Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan of Bicol Saro party-list group expressed confidence that the newly appointed national director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) would intensify the agency’s “laser focus” on protecting the welfare and uplifting the plight of small-scale fishers.
Yamsuan, the chairperson of the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources, said he saw in new BFAR Director Elizer Salilig the “passion and dedication” to help the country’s over 2 million marginalized fisherfolk free themselves from the cycle of poverty that have trapped them for decades.
“We certainly welcome the President’s appointment of Mr. Elizer Salilig as the new national director of BFAR. Director Salilig’s vast institutional memory and experience, especially when it comes to improving the plight of poor fishing communities, certainly assures us that with him at the helm, BFAR would be able to expand and enhance its programs to support our beleaguered fisherfolk and boost our food security,” Yamsuan said.
Salilig and several key officials of the the BFAR made a courtesy call on Yamsuan on Wednesday or during the last day of session of Congress on Feb. 5.
Yamsuan said safeguarding the interests of small fisherfolk is crucial at this time when their survival could be threatened by a Supreme Court (SC) decision which cleared the way for commercial fishing companies to gain unobstructed access to municipal waters.
He was referring to the SC First Division ruling which upheld a 2023 decision of the Malabon Regional Trial Court (RTC) to invalidate certain provisions of the Fisheries Code that gave small fisherfolk preferential access to municipal waters. Acting on the petition of the Mercidar Fishing Corporation, the Malabon RTC said the provision under the Fisheries Code granting this preferential access to small-scale fishers was unconstitutional.
Under the Fisheries Code, small-scale fishers are given preferential acess over the 15-kilometer municipal water zone to protect not only their livelihoods but also ensure the sustainability of marine ecosystems.
A motion asking the Supreme Court to reverse its ruling has already been filed by BFAR.
Salilig said during his meeting with Yamsuan that BFAR has given top priority to the case involving the Supreme Court ruling. He also pointed out the need to study amendments to the Fisheries Code to ensure that both municipal and commercial fishers mutually benefit while ensuring the sustainability of the country’s marine resources.
Yamsuan said the aquaculture and fisheries resources committee is prepared to hold an inquiry on the social and economic repercussions of the high court ruling, in response to the resolution filed by fellow lawmakers asking the panel to conduct an investigation into this urgent concern.
The Congress adjourned on February 8 and will resume session on June 2, 2025.
Small fisherfolk have found an ally in Salilig, a long-time career government official who rose from the ranks, and whose programs before he was named BFAR chief were aimed at empowering municipal fishing communities.
Yamsuan said he is confident that under Salilig, the BFAR would be able to provide small fisherfolk with the necessary tools and knowledge to enable them to expand their income opportunities.
“The irony is that our small fisherfolk remain among the poorest of the poor despite our abundant marine resources. We are happy to learn that Director Salilig has long been helping municipal fishing communities in processing and marketing their catch, along with assisting them in utilizing modern tools as a means to raise their incomes. We will work with Director Salilig to assist him in getting his programs implemented on a nationwide scale and with sufficient funding,” Yamsuan said.