Monday, August 04, 2008 50 Talisay fishers go on ‘sea strike’
JUST like drivers who hold a jeepney strike, fishermen staged a similar protest to air their gripes over the rising cost of fuel and basic goods.
At least 50 members of the Panaghiusa sa Gagmayn’g Mangingisda sa Sugbo (Pamana) decided not to work Friday and held instead a “sea strike” in a coastal village in Talisay City.
Reporters saw about 20 motorbancas on the shores of Sitio Salvador, Barangay Tanke, as the fishers gave up a day’s catch.
“We are doing this to let the National Government know that we are in dire need of an oil subsidy,” said Pamana spokesperson Wilbert Dimol.
Dimol said the fishermen can no longer afford the fuel supply for their pump boats, which need three to five liters of petroleum per day.
At P60 per liter, they have to spend P180 to P300 for one fishing trip, he said.
Dimol said that majority of the fishers get shortchanged because they normally catch only three kilos at most, for which they earn P160.
“Maybe we should abandon the use of motorbancas and go back to manual paddling as one of our alternatives,” he added.
The protesters dramatized their plight by sharing a meal of yellow corn, instead of well-milled commercial rice, and low-priced tuloy fish.
The yellow corn cost them P24 a kilo, while the fish was P35 kilo.
“We don’t have to rely on the National Food Authority’s P18.25-per-kilo rice because we have to queue in line for hours and the most we can get is one or two kilos,” added Lloyd, a Pamana member.
Pamana is also protesting an oil exploration by NorAsian Energy Ltd., an Australian company.
Dimol said that seismic surveys were conducted last year after the Department of Energy (DOE) granted NorAsian service contract 51.
This allows the firm to search for oil and gas deposits in the Bohol-Cebu strait.
Dimol said the area covers the seas off Sibonga and Argao towns in southern Cebu and Borbon, Tabogon, Bogo, Medellin and Medellin in the north.
NorAsian, he added, is set to start its oil drilling this week. Pamana also called on the immediate scrapping of the oil deregulation law and for President Arroyo to step down from her post. (GC)
