Fisherfolk want workers’ pay hike, fuel subsidy

Fisherfolk join protest for workers’ wage hike and call for fuel subsidy | Photos from Pamalakaya

MANILA, Philippines — A fisherfolk group on Sunday staged a protest calling for the government to increase workers’ wages as well as provide a production subsidy to cover fuel expenses amid rising inflation.

The fisherfolk made their call as labor groups conducted a motorcade in wage-hike protest, urging the government to provide a family living wage.

“Kahit hindi sahuran ang karamihan sa mga mangingisda, makikinabang kami sa pagtaas ng sahod ng mga manggagawa dahil tataas din ang kanilang kakayahang bilhin ang produkto naming isda,” the fisherfolk said in a statement by Pamalakaya.

(Even if most of the fishermen are not paid, we will benefit from the increase in the wages of the workers because their ability to buy our fish product will also increase.)

According to the group, an increase in the purchasing power of workers will also lead to an increase in market demand and farm gate prices of agricultural products such as fish.

“Sa pagbaba naman ng presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin tulad ng langis, tiyak ang pagtaas ng produktibidad ng mga mangingisda,”  Pamalakaya National spokesperson Ronnel said in a statement.

(With the decrease in the price of basic commodities such as oil, the productivity of fishermen will surely increase.)

Pamalakaya said that the Marcos administration is to blame for the rising inflation due to its lack of concrete measures to address the rising prices of basic commodities, including agricultural and fisheries products

It then reiterated its call for a P15,000 production subsidy that will cover at least two months of fuel expenses of a fisher and urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to abolish importation policies amid the devaluation of the Philippine peso against the U.S. dollar.

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