Pangilinan backs small fisherfolk access to 15-km municipal water zone

Pangilinan backs small fisherfolk access to 15-km municipal water zone

Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan expressed his full support for reinstating the 15-kilometer municipal water zone that gives preferential access to small-scale fishermen.Photo from the Office of Kiko PangilinanNoting a current petition asking to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision to declare as unconstitutional the 15-kilometer municipal water zone, the former senator said it is unfair for commercial fishing vessels to en…

Protect Municipal Waters From Encroachment

The battle for fish is no longer just at sea. It’s now between small-scale subsistence fishers and commercial operators muscling into municipal waters—often with the silent blessing of local officials. In coastal provinces like Iloilo and Guimaras, this quiet encroachment has become a daily threat to the livelihoods of poor fisherfolk who depend on nearshore fishing to survive. Under Philippine law, municipal waters—defined as up to 15 kilometer…