Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the fuel assistance being extended to tricycle and jeepney drivers in various parts of the country should also cover small farmers and fisherfolk who are equally burdened by rising fuel prices and are essential to maintaining the country’s food supply.
Escudero made the statement after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed that nearly half of the fishers in Luzon have stopped going out to sea due to soaring fuel prices.
“Sana ay mabigyan ng karagdagang tulong ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda bukod sa nailaan na ng pamahalaan para sa kanila sapagkat hindi naman talaga sapat ang subsidiyang binibigay,” the veteran legislator said. “Hindi sila dapat maiwan sa anumang ayuda ng pamahalaan.”
To this end, Escudero said both the national and local governments must exert every effort to ensure that fishing communities in various parts of the country receive help the soonest.
He noted that several localities have already rolled out fuel assistance to affected sectors. In Eastern Visayas, more than 900 municipal fisherfolk in Biliran province recently received P3,000 fuel discount cards under BFAR’s Fuel Discount Program for Farmers and Fisherfolk. In Tacloban City, transport groups have also begun receiving fuel aid as rising costs strain operations.
In Bacolod City, Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez led the distribution of free biodiesel to fisherfolk in several barangays, an initiative meant to help small-scale fishers reduce operational costs as petroleum prices remain elevated.
Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) executive director Jayson Cainglet has also reported that up to 50 percent of fisherfolk in Cavite, Bataan, Zambales, and Pangasinan have stopped going out to sea because of rising fuel costs. Pangisda Pilipinas, through its president Pablo Rosales, likewise appealed for immediate government aid, saying small fishers are “earning almost nothing” as fuel prices climb week after week.
“Araw‑araw silang lumalabas para magbigay ng pagkain sa ating hapag, pero sila mismo ay apektado sa pagtaas ng presyo ng krudo. Kailangan nila ng agarang tulong at suporta mula sa pamahalaang nasyonal at lokal,” Escudero said.