TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
FOLLOWING the recent fuel price surge, Jamlo Villaber, 52, a fisherman in the Municipality of Cordova, is struggling to earn a living from harvesting sea urchins, locally known as “swaki.” He sails out twice a day, with his daily fuel expenses rising from around P400 to as much as P700. On a good day, he harvests four to five pails of sea urchins, which he sells for P150 per pail, earning approximately P750.
Jamlo travels to a nearby gasoline station to fill a five-liter container for his small boat before heading to the waters near Pandanon Island. He has four children, including a 13-year-old who is still in school.
Meanwhile, operators of island-hopping boats at the Cordova ro-ro port area say rising fuel prices are also affecting their income, even as thousands of tourists visit the area on weekends. Boat operators currently charge tourists around P3,000 to P5,000 per trip. In the past, they would spend about P600 on diesel per trip; they are now spending P800 to P1,000. This is in addition to the boat captain’s salary, which is about P800 for regular boats and P1,000 to P1,500 for premium boats.
Mark Ramas Ramirez, an island-hopping boat operator, said in an interview that they are still waiting for the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to approve an increase in their tariff rates. However, he added that if diesel prices in Cordova reach P90 per liter or higher, operators may formally request fare adjustments from Marina.