Wednesday, November 22, 2006 Yanson family hit for anti-fishers projects By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
AS THE world commemorates today the "World Fishers Day", a group of fishermen in Negros Occidental has condemned the Yanson family of Bacolod City for their alleged anti-fisher projects in both EB Magalona town and Escalante City in northern Negros.
In a press conference held at the Negros Press Club Monday morning, Editho Namion Jr., secretary general of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Negros), claimed that transportation magnate Ricardo Yanson and his son Roy, have altered the flow of the Malogo River in EB Magalona by building dikes in the construction of prawn ponds.
"This deprived more than a thousand residents in Barangays Pasil and Alicante in EB Magalona of access to the coastal area where they are living," Namion added.
Sun.Star Bacolod tried to seek members of the Yanson family for comment Monday but one of their office secretaries said the family will issue its comments some other time.
Eric Belonio, a fisherman from Pasil, E.B. Magalona, told mediamen that Yansons' road diversion project in their barangay will totally divert the normal flow of the Malogo river and is expected to cause heavy floodings in the area.
Belonio also claimed that the project has no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The project, which only started last month, has reportedly affected more than a hundred families in Barangay Pasil. These families are only dependent on fishing and shell gathering (panginhas).
"Worse, if this is not stopped, Pasil will eventually vanish from the map of EB Magalona," Belonio said.
He claimed that they have referred the problem to their village chieftain Mercedita Patoc but they were reportedly ignored.
"We also referred this to the Mayor's Office and the town council but no action was taken," he added.
In Escalante City, Namion said the Yanson family is also implementing a project within a 200-hectare seaside property in Barangay New Washington.
Namion claimed that the project has converted portions of the fishing village into a fish sanctuary and a fish port. Some parcels are allegedly set aside for industrial, commercial and recreational uses.
The group claimed that the project will affect about 5,000 marginal fishers in the area.
It is not very clear if the fish sanctuary and fish port projects are sanctioned by the Escalante City Government. It is also not very clear if the City Council has declared the area a fish sanctuary.
Usually, a fish sanctuary is off-limits to fishermen and its fish schools can only be harvested after a sustained period.
Also condemned
Aside from the Yanson family, several businessmen and local government units in both Negros Oriental and Occidental were also criticized for their alleged anti-fisher development projects.
The Canada-based Amtherst Nova Scotia and the Escalante City Government were lambasted for their joint- venture project in building an eco-tourism fish port in the boundaries of Barangays Alimango, Old Escalante, Jonob-Jonob, Mabini, Langub and Buenavesta.
The project covers about 300 hectares of land with 8,000 families reportedly suffering from low income.
Jose Montalbo, owner of the famous Jomabo Paradise Island Resort in Barangay Old Escalante, was also nixed for his 65-hectare resort that allegedly displaced more than 5,000 families.
The expansion of the Barcelona-owned commercial and industrial port sprawling within an 18-hectare coastal area in Barangay Danao, Escalante was also hit as more than 200 families were also reportedly affected.
Also criticized by Pamalakaya-Negros are the 200-hectare fish sanctuary in Sagay City, the development of beach resorts in Barangays Maricalum and Ilijan and the Marine Culture (Seaweed Production) in Barangay Cayhagan, all in Sipalay City in southern Negros.
The on-going construction of the international and commercial port in Banquerohan, Cadiz City and the oil exploration and drilling operations in Tañon Strait were also tagged as anti-fishers development projects.
Meanwhile, Namion said that Pamalakaya-Negros will also hold a protest rally in Bacolod this afternoon.
From the Provincial Capitol Lagoon, they will proceed to the DENR Provincial Office and to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) before proceeding to the Fountain of Justice in front of the Bacolod City Hall for the culimation of the program.
"We will air our grievances against government's inaction on the cry of Negros fishers against projects and developments which depleted their daily catch and gradually causing misery in their lives," Namion stressed.
