from human exploitation.

“We challenge the Presidential contenders to seriously consider our blue agenda for sustainable fisheries. We believe this is the right thing to do and is pro-poor and pro-environment,” Gonzales added.###

Notes to the Editor:

[1] Fishermen, farmers and children remeain the poorest basic sectors

http://www.nscb.gov.ph/pressreleases/2014/PSA-%20PR-20140704-SS2-01_poorestsector.asp

For more information, please contact:

Ephraim Batungbacal, Regional Oceans Research Coordinator

Greenpeace Southeast Asia

Ephraim.batungbacal@greenpeace.org | (+63) 0917 866 3036

Angelica Carballo Pago, Media Campaigner

Greenpeace Southeast Asia

apago@greenpeace.org | (+63) 949 889  1332

Up to present, the lack of a clear policy guideline governing the process of Fishpond Lease Agreement-  cancellation and Abandoned, Underdeveloped and Underutilized (AUUs) fishpond reversion to mangroves still remain as a crucial issue. Despite a Joint Administrative Order, the absence of coordination between DA-BFAR, DENR and DILG resulted to the non-resolution of AUUs that should have been reverted to mangroves. Because of this concern, NGOs for Fisheries Reform, Inc., conducted a Mangrove Regional Policy Forum at Ritz Tower de Leyte, Tacloban City last April 8, 2016. The purpose of the said forum includes the determination of the status of fishponds and mangroves in Region 8 and to identify possible interventions especially the formulation of a new inter-agency/multi-sectoral technical working group to address the inconsistencies and policy gaps between JMC 01 series of 2014, fishpond utilization and mangroves. However, the DA-BFAR Region 8, the one expected to convene and lead the technical working group was not able to attend the forum.

Severalcivil society organizations (CSOs) such as NFR havealready engaged a series of consultations to make an enabling law based on the recommendations of stakeholders. Based on several consultationswith key stakeholders, several issues were raised related to FLAcancellation and AUU reversionto mangroves. Most of these results include the primarylack of coordination of the agencies concerned thus, a multi-sectoral group composed of concerned government agencies, civil society organizations and academe suggestedto be established to ensure that existing laws and policies on AUUsas well asa clear policy guideline defining the jurisdictions and the process of FLA-cancellation and AUU mangrove reversion will be formulated, implemented and strictly enforced. It was also revealed in the forum as one of the underlying issues that the local government units and fishing communities are left out in the process of identification of areas that are applicable for reversion. For instance, in Maliwaliw, Salcedo, Eastern Samar, according to BFAR Region 8, the FLA has already been cancelled yet according to DENR Region 8, there was no official turnover from BFAR-8 to their office for physical reversion. Moreover, Sir Rogelio Padit of ESSU-Salcedo stated that the current status of the area is relatively unknown to them. He mentioned that there are claimants of the said area however, he is unsure whether these people were the previous FLA holders or the new applicants or just mere informal settlers who allegedly manage the place. Hence, proper documentation and on-the-ground assessment should have been conducted to ensure the clear and exact status of these AUUs. Likewise, the LGUsand local management councils should be made aware of their roles and responsibilities in the reversion of AUUs to mangroves.

As part of the planning session, the group agreed to tap BFAR-Region 8 as mandated by Draft Administrative Order 197-1 to convene the inter-agency technical working group along with the target activities such as municipal mangrove awareness campaign (selected municipalities with mangrove areas), Information, Education, Communication (IEC) on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and mangrove rehabilitation on areas suitable for reversion.The DENR-Region 8 as well through Ma’am Mely Sumbeling presented on Mangrove Ecosystems and Mangrove-related laws and disclosed some of their upcoming activities for possible participation and involvement of interested organizations such as the Oceans Month in May to be held in Guiuan, Eastern Samar and international coastal clean-up in September.

Article written by Christian Salamida

Almost seven hundred artisanal fisherfolk, fish and seafood processing fisherfolk, fish vendors, divers, seaweed farmers as well as coastal area settlers from all over Tacloban City have gathered at the RTR Plaza,Tacloban City last April 12 to come face to face with the local candidates running for office this coming elections.

Among these fisherfolk, five leaders representing Women fisherfolk, Fish vendors, Artisanal fisherfolk and the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management council sat down as panellists asking these candidates about the plans they have in store to address the serious concerns and issues being experienced both by fisherfolk and coastal communities.

Livelihood Support

One of these panellists, Mr.Modasto Donsal has expressed grave concern about the small fish vendors’ difficulty in accessing and getting to keep their fish vending stalls due to the high rate of stall rent they cannot afford at the public market. One of the candidates, namely, incumbent Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin, responded and admitted that there is not enough fish vending stalls and that the council is experiencing challenges in terms of regulating expensive the rental rates in areas around downtown Tacloban. Moreover, Yaokasin mentioned the possibility of drafting or sponsoring an ordinance on lowering market stall rental rates at a 50% for small fisherfolk vendors.

The need for alternative Livelihood, livelihood support and technical capacity building, on the other hand, raised by one of the panellists, Mrs.Saleha Badidles, who was once a beneficiary of a program on fish processing that did not succeed after their livelihood was affected by typhoon Haiyan. One of the candidates namely Neil Glova, then, stated that the city LGU’s current programs focused too much on home economics and aesthetics and that lacked enterprise support for boosting support for farmers and fisherfolk. Glova also stated the need for City Fisheries Office to ensure support to local fisherfolk since City Agriculture Offices tend to focus more on Agriculture than fisheries. Yaokasin, on the other hand, brought up the possibility of ecotourism as the source of alternative livelihood for fisherfolk who are willing to give future tourists a tour of Kankabato Bay.

Of Pollution and Alternative Solutions

Another emerging issue during the forum was the case of pollution in Tacloban City’s mariculture areas. The fish cages from Tacloban North and Cataisan point in San Jose as well as the seaweed beds along Cawayan Point are running the risk of damage and contamination from being exposed to debris from Typhoon Haiyan and runoffs from residential areas, industrial establishments and dump sites near the coastal areas according to two of the panellists namely, Charito Budano, a seaweed farmer, and Losanto Castillo Jr, who operates fishcages with his association at San Jose. The candidates, on the other hand, who have responded, emphasized that the solving the problem of coastal pollution lies not just in the hands of the LGU but of the people as well given that most of the violators of the ordinance against garbage dumping in the seas still are predominantly seaside settlers. According to the candidates, they promise to address the issue in terms better prioritization given that the problem on waste management in in general, is an issue that is already very obvious but at the same time very understated and hardly being prioritized when it comes to the implementation of local programs and ordinances.

With the case of Kankabato Clean-up and retrieval, all the candidates have agreed that the annual budget for the development of Kankabato Bay needs to be utilized for the clean-up and that the ongoing clean-up should carry on, be given budget and be implemented better regardless of who gets to elected as local chief executive. One of the candidates, namely, Larry Menzon, also emphasized the importance of assessing the bays first before conducting clean-ups to prevent doing more damage than help to the remaining corals and seagrass on the coastal cleanup site. The candidates were also proposing and very much in favour of mangrove area management as a potential source of income to fisherfolk.

On the issue of resettlement and its implications to fisherfolk which was raised by all the 5 panelists, the candidates expressed their concern for the lack of consideration given to the fisherfolk transferred to areas far from their fishing grounds and similarly agreed on supporting onsite resettlement with proper evacuation centers.

The issue on Tide embankment, as raised by Castillo Losanto Jr, also brought similar responses from the candidates who all happened to be against the building of walls around the city’s coastal areas. All the candidates were more in favour of mangrove areas protecting coastal zones instead of huge dikes or seawalls for the reason that “infrastructure projects will only make thieves happy and that having heightened seawalls will likely make the flooding problem in Tacloban worse”, according to majority of the candidates.

Limitations

Majority of the candidates, who also are incumbent local legislators, explained that there are already  laws on environmental protection as well as those against common problems like dumping of sewage into the sea are illegal fishing and that the problem still lies largely in implementation and prioritization. Since majority of the candidates came from one party, they all believed that voting their standard bearer would be the solution to increase the likelihood of their proposed legislations and priority programs they claim to be in favour of the marginalized sector, especially the fisherfolk.

Some fisherfolk issues, on the other hand, like the possibility of on-site resettlement and making revisions in the  Comprehensive Land Use Plan that are in favour of coastal settlers were never opened nor mentioned by the candidates during the discussion. The same case goes for the plans on what should be done about waste water management which was also hardly discussed. Also, the LGU-initiated strengthening of FLET and the CFARMC through increased funding and capacity building was also merely mentioned caught-in-passing and not given much emphasis.

Statement of Support

At the end of the Forum, the candidates for councillor Raissa Villasin, Larry Menzon, Jose Mario Bagulaya, Atty. Jerry Uy; Vice Mayor Candidate Jerry Yaokasin and Mayor Candidate Neil Glova shook hands with the panellists, expressed their support for the Fisherfolk agenda and signed “THE FISHERFOLK AGENDA” banner along with the panellists and participants in the forum.

Article written by Ms. Hannah Hipe

*Notes and Disclaimers

Majority of the Candidates present were running under LP with their standard bearer, Neil Glova. Vice mayor candidate Jerry Yaokasin, is on the other hand, running independent. Although the candidates present in the forum happened to consist mostly of members from one  party, NFR is not promoting nor campaigning the candidates mentioned or present durng the forum.

The secretariat has invited candidates from both the parties of Neil Glovaand Cristina Romualdez but majority of the candidates under Romuladez, including Romualdez herself, were unable to attend the forum for the reason that they have individual prior commitments on the same day. The availability and unavailability of the candidates who have attended the Fisherfolk Agenda Electoral Forum is beyond the control of the NFR Secretariat who have hosted the said event.

Fisherfolk continue to remain as the “poorest of the poor”

 It has been revealed by latest data on poverty that the fisherfolk continue to remain as the “poorest of the poor” among the basic sectors of the country. In the 2012 Philippine Statistical Authority report, it scored as high as 39.2% against the national poverty incidence of only 25.2%. This economically disadvantaged condition of the fisherfolk can be explained by a lot of factors including governance setbacks and for this very reason that we need to demand more from the new set of leaders that will be elected in this year coming national elections.

It is a fact that municipal fisherfolk suffered the most from Typhoon Yolanda. They were left with nothing as their boats and other fishing equipment were taken away by storm surge. This loss of livelihood for capture fisheries also impacted those who engage in fish vending. In the wake of the typhoon, they heavily relied on relief assistance and cash for work programs. Some non-government organizations and the government itself through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also provided boats, fish cages, and gears to the fisherfolk to start up their economic activity. However, some fisherfolk from Brgy. 52 reported of this group of people from Samar who stole their boat engines and other fishing equipment. And just recently, the same incident of stealing was reported by members of the Tacloban Fisherfolk Urban Association who were robbed off of five motor boat engines. Understandably, even two years after Typhoon Yolanda, the conditions of most of the survivors particularly the fisher folks living along coastal communities is still far from the normal conditions.

With these, the NGO’s for Fisheries Reform initiated a Fisherfolk Agenda meeting last February 15, 2016 at Ritz Tower de Leyte, Tacloban City as part of the policy advocacy programs. Fisher folks, barangay leaders, fisherfolk associations and stakeholders actively participated the activity with the core purpose of formulating and developing fisherfolk agenda or programs as well as to solicit recommendations and support from municipal fishery sector. Primarily, the fisherfolk agenda meeting primarily revolved on the undying issues of livelihood in relation to their proposal of one year closed season of Cancabato Bay.

“We need for resourceful and efficient alternative livelihoods such as mussel & oyster culture, center house and drying technologies for fish drying, capital for peddling (e.g. sari sari store) and food vending as alternative sources of income. Kasi po nung una po bago mag Yolanda, meron po kaming center house na pwede kaming magluto at magtinda katulad ng puto, moron at iba pang kakanin. Ma-ishare ko lang po na mahirap talaga kung kaming mga kababaihan ay umaasa lang sa aming mga asawa kasi hindi naman lahat ng kita ngaming mga asawa ay nabibigay sa amin. Mahirap kasi halimbawa, kung hindi nabibigyan ng baon angaming mga anak, kaming mga ina at babae ang unang-una nasasaktan. Mahirap sa amin na makita sila na sa murang edad ay nakakaranas ng hirap. Kelangan talaga na kaming mga kababaihan ay may lakas (women empowerment) pati ang livelihood para naman makatulong kami sa aming pamilya ”, Ms. Saleha Badidles pointed out, leader of Rural Improvement Club (RIC), an organized women fisherfolk organization of Brgy. 83-A Tacloban City.

Aside from this, the reservation of the fisherfolk to the proposed resettlement program of the government is due to (1) its relative distance to the sea, the market, and schools, (2) the row house design of permanent houses does not fit to their socio-economic activities, and (3) the unclear provision on recovery cost. Given these concerns, consequently, most of the fisherfolk decided to rebuild their lives at their original dwelling locations near the sea instead of availing the resettlement program of the government.

“Kami po dito sa Brgy. 88, matagal na po naming hinaing ang magkaroon nalang ng onsite resettlement kasi po unang-una kahit sabihin man po na nasa danger zones po kami, wala po kaming ibang pagpipilian kundi ang manatili po dito kasi dito po kami nangingisda at naghahanapbuhay. Hindi naman araw-araw bagyo at may storm surge, ang hiling po naming ay ang concrete tenement na hindi aabutin ng baha or storm surge at solid na hindi agad  o basta-basta magigiba ng bagyo. Ang resettlement po sa northern barangay ay malayo po dito sa aming pamumuhay sa dagat. Ang mga bahay doon ay walang sapat na supply ng tubig at kuryente. Mas kaya po naming manatili at magtiis dito kaysa doon na parang araw-araw ay kami ay magugutom at mas lalong maghihirap. Matagal na po naming itong isinusulong na kahit hanggang ngayon ay ang tingin pa rin naming sa aming mga sarili ay patuloy na biktima hindi na lang ng Yolanda pati na din ng gobyerno. Ngayon, malapit na ang eleksyon, madami na naman ang mga nangangako ng kung anu-ano pero pagkatapos ng eleksyon at sila ang manalo, ang hirap hirap mahagilap.”,laments Losanto “Ka Jun” Castillo, Jr. of the Tacloban Fisherfolk Urban Association.

Modasto Donsal of Tacloban Small Fish Vendors Association President also shared, “Ako na po ang tumayong Presidente ng aming association kasi matapos ang Yolanda, hindi na naging active ang ibang mga myembro namin. Noong 2014 pagkatapos ng Yolanda, ang DOLE at Peso office ay nagbigay ng mga forms para daw sa alternative livelihoods, kami dahil nga mga mangingisda kami at mahirap ang buhay sa dagat pagkatapos ng Yolanda, sinikap namin lahat nga mga requirements kahit walang-wala kaming pera. Halos nangutang kami para lang maipasa an gaming mga forms. Pagdating ng ilang buwan hanggang sa ngayon na 2016 na ay wala pa din po. Pumunta na kami sa legislative office at sa DOLE para i-follow up ang mga ito, pinagawa pa kami ng letter para dito. Ang sabi lang sa amin ay maghintay. Hanggang kelan po kami maghihintay? Dalawang taon na po matapos ang Yolanda. Patuloy po kaming maghihintay kung meron talagang mangyayari.Huwag naman po sana kaming paasahin”.

The recovery for Tacloban City may really take some time but despite the issues being thrown to both local and national government leaders, the coming 2016 elections still proved to be of crucial turning point in setting the direction for all the Taclobanons. NFR believes that Typhoon Yolanda has changed viewpoints and priorities of everyone in the city and has ignited the spirit of citizenship through active engagement with public affairs more than ever before.

Article written by Christian Salamida

On February 15, 2016, fisherfolk organizations from coastal communities of Tacloban City gathered to tackle the platforms they would push through in the coming local elections. These fisherfolk mostly engage in capture fisheries, fish cage operation, fishing vending, and seaweed farming and processing. The following sections present the major issues and recommendations identified by them.

 A.     CANCABATO BAY CLEARING & CLEAN-UP

While our focus still remains on addressing the immediate needs of the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda, we might as well consider paying attention to the equally devastating impact of the typhoon to our natural ecosystems. In Tacloban City, the fisherfolk sector has raised concern on the poor condition of the seas months after the disaster hit. Most of them have reported of lesser fish catch and notably, the existence of pile of mixed of garbage and debris that is now flooding the fishing grounds.

Cancabato Bay is one of the major sources of fish for the fisherfolk of Tacloban City. The bay is surrounded by 16 barangays and was once declared to be a mariculture area in 2003 by the Sangguniang Bayan. Dangit production has been the primary livelihood of the fisherfolk around the bay for the longest time. It is also rich in sea shells, oyster, and crabs. However after the typhoon, despite the absence of a scientific assessment on the status of marine life, fisherfolk asserted that a lot of debris got piled on at the bottom of Cancabato Bay. Significantly according to them, debris include wrecked cars, ammunitions from the nearby military attachment, and even dead bodies.

It was only on November 26, 2015 when the claim of the fisherfolk on the alarming status of Cancabato Bay was validated. In a joint retrieval operation spearheaded by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Forensic Team led by Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta through the initiative of Fr. Robert Reyes and the Tacloban Fisherfolk Urban Association (TFUA), two skeletons and two skulls from the swampy mangrove area of Sitio Burayan at Brgy. 83-A and a Honda car near Fisherman’s Village at Brgy. 88 were retrieved.

The retrieval operation that happened in Cancabato Bay resulted to positive gains for the fisherfolk. On the 25^th of November, a day before the conduct of the activity that was duly coordinated with the local government of Tacloban City, the Sangguniang Bayan passed two resolutions seeking for financial support for the clean-up of the bay. The resolutions called on the Local Finance Committee and concerned national government agencies, including their regional and local counterparts, to support the demand of the fisherfolk. Finally, on December 27, 2015, the first coordination meeting was convened.  It was attended by the regional offices of DND-OCD, DENR, DILG, DOH, PNP, AFP, and the NGOs for Fisheries Reform.

As specific details regarding funding and coordination are yet to be ironed out, the fisherfolk reiterates their call on the importance of clearing and cleaning up Cancabato Bay. With the declining fish catch and with the debris exacerbating the condition, the hope now rests on the rehabilitation of the bay and one concrete solution thought by the sector is to declare a one year closed season. This only implies no fishing activities for all municipal fisherfolk until the bay fully replenished. In this regard, the fisherfolk would like to have alternative sources of income. The combination of a closed season and alternative livelihood program for the fisherfolk after Cancabato Bay is cleared up is only the start of sustainably managing the fishing industry of Tacloban City.

B.      TIDE EMBANKMENT

Many survivors of the Typhoon Yolanda were caught in great surprise when the national government through the Department of Public Works and Highway Region VIII revealed its plan of putting up a tide embankment along the coast of Tacloban City, Palo, and Tanauan. This project has two major components and that is road heightening and the establishment of the actual tide embankment infrastructure which stands at 4.5 meters and runs for 27.3 kilometers. It will be implemented from the year 2015 until 2020 and has an estimated budget of 7.9 billion pesos drawn from the national coffer.

It was the fisherfolk sector who first registered major opposition to the project. By all logic, the establishment of a tide embankment entails the tearing down of a significant portion of the foreshore land in which located are the boats, drying areas, docking sites, and especially homes of the fisherfolk. With the strong condemnations the project has received from peoples organizations and civil society groups, its implementation halted for some months. However, according to DPWH, it will return to operation this first quarter of 2016.

The opposition of the fisherfolk to the tide embankment project was very well-founded. It is never the intention of the sector to discredit the study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency on storm surge projection in Leyte which gave birth to the project. In fact, the fisherfolk themselves recognize its value and urgency. However, the thing they fear is the massive displacement that will surely happen.

For the fisherfolk of Tacloban City, tide embankment should be implemented in the area from Dulag to airport and not in Cancabato Bay. This location proved to be of strategic importance since it directly faces the Pacific Ocean where typhoons usually develop. Moreover, they suggested planting of belts of mangroves to serve as natural barriers against typhoons instead of a hard infrastructure for Cancabato Bay.

C.      NO BUILD ZONE & FISHERFOLK SETTLEMENT

In the wake of Typhoon Yolanda, one immediate need of survivors was housing with an accumulated demand of 205, 128 units for all the provinces that were devastated. Specific for Tacloban City, the city council reported a 14, 433 housing need. The provision however on resettlement as part of the government rehabilitation program is being contested by the fisherfolk who rather prefer an on-site intervention due to livelihood reasons. Yet despite the claim of the sector, the national government issued the blanket policy of then 40 Meters No Build Zone which basically requires demolition of infrastructures that are within 40 meters from the coastline. As a result, the fisherfolk now face the lingering threat of eviction from the coastal communities where they had since lived and prospered.

The reservation of the fisherfolk to the proposed resettlement program of the government is due to (1) its relative distance to the sea, the market, and schools, (2) the row house design of permanent houses does not fit to their socio-economic activities, and (3) the unclear provision on recovery cost. Given these concerns, consequently, most of the fisherfolk decided to rebuild their lives at their original dwelling locations near the sea instead of availing the resettlement program of the government.

It has been observed in Tacloban City that those fisherfolk who agreed to be resettled now started to come back because of the lack of services and access to livelihood in resettlement sites. But given the reference on the 40 Meters No Build Zone policy, it was found out that the same policy was used by both national and local government units to deprive the disaster survivors of the Emergency Shelter Assistance and even aid coming from non-government organizations.

Today, the 40 Meters No Build Zone policy evolved into something that now categorizes areas along the coast to be “hazard zones” prone to storm surge and as well as to tsunami and to other hydro-geological hazards. This undisputable finding of science through hazard maps further complicate the bid of the fisherfolk to remain near the source of their livelihood. Given this, the fisherfolk now demand identification of “safe” lands that are not too distant from the sea for the establishment of their longstanding call of a fisherfolk settlement.

D.     LAW ENFORCEMENT

It is a fact that municipal fisherfolk suffered the most from Typhoon Yolanda. They were left with nothing as their boats and other fishing equipment were taken away by storm surge. This loss of livelihood for capture fisheries also impacted those who engage in fish vending. In the wake of the typhoon, they heavily relied on relief assistance and cash for work programs. Some non-government organizations and the government itself through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also provided boats, fish cages, and gears to the fisherfolk to start up their economic activity.

Understandably, the desperation to look for food has forced some to employ means viewed to be inconvenient. A number of ransack and looting incidents and petty crimes were recorded to which not only the Taclobanons were found to be guilty of but sadly including those residents of nearby municipalities. The chaotic condition brewing in the City was not immediately contained by the police force of the government. Moreover, enforcers have also forgotten to patrol the municipal waters of Tacloban City. With much dismay, some fisherfolk from Brgy. 52 reported of this group of people from Samar who stole their boat engines and other fishing equipment. And just recently, the same incident of stealing was reported by members of the Tacloban Fisherfolk Urban Association who were robbed off of five motor boat engines.

The kind of unrestricted entry of other fisherfolk allegedly coming from adjacent municipalities is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. It does not only expose the local population of Tacloban City to petty crimes but as well as foster competition to its resident municipal fisherfolk around Cancabato Bay. What is being proposed by the fisherfolk to solve this issue is for the city council to strengthen its enforcement on the seas. This can be done by augmenting the number of Fisheries Law Enforcement Team (FLET) members and Bantay Dagat. It should be made sure that law enforcers are equipped with proper training and be provided with the right equipment. And more importantly, it is about time to set the boundaries of Tacloban municipal waters from that of adjacent municipalities by putting up visible and permanent markers.

E.      CFARMC

It was coastal communities that were heavily damaged by storm surge leaving them with barely anything after. Due to the magnitude of the disaster, relief assistance has not been very particular to the needs of every sector. It has been observed that assistance got out of control and in times even became counterproductive. Specific to the municipal fishers, they have raised question on the seemingly over production of boats with a design they considered to be not fit to their needs and unsafe for sailing due to its small size. Moreover, it is becoming apparent today that fish cages given to them pose serious threat to marine life due to wastes produced.

With the setbacks on assistance that could have been addressed had agencies been more sensitive, the idea to reconvene the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) was opened up. The CFARMC is mandated by R.A. 8550, or the 1998 Fisheries Code of the Philippines, to serve as venue for the participation of fisherfolk in local development planning. Ideally, any law or legislation passed by the local government that is related to fisheries needs the approval of the CFARMC. The body is composed of both municipal and commercial fisherfolk with representative coming from other members of the community.

Through the initiative of the City Agriculture of Tacloban with the support of the Provincial Fisheries Office and with the assistance of the NGOs for Fisheries Reform, an election was held on June 19, 2015 to reconvene the CFARMC. The City Agriculture invited all the fisherfolk associations of Tacloban and Sir Jun Castillo of the Tacloban Fisherfolk Urban Association was elected as the Chairperson.

The new set of officers has been active in their duties. One of the major campaigns of the CFARMC is the clearing up and rehabilitation of the Cancabato Bay. However, like any other organizations, problems started to emerge. It should be noted that CFARMC works on a volunteer basis. On top of the problems is the difficulty in gathering all the officers and members together because others come from far way barangays while some simply do not have the money to attend meetings and activities.

Given the limitations of CFARMC, its members call for a regular funding from the city council of Tacloban for its maintenance and operation. They request for a permanent office and a service vehicle for its members use. The end objective of these demands is to free them from additional costs for a more productive fulfillment of their duties.

Article written by Mr. Erlo Matorres

As part of the its vision to empower fisherfolk and establish climate-resilient coastal communities with a policy environment that guarantees the utilization, management and development of resources in a manner that is sustainable, equitable and fair for all, the NGOs for Fisheries Reform, Inc (NFR) initiated the re-organization of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) in Tacloban last July 2015 including the formulation of a six-month activity plan from July 2015 to December 2015. These include community-based coastal resourceactivities such as orientation and training on mangrove planting, coastal clean-up activities, planning workshop on reviewing the city fishery ordinances, socio-economic profiling of registered fisher folks in the city’s coastal barangays, participation on the advocacy actions for humane resettlement conditions of fisher folks living along coastal communities and drafting ofsomeresolutions including on theincrease of the visibility of city fishery law enforcement team (FLET) and resolution for alternative livelihoods as source of daily income of fisher folks.

Throughout the six-month activity plan, the CFARMC officers through the ingenuity of Mr. Losanto Castillo, Jr., attended several meetings and lobbied for the realization of the planned undertakings of the organization. Partnerships with relevant local government units, forums, community consultations and attending legislative sessions paved the way on the achievement of some of the CFARMC activities. Meanwhile, last February 15, 2016, as integral part of every organization, the Tacloban City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council had its quarterly assessment to present and evaluate the status, what-went-wrong and what-went-right of the six-month activity plans and programs. Some of the accomplishments were the orientation and training on mangrove planting conducted in ­­­Brgy. Burayan and Cataisan Point, initial review of the city fishery ordinances, involvement on the advocacy actions for humane resettlement conditions of fisher folks and petition for Kankabato Bay general debris clean-up and retrieval operation. Nevertheless, part of the success were short-comings and challenges encountered by the organization such as the lack of own monetary funds and resources to conduct specific activities, incapacitated council members because of the lack of capacity building on organizational and financial management and values formation and most importantly thepersonal commitment, sincerity and cooperation among council members.

As mentioned by the CFARMC coordinator, Mr. Jose Villacorte, “With regards to the general assessment of this organization, I can say that at least we were able to make accomplishments and small attempts on the review of city fishery ordinance and boat registration with the help of NFR. Honestly, money, funding support and time element are the hindering factors why most of the time we are stuck on achieving our plans. We cannot deny the fact that CFARMC is just dependent on the funding agency. That is a reality! Now, at least if we could ask a stable support from the city government in terms of budget, training and capacity building of our council members, at least we could start to work, especially in Kankabato. On the effectiveness of the council members, I have also to admit that we are still on the period and process of adjustments because we are still new after the re-organization of this CFARMC even I, myself have also my short-comings as the coordinator”.

Aside from evaluation and assessment, the organization also aimed on that day to create a whole-year plan of activities and programs for 2016. However due to time constraints and deficient CFARMC members, the group just decided to carry over all the pending activities last 2015 such as the capacity building for CFARMC members, training on law enforcement, mangrove planting, general clearing & retrieval of debris in Kankabato Bay and enforcement of solid waste management. Meantime, a thorough planning for a whole-year activity plan is yet to be scheduled some time in March.

Article written by Mr. Christian Salamida

DISTURBING. This was the first reaction when the team of the office of the Cabinet Secretary visitedfor a dialogueand finally heard all the sentiments of the fisher folks and community members in Tacloban City last February 19, 2016.

More than two years already since Super Typhoon Yolanda hit and brought massive destructions in Eastern Visayas, leaving thousands of people affected whose homes were damaged and livelihoods being imperilled. Most part of Visayas especially in Leyte, the conditions of most of the survivors particularly the fisherfolks living along coastal communities is still far from the normal conditions.

Losanto Castillo Jr., a resident of Brgy. 88 Fisherman’s Village argued on thereluctant support of the government in prioritizing their immediate needs. He mentioned the construction of the Tide Embankment project instead on the fast tract of the unfinished permanent housing resettlement. Based on the report of the National Housing Authority (NHA) presented before the House Special Committee on Climate Change of the House of Representatives last October 22, 2015, of the 205,128 housing needs for 12 provinces affected by Yolanda, only 3,424 has been completed. In the case of Tacloban City, the progress is still very slow with only 660 completed permanent housing units against the 14,433 total housing needs that were identified by the local government. And yet, even these completed housing units in the resettlement area are faced with complaints and protests such insufficient basic social services around, lack of potable water and livelihood concerns.They also mentioned some casesthat they were not allowed to go back to their houses due to the pronouncement of the 40-meter ‘no build zones’. They stressed out that there were no public consultations conducted by the government on the policy on Safe, Unsafe Zones, and No Dwelling Areas and that this policy only came about right after the typhoon Yolanda hit their communities. If asked from whom they learned this information, all they can think of are the markers put up by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). They have always heard that the reason for the 40 Meters No Build Zone is to keep them away from the dangers of flooding, river overflow and storm surges however without even proper consideration, recognition and protection of their rights as internally displaced persons. Aside from preventing them from rebuilding their houses, they referred No Build Zone to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DWSD) Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) Program that came very late after typhoon Yolanda which amounts to Php70000 for totally damaged houses and Php30000 for those with partially damaged. And yet, after another parameter released by DSWD in Tacloban City pertaining to this green card and sharer-renter condition, the emergency shelter assistance suddenly decreased to Php30000 for totally damage and Php10000 for those partially damaged.  According to them, this same policy was used by DSWD to deprive many survivors of the cash grant. Nestor De Veyra of Brgy 31 and Carmen Sarilas of Brgy 48-A were only few of the many survivors who received nothing andonce again became victims of this injustice selective giving of assistance because according to them, they are within the 40-meter no build zone. The office of the cabinet secretary then strongly argued that the no-build-zone policy has nothing to do with the emergency shelter assistance. As quoted, “wala pong kinalamanang no-build-zone para hindipo kayo makatanggap ng ESA. Lahatpo ng nasalanta at nawalan ng bahay ay dapatnibigyan kaya ngapoumabothanggang July 2014 bagopo mag release kasiayawpo ng Pangulonamagkamali”.

On a different note, Carmen Sarilas, an occupant of Brgy 48-A shed in tears as she shared about the demolition of houses in their neighboring barangay after Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) made a house to house ocular visit.At first, she thought that the group came for relief and assistance, however, the next visit ended up with the destruction of houses.She remain in fear that possibly anytime soon, their homes will also be demolished because of this Tide Embankment Project. Nevertheless, she clearly pointed out, “Hindi namanpo kami against sa tide embankment project, angsaaminlangposana ay kung papaalisinpo kami saamingmgabahay ay may tamangsuportapokamingmatatanggap at may maayoskamingtitirihan”. (We are not against the Tide Embankment Project, what we only want is to be given sufficient support and humane settlements in case we are asked to leave our homes).

Indeed, the immediate concerns identified by the survivors at the start of the rehabilitation work by the government remain unresolved two years after the strongest typhoon in history made landfall.A lot of international and local non-government organizations have long been involved with the issues besetting the rehabilitation of Yolanda-affected communities especially in coastal areasyet, still need for a continuous reinforcement especially through government efforts. A need for onsite fisherfolk resettlement is what they strongly propose. If there are available lands that are near the sea and if the LGU can pay for the purchase of land, a permanent resettlement should be established. The resettlement area, however, should have complete basic social services such as clean and potable water, sanitation and electricity, among others. Moreover, they also need for resourceful and sustainablealternative livelihoods such as mussel & oyster culture, center house and drying technologies for fish drying, capital for peddling (e.g. sari sari store) and food vending as other sources of income.

Ms. Rowena Bolinas fromoffice of the cabinet secretary stated in her final response,“Typhoon Yolanda stories and issues are something not new to all of us. However, it is very disturbing and totally upsetting to finally hear your sentiments and concerns. We came here because we wanted to know as much as possible the specific details if the reports submitted to us by the implementing agencies are really accomplished or not. We also would like to encourage you to do your part as beneficiaries because this whole process is a tri-part recovery and rehabilitation effort coming from the national government, local government units and the beneficiaries. This is a give-and-take relationship that we need to work together and if in times of insufficient support from our LGU or NGO’s, you can still manage to work on sustainable means of support to continue your way of living just like before Typhoon Yolanda. Nonetheless,we thank you for being honest and open in sharing all your sentimentalities. Rest assured that we will relay to the proper authorities and communicate these to the relevant government agencies”.

Article written by Mr. Christian Salamida