People power in the countryside

Amid the worsening state of the region’s marine resources, a sliver of hope glimmers in small communities that have long suffered under the yoke of poverty which was inflicted by their own wasteful ways and destructive methods of fishing.

Residents of Bato and Tagabuli recall with a bit of sadness the sounds of dynamite blasts which occured everyday a decade ago.

"Dili maihap pila kabuto madunggan diri. Tanan klaseng ilegal (You couldn’t count the number of explosions that could be heard. People were into all illegal methods). Dynamite, cyanide, naa ba ‘tong baling (even using nets that are weighed down to destroy corals and force the fishes out)," Barangay Bato kagawad Rosalina Lopez said in an interview during the launching of a training program on seaweed culture, an income diversification component of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) Fisheries Resource Management Project (FRMP).

Pointing to a mangrove patch, Kagawad Lopez noted that a few years ago, there was not a single mangrove tree left standing there.

"Putlon man na kay panghimo ug balay. Matibay yan ’no (People cut mangroves to make houses with as lumber from mangrove are strong)," she said. Cutting the mangroves are now prohibited. Fishing is also prohibited in that area because that is a sanctuary. Lopez said they passed a barangay resolution for that.

Sta. Cruz Mayor Joel Ray Lopez, who won his first term in 1995 when destructive fishing was still the mode, echoed this observation. "Very noted ang dynamite fishing dito," he said.

Almost all fishermen in Sitio Lawis, Barangay Bato were into illegal fishing, both the kagawad and the mayor said. Some menfolk have cut off hands to show for it. It was difficult to introduce a more sustainable way of fishing, she recalled.

"At the start, when people did not understand about preserving their marine resources, it was difficult to wean them from destructive methods of fishing. They were only convinced when they saw that such programs can alleviate their livelihood," Lopez said.

It was sometime in 1998 when seaweed culture as an alternative source of income was encouraged among residents.

A migrant from Zamboanga introduced seaweed farming sometime in the late 1970s, said Toting Lacuman, treasurer of the Christian Muslim Association (Chrimulas) in Bato. But it was only sometime in 1984 when residents started to look at the endeavor as a possible source of income.

But bad habits are hard to break and so they continued with illegal fishing as their primary income source. By the 1980s marine resources in Bato could hardly feed a family.

"Nanangat man ang akong bana, spend na siya whole night sa dagat makakuha lang siya ug usa, duha ka kilo (My husband is a fisherman and he would spend the whole night out at sea and only catch as much as one to two kilos)," Kagawad Lopez recalled. Now, in just a few hours of fishing, the average catch is from seven to 10 kilos.

With assistance from the BFAR for seaweed farming, life at Sitio Lawis has become much better.

"Seaweed farming can provide for our family," Lacuman said. Buying price, he said, is P3 per kilo for fresh seaweed and P15 per kilo for dried.

People in the village used to live in ramshackled huts. Now several houses are made of concrete hollow blocks and they already have a potable water source. A few remain standing but they are no longer ramshackled.

Chrimulas chairman Man Suwaib said to sustain what they started in Lawis, they have laid down rules for seaweed culture to ensure that their people benefit the most from what they have collectively protected and rehabilitated.

One rule says non-members are not allowed to use the village’s area for seaweed culture and they have to respect the no-take zones in their barangay waters.

"Karon kay association na man mi, ang association na pud ang mangita’g buyer para mas makapangita mi ug dako ang presyo (Now that we are organized, it will also be the association that will look for a buyer. As a group, we can haggle for a higher buying price)," Suwaib added.

With 100 kilos of seaweed seedlings for each seaweed farmer in Lawis from BFAR-FRMP and technical assistance, residents of Lawis are looking forward to bigger profit.

In Tagabuli, the womenfolk have a different story to tell.

Having been organized as the Tagabuli Women Workers Association (TAWWA) in March 2001 for a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) project for women, the women, who were at that time mostly housewives have taken a more active part in generating income for the family.

From sewing, TAWWA has diversified to managing fishcages, again as a component of the BFAR-FRMP income diversification project.

TAWWA is into polyculture of bangus and danggit. They just had their second cropping and are looking forward to making a better venture by their third cropping, Larizza Pulton, TAWWA treasurer said.

It’s still a learning process, TAWWA chairperson Lita Tablada admitted. Their first cropping fared well. The earnings for their second cropping were just enough to cover their expenses for the third cropping. But that’s not stopping them from striving to make their venture prosper.

"Sa karon, pag-harvest sa fishcage naa mi sud-anon (Right now, we are assured of getting fish for our families when we harvest)," Pulton said.

The technical assistance from BFAR is vital as they have little technical knowledge on fish culture.

The group has also undergone training on bangus deboning by BFAR under its post-harvest technology component that teaches fish processing for value-added products.

After years of introducing reforms, people are finally realizing that preserving their marine resources would not deprive them of their main means of livelihood. On the contrary, preserving their marine resources is a viable venture as it revives their dwindling resources and give them greater profit in the process.

Mayor Lopez attributes the rejuvenation of their marine resources to the cooperation of the people with the full support of both local and national agencies.

"Our experience in Sta. Cruz showed that we should have a convergence of efforts plus the cooperation of the fisherfolk," Mayor Lopez said.

As the chief executive of a municipality whose people predominantly rely on marine resources for livelihood, he sees the local government unit as the authority that should ensure the sustainability of all projects and programs geared toward marine resources protection.

"It is important for the local government to sustain these activities so that people will not get tired doing it," he said.

One thing he is sure of is that dynamite fishing in Sta. Cruz is now a thing of the past and he has his people to thank for that. The former dynamite fishers themselves who through concerted efforts of national and local government agencies and concerned individuals have finally been convinced that destructive methods do not only kill fish and corals, they also kill people and drag their families to dire poverty.

Through all these experiences, the residents themselves have come to realize that they stand a better chance of ensuring a better future for their children if they close ranks and work together.

While getting organized was just incidental for both associations — the TAWWA having organized to participate in the livelihood program of the DSWD and the Chrimulas because of a threat of demolition — they are now beneficiaries of livelihood programs that they may not have known about had they remained as individuals struggling for a living.

"The people are actually reaping the fruits of their success," Mayor Lopez said. — BFAR Region XI