MANILA – As political candidates bombard the public with sweet and sweeping promises of progress ahead of the 2025 midterm elections, a different kind of campaign is gaining ground, appealing to senatorial aspirants to also fight for the protection of the country’s seas, and the fisherfolk’s rights and future.
On Thursday, 29 fisherfolk organizations from five provinces surrounding the Verde Island Passage (VIP) – Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon – urged candidates to put environmental protection and fisherfolk rights at the top of their platforms.
The groups sent their fisherfolk agenda calling for urgent measures to protect the VIP, a global marine biodiversity hotspot threatened by pollution, commercial fishing, and climate change.
“Ang panawagan namin sa mga nakaupo sa pwesto at tumatakbong kandidato na bigyan sana ng pansin kaming mga maliliit na mangingisda. Itong agenda na aming inihahain ay para itaguyod ang karapatan ng mga mangingisda sa bansa, dahil unti-unti na kaming nawawalan ng karapatan, lalo at nangangamba kami ngayon na maagawan ng mga komersyal na barko sa municipal waters (Our call to those in power and those running for office is to give attention to the plight of small-scale fisherfolk. The agenda we are presenting aims to uphold the rights of fisherfolk across the country, as we are losing our rights to the seas, especially now that we fear the encroachment of commercial vessels on municipal waters),” Rodrigo De Jesus, president of the Bukluran ng Mangingisda sa Batangas, said in a letter sent to senatorial candidates, as well as to congressional and local government candidates.
“Simple lang ang hiling namin, ibigay sa amin ang dapat na sa amin (Our plea is simple, give us what is rightfully ours),” he added.
Exclusive rights
At the core of the agenda is the demand to enforce the exclusive rights of small-scale fishers within municipal waters, following a controversial Supreme Court ruling that allowed commercial fishing in zones previously reserved for small fishers.
The groups are also calling for the legal protection of the VIP through its inclusion in the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System and its declaration as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.
For the communities surrounding the VIP, environmental protection is not a buzzword, but a lifeline.
“Kawawa kaming mga mangingisda kung patuloy ang pagsira sa karagatan (We fisherfolk will suffer if the destruction of the ocean continues),” De Jesus said.
“Ang pangangalaga sa karagatan ay pangangalaga rin sa kabuhayan naming mga mangingisda (Protecting the ocean also means protecting our livelihood).”
In preparing the agenda, a dialogue was held in April, spearheaded by Protect VIP Network, the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development, Caritas Philippines, and De La Salle Lipa.
The groups said the agenda reflects a growing demand among vulnerable communities for meaningful participation in environmental governance.
“We challenge aspiring leaders to show genuine commitment to protecting both our environment and vulnerable communities. Beyond electoral campaigns, we urge them to adopt this fisherfolk agenda as the foundation for their long-term advocacies,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP.
People’s protection
He noted that protecting the ocean is not separate from protecting the people, and that candidates must embrace this significant agenda.
On Wednesday, administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas candidates Vicente Sotto III and Abby Binay have issued calls for stronger climate resilience policies and infrastructure safeguards, citing dam-related failures and substandard public works that reflect deeper issues in the national budget process.
Sotto also cited PHP160 billion worth of congressional realignments recently vetoed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Campaign waste
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has also reminded political parties to manage campaign waste, urging supporters to dispose of posters and flyers properly, which echoes the larger call to environmental responsibility.
With the nearing elections, fisherfolk hope that beyond political promises, genuine action will be taken.
Their message is clear: safeguarding the environment is not just a campaign talking point, but more importantly, a matter of survival. (PNA)
