Progressive lawmakers filed a bill seeking exclusive fishing rights for poor fisherfolk in municipal waters or 15 kilometers off Philippine coasts.
Officers and members of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) attended the filing by Kabataan Youth Rep. Renee Co who also represented fellow Makabayan representatives and co-authors Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers and Sarah Elago of Gabriela Women’s.
House Bill No. 5606, or the Atin ang Kinse Kilometro Bill, seeks to grant exclusive fishing rights to municipal and subsistence fisherfolk within the 15-kilometer of the country’s municipal waters.
The bill is in response to the controversial Malabon Court ruling declaring preferential rights of municipal fisherfolk over municipal waters “unconstitutional.”
The Atin ang Kinse Kilometro Bill affirms Section 7, Article XIII of the Constitution that mandates the protection of the rights of subsistence fishermen from foreign intrusion, PAMALAKAYA said.
The provision says local communities shall enjoy the preferential use of communal marine and fishing resources, both inland and offshore.
Makabayan’s bill wishes to strictly prohibit commercial or large-scale fishing using passive or active gear for trade, business, or profit beyond subsistence, within municipal waters and bays.
PAMALAKAYA vowed to lead a nationwide campaign for the bill’s passage through protest actions, community discussions, lobbying, and engagement with various stakeholders. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
