It was midday in the coastal town of San Jose, Navotas. Jennifer Zamora’s family had finished hauling what they could from their mussel farms in Manila Bay despite the season being unsuitable for harvest. Two barges mounted with diggers had already destroyed neighboring farms, and Jennifer dreaded every passing day that their livelihoods may be demolished next.
The government’s urgency to “rehabilitate” Manila Bay leaves thousands of fisherfolk like Jennifer in a state of precarity. Under the guise of environmental initiatives, the state forwards its projects by dispossessing thousands of families of their livelihoods and homes.
Fair Fishing
The Navotas fisherfolk have developed a symbiotic relationship with marine life by sustaining each other. However, the government imprudently views the fisherfolk’s livelihoods as an obstacle to the bay’s development.
Jennifer hails from a family of fisherfolk and was born and raised in San Jose. At 50, she continues the fishing practices of her kin, relying on catches to feed her family and pay her bills.
Jennifer, 50, hails from a family of fisherfolk and was born and raised in San Jose. (Darlene Cruz/Philippine Collegian)
“Umiikot talaga [ang] mundo namin sa dagat. ‘Yan na nagpa-aral sa ’kin, nagpa-aral sa mga anak ko. Pero siguro kung mawawala ‘yan, ‘di namin alam kung ano ikabubuhay namin,” Jennifer said.
Small boats line up the shores, used for hauling and traveling to the mussel farms built with anahaw and bamboo. (Darlene Cruz/Philippine Collegian)
Thousands of fisherfolk like Jennifer consider the area their home, and the bay their livelihood. Small boats line up the shores, used for hauling and traveling to the mussel farms built with anahaw and bamboo. Constructing these farms costs P90,000 just for nets alone, according to Jennifer.
A group of six to 10 fishermen start as early as 5:30 a.m. to harvest mussels, diving up to seven meters deep. They return at 10 a.m. and spend the rest of the day preparing their catch for sale in the wet markets. Fisherfolk typically earn P7,000 for 10 tubs of mussels, but Jennifer said prices have decreased due to demolition, with some losing more than 80 percent of their income.
A group of six to 10 fishermen start as early as 5:30 a.m. to harvest mussels, diving up to seven meters deep. (Darlene Cruz/Philippine Collegian)
On February 23, the fisherfolk received a demolition notice from the Navotas City Agricultural Office for lacking permits to operate. Jennifer said that they had been paying for permits for more than three decades. But in 2021, the local government refused to renew them without explanation. By March 18, barges were already dismantling their structures.
The local government of Navotas also cited the 2008 Supreme Court Mandamus ordering agencies “to clean up and rehabilitate Manila Bay.” It claimed that the farms are damaging the environment.
However, the fisherfolk’s structures cultivate marine life by serving as artificial coral reefs for fish and mussels, while destroying the farms does the opposite by creating debris. “Sabi [ng gobyerno] lilinisin nila, pero di naman basura [ang] pang-hanapbuhay namin. Pinang-iitlugan ng isda ‘yan,” said Jennifer.
She believes that if the main goal was rehabilitation, then the surrounding commercial ships that dump oil and pollute the waters would be targeted rather than the fisherfolk working to sustain their families.
Over 200 mussel farms will be destroyed, with more than 1,000 fisherfolks affected by the operation, according to the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA).
Diving Against the Tide
The government is determined to clear the waters for its own distorted view of rehabilitation. Genuine development plans should not require the devastation of a whole community’s source of livelihood.
According to PAMALAKAYA, this may be a step toward the 650-hectare Navotas Coastal Bay Reclamation Project that expands the area for residential, commercial, and industrial use. It is one of the 22 projects in Manila Bay and is expected to be greenlit this year.
Some of the fisherfolk in Navotas originated from Bulacan, relocating in 2021 due to the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport. This will be their second time experiencing demolition.
Despite the looming destruction of their livelihoods, Jennifer has received no semblance of support from the government.
Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco explicitly stated in their dialogue with the fisherfolk not to hope for an extension and offered small loans instead of genuine assistance. But this will only further their precarity with long-term debt. The local government evaded all forms of accountability because the fisherfolk were advised to find jobs elsewhere instead of being provided a relocation site.
Alvin Zamora, Jennifer’s 48-year-old husband, deemed this impossible given their circumstances. Unlike most lines of work, fishing and harvesting mussels are community efforts that do not discriminate against age or education. This is what they fight to keep, he said.
Alvin Zamora travels toward the mussel farms that are being dismantled by the local government. (Darlene Cruz/Philippine Collegian)
A Chance to Catch Again
The Navotas fisherfolk require assistance, but more critically, deserve a voice in plans that directly threaten their livelihoods. Jennifer is currently forming a recognized organization for their community. She said the first step is attaining a temporary restraining order to halt operations while they file a case against the demolition.
However, legal representation remains elusive since a private attorney would cost them P120,000. As of now, their pooled funds could not afford even half the fee.
PAMALAKAYA demands that the government discontinue reclamation projects detrimental to the fisherfolk and instead implement genuine rehabilitation programs that cultivate reefs and ecosystems.
Without government action and financial support, the fisherfolk worry about the barges that continue to demolish their farms and the future they may have without them. For Jennifer, her child may discontinue school now that their means to afford a comfortable life is gone.
As the state continues its unrelenting project, Jennifer remains steadfast in opposing the demolition. She hopes her initiatives are enough to allow them to harvest without the dread of seeing their farms reduced to driftwood. By stemming the tide of demolition, her community may have a chance to catch again. ●
