Town mayor Desiree Edora has likened the disputed
Scarborough Shoal to a treasured pot of gold suddenly taken away by a giant or
formidable bandit.
She said that local fisherfolk used to enjoy festive fishing
in the shoal that they shared with other fishermen from different towns in the Philippines and neighboring countries of Vietnam , Thailand
and Taiwan
“Our fishermen treasured Scarborough Shoal as a paradise
fishing ground. It serves as their refuge from giant waves in times of
typhoons. For them, the shoal is a safe place to stay in times of weather
disturbance and dangerous sea journey,” the mayor said.
Edora said the Sangguniang Bayan of Masinloc passed a
resolution in 2011 claiming Bajo de Masinloc as part of the town adjacent to
the West Philippines
Sea until China
“From then on, fishermen of Masinloc were barred. It is like
having our own house but we are not allowed to live in it,” Edora said.
She said that 30 percent of the population of Masinloc is
dependent on fishing as their main source of income.
“The controversial issue on Scarborough
had greatly affected not only our local fisherfolk but also the community,” the
mayor said.
“Our community cannot do anything in terms of international
security and territorial disputes but we cannot deny the fact that we are
disturbed socially, culturally and economically, especially our fisherfolk,”
she said.
Fishermen leader Willy Ebito said they used to earn Php2,000
a day that went up to Php5,000 if they caught lobsters when fishing at the
Scarborough Shoal.
“Now, we only earn Php300 per day through fishing,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=762685
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