MANILA — A fisherfolk group recorded tens of thousands of fishers forced to halt fishing activities due to rough seas.

According to the June 13 monitoring of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) 47,000 fishers in Batangas, 27,000 in Zambales, and 30,000 in Cavite were affected by Habagat, which signifies the onset of the southwest monsoon season.  Fishermen have been docked for two weeks, and temporarily stopped sailing which affected their livelihood.

This is following the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announcement that May 30 is the start of the southwest monsoon season.  Pagasa said that the country’s western regions will experience periodic to regular thunderstorms and rainfall.

Pamalakaya urged the Department of Agriculture to immediately mobilize their calamity assistance fund to provide economic aid to small-scale fisherfolk struggling from the impacts of Habagat.

Pamalakaya National Chairperson Fernando Hicap said that the rainy season may not only mean loss of income, it is also dangerous for the small boats to sail during Habagat.

One instance is in Zambales where a small fishing boat carrying two fishermen in San Antonio town capsized after being battered by successive waves.

Hilda Reyes, president of the San Miguel Fish Vendors, Inc. in San Antonio, Zambales, said that one of the fishermen almost died when his boat capsized and his fishing equipment was washed away.

Hicap said that the negligence of the government worsens the conditions of vulnerable sectors such as fishermen.” He urged the government agencies to use their allocated funds immediately to address the severe effects of the disaster. (AMU, RVO)

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