Thread by @rapplerdotcom

HAPPENING NOW: Rappler, in partnership with the USAID Fish Right Program, holds a roundtable discussion on the implications of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the West Philippine Sea for Philippine food security.

rappler.com/moveph/roundta…

De La Salle University's Carmel Ablan-Lagman: [The West Philippine Sea is a] very important area because 180 M people in coastal areas depend on these fish. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Lagman: The Philippines is at the top of the 25 major areas in terms of fish production. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Lagman: Marine fisheries production is declining because the quality of the fish itself is actually changing…dati malaki yung fish, pero yung quality ay nagbabago na. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Lagman: The fish need help, the fish need regulation so they can be there for us in the future. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Lagman: We have all these policies that are very different in different countries… We can find a way to use the UNCLOS to have unified laws without having the discussion of who owns what. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Lagman: Let’s use UNCLOS to address the problem of
IUU fishing and save the fish and our fishers. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Aurea Miclat-Teves of Peoples Development Institute: Scarborough Shoal could actually produce as much as 31,000 metric tons, however this is tiny compared to the Kalayaan group which produced 62,000 to 91,000 metric tons per year. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Teves: We call on both the government and the civil society to perform their roles to promote and protect the right to adequate food for all. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Teves: The fisherfolk are actually all alone in the West Philippine Sea…The Filipino people should demand from the government what is rightfully ours. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Leonardo Cuaresma of the Masinloc Fisherfolk Association: Dahil sa ginagawa ng mga Chinese, sa nasabing lugar, ay sinira na po nila ang ating likas na yaman. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Cuaresma: Kung mawalan man ang mga Chinese Coastguard na diyan sa Scarborough Shoal ay hindi na po kagaya ng dati, yung volume ng huli ng isda sa nasabing lugar. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Rey Ramilo of Community Centered Conservation Philippines: Malungkot ang mga kwento na naririnig natin, pero hindi tayo dapat tumigil bilang mga Filipino na ipagtanggol ang pangisdaan natin. Malungkot na marinig ang mga kwento, pero may magagawa tayo. | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Lagman: Matagal na kami pumupunta sa Masinloc...nadadala namin yan sa classroom kung saan natuturuan ang susunod na henerasyon. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Ramilo: We have youth educators, peer educators at teachers para mas madali nilang maintindihan kung sila’y makikipagusap sa kanilang kapwa mangingisda...bakit ba kasi di natin maconvert ang mga nag-illegal fishing. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Teves: There is a proliferation of fish nets and fish cages, and the mangroves are being destroyed to give way to the fish cages which heed the destruction sa mga nakatira doon...nawawala na yan. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Teves: The public needs to know the importance of the West Philippine Sea in food security. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Teves: I think the first and foremost is for the government to define the position on the West Philippine Sea with respect to our national interest. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Teves: Hindi puwede na yung interes ng ibang bansa ang ating ipinangangalagaan… We should have a definite stand on the West Philippine Sea and we should implement the arbitral ruling. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Teves: We can develop a plan in conjunction with other countries in the region, in terms of our regional interest instead of the interests of one country. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Teves: We need to have a campaign, advocacy training, and education, not only for the fisherfolk, but also especially for the future generation. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Lagman: Puro kwento eh... Kailangan natin ng mga demonstration sites kung saan tayo nag-aagree o kung saan meron tayong policy ng close and open season and we can show how nag-improve ang fisheries' production. #OurFishOurLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Ramilo: Kung simple kang mamamayan at nakikita mo na yung mga nagawa niyang polisiya, pagkikilos, at panananalita niya ay angkop at maaring makatulong sa sarili, pamilya, at sa komunidad mo, baka siya ang tamang kandidato na ihalal. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | @maralmendras

@maralmendras Ramilo: Hindi yan dapat lang sa halalan. Mahalaga yung science...mag-research, tignan at alukin. Ano ba ang mga nagawa nito? Ano ang kasaysayan nito bilang isang ama, ina, o miyembro ng komunidad? #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Jacqueline Joyce Espenilla of UP IMLOS: Appreciation, empathy, and awareness. Narinig natin kung gaano kaimportante and West Philippine Sea sa ating lahat. Alam natin na importante siya para sa ekonomiya natin at para sa kultura natin. #OurFishOurLife | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Espenilla: Importante din siya para sa seguridad natin as a country. The fact of the matter is, the word connectivity is something na na-emphasize. Kung ano ang nangyayari doon na napakalayo, darating at darating dito sa mga bahay natin. #OurFishOurLife | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Espenilla: The effect reverberates throughout the country and throughout the region. This is a regional issue, hindi natin solo ang mga negative effect na nangyayari sa West Philippine Sea. This is a common concern that requires a common solution. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife

@maralmendras Espenilla: Lahat tayo dapat may pakialam. It's hard to pinpoint exactly the full effect of it…we know it is in fact something to be alarmed about. We're talking [about] millions of fish and billions of pesos in damage. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Espenilla: Empathy. For many people it is very hard to care about the West Philippine Sea, napakalayo eh. Walang kinalaman sa pang-araw-araw natin na buhay dito. For many people, it's just about lines in the water. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

@maralmendras Espenilla: Our fisherfolk are our frontliners. They are our unsung heroes that have helped bring our food to our tables and they have in fact been giving so much and are receiving so little. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Espenilla: One way we can do this is to help the [the fisherfolk] become more aware of what rights they have as fisherfolk, and beyond that, we should take measures to help protect them. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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@maralmendras Espenilla: Hindi naman sa walang ginagawa ang gobyerno, meron naman po talaga. But as I said, this is a complex problem, so walang silver bullet that can just fix everything overnight. #OurFishOurLife #ThisIsdaLife | via @maralmendras

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