US vice president’s visit inspires Philippine fishermen

US vice president’s visit inspires Philippine fishermen

US Vice President Kamala Harris sparked hope on Nov. 20 among Filipino fishermen who claimed they had been displaced by Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Harris arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, together with her husband lawyer Doug Emhoff, at 6:55 pm on board Air Force Two.

The Vice President, the highest US official to visit the Philippines during President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s administration, was welcomed by Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez and Chief of Presidential Protocol Adelio Cruz.

The vice president and her entourage were set to visit Palawan on Nov. 22 to meet with members of the Philippine Coast Guard and several local fishermen.

A group of fishermen in the region said the US visit raises hope to end the “bullying” they have been experiencing from Chinese vessels in the waters of Palawan.

In November 2021, Chinese coast guards allegedly fired water cannons at two Philippine boats carrying supplies to a disputed island in the West Philippine Sea.

Two months later, at least seven fishing boats were expelled by Chinese ships in disputed waters despite a 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration affirming the country’s exclusive right to fish within its exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles from its shores.

“We are grateful for the presence of Vice President Kamala Harris because it assures us that the United States will ensure the implementation of award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. We have been deprived of our right to fish that led to poorer catches,” Palawan fisherman Donald Prejo told UCA News.

Prejo said they could not meet their quota because Chinese fishermen were “often” armed with water cannons that shooed Filipino fishermen away.

“We have no choice but to save our lives first. But by saving our lives, we have lost our source of income. We have lost our right to catch fish despite a favorable ruling,” Prejo added.

The Philippines National Food Authority estimated the country has lost over 3.6 million kilos of fish due to the presence of Chinese fishing vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

“We still will lose 7.2 million kilos of fish every month if we will allow Chinese vessels to fish in our waters. That’s billions of pesos worth of catch that should have gone to our local economy, particularly to our fishermen,” Philippine food authority expert Joel Lacuna told UCA News.

Lacuna raised a red flag over China’s alleged reclamation projects in several disputed islands that destroyed marine life and ecosystem in the West Philippines Sea.

“Studies have shown that the area’s coral reef ecosystem plays an important role as spawning and nursery grounds, egg and larval dispersal of economically important species not only for the West Philippine Sea area but the entire South China Sea and even the Pacific Ocean,” Lacuna said.

“Clearly, the illegal Chinese activities in the area are detrimental not only for Filipino fishermen. Their actions affect the food security of the entire South China Sea region. It is just and proper for all citizens to voice their concern about the current situation,” he added.

The fishermen likewise hoped the US would maintain a military presence in the West Philippine Sea to allow them to fish and to let China know Filipino fishermen have US support.

“It’s different if you are an ally of the US. No country could easily bully you. Thus, if they still stay or at least conduct marine patrols, less bullying or firing of water cannons would be recorded,” the group’s secretary Mario Diwa told UCA News.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Social Acton, Justice and Peace said prelates had no power to negotiate with the world’s superpowers but they would do their “prophetic role” in defending the weak and the abused.

“We are not a state neither we are a superpower. But we will do our role of shepherds who take care of the weak sheep,” Caritas Chief Bishop Jose Kolin Bagaforo told UCA News.