MANY fishermen are leaving their livelihood and looking for other jobs like construction or factory workers, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said.
This is due to the high cost of production and many fishers in a municipal level are shifting to other occupation, believing these as more stable sources of income than fishing, the militant fishers’ group added.
Pamalakaya issued the statement as prices of petroleum products increased on Tuesday, March 8, making it the 10th increase since the beginning of the year.
Prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene have increased by P3.60 per liter, P5.85 per liter, and P4.10 per liter respectively.
“There are significant numbers of small fisherfolk abandoning their boats and leaving their fishing grounds in search for other jobs that won’t cost them a lot of money for expensive fuel,” Pamalakaya national spokesperson Ronnel Arambulo said.
“This trend of labor outmigration in the fishing sector is a cause of concern as it might spark a domino effect to the fisheries production, market prices, and ultimately domestic food security,” he added.
Pamalakaya said that price of diesel in coastal areas in Zambales province is now at P67 per liter, marking up the fuel cost for an average of 12-liter consumption fishing trip to P804 from P672 when diesel was still at P56 per liter just a couple weeks ago.
The fishers’ group said 80 percent of the entire fishing production cost goes to fuel alone.
Pamalakaya urged the government to expedite and unconditionally distribute full fuel subsidy to farmers and fishers who are among the hardest hit of the series of oil price hikes and inflation of prime commodities.
“Hindi naman sana mapipilitang lisanin ng mga mangingisda ang kinagisnan nilang hanapbuhay sa dagat kung maagap lamang ang gobyerno na tugunan ang matagal na naming hinaing na subsidyo sa produksyon," Arambulo said.
“Ang ayudang produksyon ay pansamantalang magbibigay ng alwan sa mga mangingisda sa gitna ng magkakasunod na pagsirit ng presyo ng langis at mga pangunahing bilihin,” added Arambulo, a fisherman in Laguna de Bay.
Pamalakaya was referring to House Bill 9192 filed by Makabayan legislators, which stated that at least one million Filipinos employed in the fisheries and aquatic sectors, as recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), will directly receive the amount of P15,000 production subsidy.
“The production subsidy will constitute the fuel expenses of a municipal fisherfolk for at least two months. All it takes is for the Malacañang to certify the bill as urgent,” said Arambulo.