Filipino Fishermen’s Catch Nothing Compared to Vietnam, China’s
The Philippine government must increase its defense and assistance to Filipino fisherfolks who are the most affected by the territorial dispute.
The Philippines is visibly taking precautions in dealing with China over the territorial dispute. The PH government recently clarified that it is not picking up a fight with the Chinese government but only asserting our rights over the cutting of the barrier reportedly set by the Chinese authorities to ward off Filipinos.
Honestly, as to how I see it, China and the Philippines are already on a silent fight over the disputed islands. The former is defeating our country by boosting its security arm in the Philippine waters. The 2016 arbitral tribunal seems to have no effect at all to the Chinese government’s claim.
The arbitral tribunal sided the Philippines’ claim of ownership of the disputed bodies of water. However, while the verdict placed PH in a higher ground, China never recognized it. The Chinese government even boosted its presence even more in the Philippine waters.
While it is understandable that the Philippines is only avoiding a physical battle against China which is a super power, I believe that the Philippine government must exert all efforts to help the Filipino fisherfolks who are greatly affected by the territorial dispute. Several Filipino fishermen claim that they cannot freely fish in some areas of the Philippine waters because the Chinese authorities are sending them away.
Some fishermen expressed their hopes that the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will increase their presence in the areas so the Chinese will also be intimidated from driving them away when they fish.
Unfortunately, the catch of Pinoy fishermen are nothing compared to those of the foreign vessels of Vietnam and China. The latter is reportedly using light that they attract tons of fish.
I hope that the Philippine government will not close its eyes on the Filipinos who are greatly affected by the territorial dispute. While a displomatic resolution will benefit everyone, I believe the government must do actions to help the most affected Pinoys by the dispute.
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Disclaimer: The content of the article posted above is an opinion of the writer. Also, the citations provided are based on the information deemed as facts by the different legit sources that contribute to the basis of the making of the whole viewpoint. The writer does not, in any form, intend to create inaccurate understanding of the topic or influence the readers instead, express one’s viewpoint in a formal manner.