Pamalakaya slams Duterte’s poor response to oil price hike

(FILE) Fishermen prepare their net for another release in the water after a successful catch for the day. Usually if they have a good catch in the first release, they will repeat it, else they go home or transfer place. (PHOTO BY WILLIE LOMIBAO)

MANILA, Philippines — An alliance of fisherfolk on Wednesday slammed what it said was President Rodrigo Duterte’s poor response to the recent oil price hikes that it said triggered the drop in agri-fisheries production for the first quarter of this year.

“The latest low fisheries productivity is on Duterte who failed to address the issue [on the] overpricing of oil products and just resorted to meager subsidies,” Fernando Hicap, national chairman of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), said in a statement.

He added that the outgoing administration failed to probe the “fraudulent practices of oil companies on price manipulation and overpricing,” which eventually posed consequences on fisheries production, fish supply, market prices, and food security.

PAMALAKAYA also called for the “immediate distribution” of fuel subsidy among municipal fisherfolk as they were notably strained by the series of oil price increases.

The Philippine Statistics Authority on Monday recorded a slight decline in fisheries production from January to March, specifically in commercial and municipal sub-sectors.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar warned about a fish supply deficit of about 90,000 metric tons this year, based on the analysis of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

To address this impending shortfall, the Duterte administration has endeavored another round of imported fish to enter local markets by the second quarter of this year.

INQUIRER.net reached out to Malacañang for statement but has yet to respond as of posting time.

RELATED STORIES:

Pandemic worsens gov’t neglect of PH agriculture 

/MUF