Chinese coast guard rubber boats approach but with amiable bearing. Image from News5 broadcast.
The local manlalaot from Masinloc, Zambales were at first somewhat dumbfounded, but the bafflement later gave way to elation.
The group of fishermen who'd come ashore from a sortie out at Bajo de Masinloc, or Kulumpol ng Panatag [Scarborough Shoal] reported cheerfully that they were able to catch a lot of fish this week – with NO HARASSMENT from the Chinese Coast Guard.
According to the one of the fishermen, it seemed like the Chinese had suddenly become nice to them.
News5 managed to interview the group of fishermen of the boat, Ruvina, Thursday morning as soon as they dropped anchor at Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan.
They had gone out to sea on Sunday, hoping they'll be staying there for two weeks like they used to do, but, one of them told News5, in Filipino, "it was not to be ... our two weeks was drastically cut short. Our expedition lasted only four days."
"Apat na araw lang kami sa laot, andami na naming huli eh," said Saldy the señor [master, or leader/foreman] of the group.
According to Saldy, as they were about to cross the boundary of Scarborough, the Chinese Coast Guard ship that was customarily on guard around the shoal, predictably appeared.
Saldy and his men got ready for the cat-and-mouse routine, but, to their surprise the Chinese were in a relaxed, lighthanded mood: "Pagdating nung malaking barko ng Coast Guard nila, may binaba sila na dalawang rubber boat. Tapos lumapit samin, tiningnan lang naman kami. Tapos lumipat sa ibang Bangka pero umikot ikot lang sila (The big ship approached, and launched two rubber boats, which came to us and only encircled our bancas and did nothing else)," Saldy recounted.
'Tiningnan lang kami'
Furthermore, Saldy said, amazingly, when his group proceeded closer to the shoal where the schools of fish were plentiful, the Chinese didn't even bother to follow. "Tiningnan lang kami (They just watched us)."
For Saldy and his crew, the whole thing had become Business Unusual.
The government had previously tried to restrain local fishermen from approaching the contested shoal, to avoid fueling tension with China, which had for some time now dispatched patrols around the area.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources even went to the extent of installing "payaos" [artificial fish aggregating structures] at alternative spots, where they can fish, thus somewhat mitigating their loss of livelihood opportunity. But the payaos could provide only so much, paling in comparison to the natural marine habitat out at the shoal.
"When the moon is high, there is no fish, of course. The rock fish, those that make rock formations and corals their home, andun lahat sa (they're all at) Kalboro [Scarborough]," Billy said, one of the fishermen.
This was the reason they took the risk of facing up to the Chinese rather than return home empty handed.
Sudden change
Another fisherman named Noel, him whose hobby was recording cell phone video footages, has a fairly comprehensive compilation since 2014. Only last January 8, Noel had to try hiding his phone while recording footage of the Chinese Coast Guard chasing them.
This May 2, while the Masinloc fishermen were staying put near but not at Bajo de Masinloc, the Chinese approached their mother boat and shouted "GO! GO!" with matching hand gestures shooing them away.
But the recent video he played back for News5, taken just last Tuesday, showed a sudden change: the Chinese were just passing them by.
Noel reported that another Filipino fishermen's boat entered the shoal directly, but the Chinese just let them be: "Yung isang bangka nga, ang tapang nun. Pumasok talaga, mukhang lalaban nga sa mga coast guard pero hindi naman sila sinita. Hindi rin pinaalis (He just bravely entered the area, seemingly ready for challenge, but they didn't pay him any mind)," said Noel.
How they wish, further, that this development would continue to be beneficial for the locals like them, "Kung ganyan-ganyan sila eh di maganda (If this goes on, then it's good)."
Scarborough shoal does not just provide fish and livelihood for the locals. It also serves as a critical safety net, a sanctuary and protection from ravaging rough seas especially during stormy weather.
The huge blocks of rocks on the shoal can securely shelter their boats, "We would die of hypothermia when the cold winds blow," Noel said.
When the Chinese started constricting access to the area in 2012, they lost the sanctuary of Panatag. "Uuwi ka talaga kahit delikado (You can't take refuge there, you're forced to make your way home at your own risk."
"We really hope this change will be for good."
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The economic nuts and bolts of fishing at Panatag
It did not used to be like this, but being out at sea for as long as a week or more had become the norm for local fishermen from Masinloc since China "occupied" the area around Panatag.
They now have to spend more time, and the business of catching fish requires a huge amount of capital for the operators or boat owners.
Mrs. Arcilla, one of the few local mother boat owners, explains a typical expedition consists of about five boats: "Yan pong bangka namin, lagi pong may sasampa diyan na apat na baby boat (Each mother boat will have four daughter boats)."
These baby boats are the ones that will roam around the waters, while the mother boat stays put. Before sailing, the mother ship will stock up on about P80,000 to P100,000 for the fuel (diesel, gasoline), ice, food and other fishing supplies and material.
"Pinangungutang po namin yan. Ganun talaga kamahal ma'am full tank niyan nasa 40,000. Tapos yung financer pa may malinis na cut yan na 5 percent (We have to get a loan for this amount. Just the fuel alone can come up to P40,000. The financier expects a 5% cut)," Mrs. Arcilla points out, elaborating that an expedition typically carries with it a crew of 11 to 15 fishermen.
Ten "large," as they call it, is what they refer to as 10 large sized Styrofoam boxes. These have to be filled up for the investment to be recouped.
"At least, pag napuno yan kahit papano mabebenta mo na yan ng 130,000 pesos (The 10 Large Boxes can be expected to fetch around P130,000 at prevailing prices)."
However, the mother boat also has two compartments midship that can hold more catch. "Pag yan puno rin, sigurado na malaki kikitain niyo pati nung mga mangingisda. Pwede ka makabenta ng hanggang P230,000 (If that hold also gets filled up, then you can look at a gross of around P230,000)," says Mrs. Arcilla.
Diego Dimaras, another fisherman, explains how much they earn from all this: "Pag nakapuno lang po ng sampung large, mapupunta lang sa amin diyan minsan tatlong libo (The income from the 10 Large corresponds to about P3,000 in earnings for us)."
But a good sortie can mean going home with thousands of pesos more, "Papalo po ng mga nasa sampung libo pag maganda po huli (We can go home with as much as P10,000 on a good trip)," according to Diego.
China's harassment around Panatag, they say, prevents the local fishermen from earn much. Most of the time, they return to port with only P2,500 to P3,000 after spending three long weeks at sea.
But, these past days, were not quite the same: When Chinese became more amiable, "kumita po kami ng tig 13 thousand dahil nakapag isda kami sa Kalboro. Apat na araw lang kami dun (We earned P13,000 in just four days)", Saldy said, a wide grin on his face.
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Duterte magic
The Chinese coast guard's relaxed posture surprised the local fishermen, who surmised that, "probably" Beijing is being less adversarial to the local folk in the context of a new incoming administration to be led by Rodrigo Duterte.
Saldy can't help but note: "Hindi ko alam kung bakit sila bumait, baka may pinakain si Duterte sa kanila (I can't put my finger on it. Could it because of Duterte magic?)."
On Monday this past week, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua personally had a meeting with the incoming president Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City, where they figuratively opened the doors for bilateral talks once again.
This was in spite of a prior announcement by Beijing that they are planning to "develop" Scarborough. But, according to the local fishermen, apart from the coast guard vessels of China, there's nothing in there to indicate any new activity. "Pero parang kanila na talaga eh, kasi kontrolado nila (But it's like it's theirs. They control the place)," Diego said.
Regardless of the territorial tension, the local fishermen wish Duterte will be their life saver by recovering "what is rightfully ours."
"Gusto ko talaga mabawi yan. Kasi atin naman yan eh. Hindi kanila yan. Dapat umalis na sila diyan, malaking tulong yan sa aming mga manlalaot (We want to recover Panatag. It's rightfully ours. Not theirs. They should leave. That will be a boon to us fishing folk)," Billy said with conviction....
http://interaksyon.com/article/128094/watch-business-unusual--chinese-ease-panatag-tension-pinoy-fishers-back
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