Partido Kalikasan-Phil Green Party supports AKBAYAN privilege speech on the plight of small fisherfolks & actions needed

Rich Resources, Poor Protection; Poverty Amidst Wealth: The Philippine Fisheries Resources And The Filipino Fisherfolks

Privilege Speech of Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, AKBAYAN Partylist

Mga ginagalang kong kapwa mambabatas, magandang gabi sa inyong lahat. Today, I rise on a matter of personal and collective privilege, to speak on behalf of one of the poorest sectors of our society, the Filipino fisherfolks. It is an opportune time to raise the concerns of the fisherfolks of our country today as we are already at the tail-end of the month of May, which was declared as Ocean Month by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 57 series of 1999.

As an archipelago, the Philippines has an estimated 2.2 million square kilometres of sea and around 18,000 kilometers of coastline. It is blessed with abundant marine and aquatic resources that are rich in bio-diversity and value. Our seas, rivers and lakes are among our country’s coveted wealth that has made us among the world’s largest 40 fish producing countries. In fact, we have been in the honor roll in terms of the world’s production of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatic plants where we ranked 8^th in 2003 and in 2006, and our lowest is rank 14 in 1997.

Read full speech here: http://attykaka.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/rich-resources-poor-protection-poverty-amidst-wealth-the-philippine-fisheries-resources-and-the-filipino-fisherfolks/

Partido Kalikasan Commentary:

Partido Kalikasan supports this statement of AKBAYAN. We agree on the analysis and recommendations. We are particularly concern that there is not enough social services and asset reforms; including sustainable protection of fishing grounds and priority access, of small farmers. We will support the budget advocacy to benefit small farmers; particularly those that will prepare fisher folk communities and coastal communities adopt to the ill effects of climate change.