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DAKLIS: A COLLABORATIVE FISHING

TECHNIQUE

A Research Presented to the Unlad Dunong Center

University Of Saint Louis, Tuguegarao City

FERDINAND N. CORTEZ

2014

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Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The Philippines, being an archipelagic country, is

rich in coastal resources. It is comprised of more than

7,000 islands with a total coastline, longer than that of

the United States, is over 18,000 km. Seventy per cent

(70%) of its 1,500 municipalities are located in coastal

areas. Coastal fishing activities account for 40-60% of

total fish catch with the fisheries sector accounting for

about 4% of Gross National Product (2003 stat) and

employing more than a million Filipinos. (AgriScope, 1997.)

Fish and other marine products supply 70% of total animal

protein intake and 30% of total protein intake (CRMP,

1999). Tourism is a growing industry in the coastal areas,

and together with fisheries and other economic activities

in coastal areas, contributes to a host of environmental,

socioeconomic and institutional problems.

Fish is a very important commodity in the Philippines.

It is the principal source of cheap animal protein in the

country. Declining fish yields have affected both the

nutrition and income of fishing communities. Scientific

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results indicated the need for fishing effort to be reduced

by a factor of two for the fish populations to recover over

a decade ago but conservation and rehabilitation efforts

since then have not shown results that indicate significant

recovery of habitats and stocks. (Pauly et al, 1989)

As people cannot do otherwise but to fish for game or

income, safety measures were done by both government and

environmentalists.

The high demand for exotic tropical marine products

abroad which spurred a frenzy of unsustainable harvesting

practices in the Philippines in the 1990’s also contributed

to the degradation of coastal resources. Uncontrolled

harvesting of sharks, sea urchins, and sea horses used for

food and medicinal values contributed to almost local

extinction of these species in certain fishing grounds.

Aquarium fish and certain high-value species of snappers

and groupers that need to be exported live so that

restaurateurs can display them alive (fresh) before cooking

are harvested with the use of cyanide. Cyanide, when

squirted into the water to stun the fish, kills coral reef

organisms, and this practice has led to the surreptitious

destruction of extensive areas of coral reefs (Erdmann and

Pet-Soede 1996).

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About 27,000 sq km of coral reef area occur within the

20 m depth contour, but 70% of these coral reefs are in

poor to fair condition and degradation is unabated (Gomez

et al. 1981). Dynamite fishing and trawling, plus the

destructive MURO AMI by subsistence as well as commercial

fishers largely contributed to the leveling of coral reefs.

MURO AMI is so prevalent in Visayas and Mindanao, while

inshore and driftnets are in Cagayan Province of Luzon.

MURO AMI is now prohibited in selected areas. The number of

subsistence fishers is continuing to rise because of rapid

population increases in coastal communities. Even if these

fishers use benign fishing practices (e.g., simple hook and

line), the sheer variation in techniques were seen to be

man’s example of being able to fish. (Malthusian

overfishing) (Pauly et al. 1989).

Political, as well as socioeconomic structure and

cultural values and characteristics, that is generally the

same throughout the country but different to some extent by

region, are also among the factors that have led to a

common pattern of fishing for a living. This pattern

involves a series of stages that include discovery of a

resource, exploitation, over-exploitation, decrease in

yield, depletion, then recognition of the need for

management. As such, to protect the endangered species and

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the coral reefs, RA 8550, commonly known as Fisheries Code

of the Philippines was enacted. In section 2, it says, “it

shall be the primordial aim of any Local Chief Executive in

the coastal area LGU to protect at all cost about to be

extinct species and the coral reefs.”

Buguey, a coastal municipality, is a fishing

community. This is due to the fact that it is surrounded by

water, both brackish and sea, home for many varieties of

fishes and aqua marine resources. The lagoon is home for

prawns and crabs, shrimps and mollusks, while the sea is a

breeding ground for tuna, lapu-lapu, sea urchins and

anchovies. There are two types of fishing in Buguey: sea

fishing and river fishing. As mandated by RA 8550, the sea

fishermen have to follow the prescribed depth and distance

from the shoreline.

One of the least notable but culturally aligned to

bayanihan is the daklis (purse seine). It is a

collaborative effort that includes whole barangay folks

during summer, its peak season. Buguey’s shoreline is

different from other coastal areas. There are no coves or

inshore islets, and it spawns kilometers upon kilometers to

the Balintang Channel. Daklis is then very appropriate

including trawlers and anglers.

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One of the most valued traditions of Filipinos is

bayanihan. However, due to the advancement of technology,

seldom we see this practice already. While such is still in

the books, seldom it is seen as the once extended

collaboration for a certain task. Daklis, its procedure and

the people involved would then be the core of this study.

Statement of the Problem

This study primarily was aimed at recording the

daklis, a collaborative fishing technique in Buguey.

Specifically, it answered and elaborated the following

questions:

1. What is the historical development of the daklis?

2. What is the is the demographic profile of those engaged

in the daklis in terms of

a. age

b. civil status

c. economic status

3. What are the practices of those engaged in the daklisan

in terms of

a. sharing scheme

b. fishing technique

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c. organization

4. What is the perceived value of the daklisan among the

Bugueyanos?

Assumption

It is assumed that the daklis, its practices and its

ways, is still valued by the Bugueyanos.

Scope and Delimitation

This study attempted to put to writing the Daklis as

an example of bayanihan at the same time a collaborative

fishing enterprise. It related the organization,

procedures, practices and financial status of the members

of the daklis. The focus was the daklisan in Buguey. The

time frame of the study is school year 2004-2005.

Significance of the Study

The Academe. In its role as builder of knowledge will

be benefited by the results of the study.

Lovers of Culture. Scholars of anthropology will be

benefited similarly for they may use the material for other

salient studies.

The Bugueyanos: They will come to know about this way

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of fishing, one thing they had been practicing but had not

known it through written account. It may not be remote, but

Buguey as a Tourist spot now may yet to include such a

fishing technique it its must-see catalogues.

Environmentalists may react, if and when it is found out

that daklis contributes to the depletion of the coral

reefs.

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This Chapter presents Literature and Studies

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concerning fishing, environmental concerns, legal aspects

and historicity of fishing in countries to back up the

study at hand.

The World Overview on Offshore and Inshore Fishing

Implementation of the Global Moratorium on All Large-Scale

Pelagic Drift-Net Fishing On The High Seas Of The World's

Oceans And Seas, Including Enclosed Seas And

Semi-Enclosed Seas

United Nations General Assembly resolution 46/215, and

subsequent resolutions, inter alia, called upon members of

the international community to ensure that a global

moratorium on all large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing was

implemented fully on the high seas of the world's oceans

and seas, including enclosed seas and semi-enclosed seas,

by 31 December 1992. Consequently, members of the

international community, international organizations,

regional integration organizations and appropriate non-

governmental organizations were requested in General

Assembly resolution 52/29 of 26 November 1997, to submit

information to the Secretary-General concerning the

implementation of General Assembly resolution 46/215.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is mandated to

monitor fisheries on an international basis. It does this

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principally through information obtained from FAO field and

regional and sub-regional offices, regular consultation

with regional (FAO and non-FAO) fishery bodies, the fishing

industry, inter-governmental organizations non-governmental

organizations, and ad hoc reports. In preparing this report

it is understood by FAO that regional and international

fishery bodies have been invited by the UN to report

independently to the Secretary-General on this issue.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 44/225

and subsequent resolutions, FAO has reported annually on

global information available to the Organization on the use

of large-scale pelagic drift-nets.

Status of large-scale pelagic drift-net fleets

As far as FAO is aware, the Mediterranean Sea is the

only region in the world where large-scale pelagic drift-

net fishing gear (i.e., nets in excess of 2.5 km) is being

deployed. The vessels using this gear in the Mediterranean,

and which target swordfish, are primarily of Italian and

French flags. In its 1997 report to the General Assembly,

FAO outlined the policy of the Italian Government with

respect to its fleet retrenchment and compensation program

for the drift-net fleet.

In relation to the use of large-scale pelagic drift-

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net gear by European Council Members, the Council on

Pelagic Fleet decided in June 1998 to eliminate drift nets

over a period of three and a half years. As of 1 January

2002, the use of drift nets to catch tuna and swordfish is

already banned, and their use in salmon fishing is

restricted to coastal waters. Driftnets are still

authorized in the Baltic Sea, however, where by-catches of

marine mammals are considered to pose much less of a

problem. For this year’s fishing season, the current

maximum drift-net length of 2.5 km remains in effect, but

the number of vessels, using drift nets must be reduced by

40 percent from the 1995/97 reference period. Moreover, the

Council and the Commission have pledged to approve flanking

measures, including some for the conversion of boats into

more selective types of vessels, before the end of 1998,

retraining and laying up. However, no new EU aid is

scheduled before the year 2000 to support such initiatives.

It was noted that this Council decision on this issue

is the first time that 15 EU Members States have taken a

decision to ban a particular fishing gear. According to the

EC during the period 1995/97, the number of vessels using

drift-nets was 640 in Italy, 77 in France, 11 in Ireland

and between five and eight in the UK. In addition, 100

Spanish vessels use nets with an average length of 1.2 km

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in the Mediterranean Sea.

Action/reports by Regional Fishery Bodies

At its Twenty-second Session in October 1997, the

General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)

adopted binding resolution 97/1 concerning the use of

large-scale pelagic drift-net gear. The resolution, taking

into account United Nations Governing Assembly resolution

44/225 and considering that uncontrolled expansion and

growth of drift-netting may entail serious disadvantages in

terms of increased fishing effort and increased by-catches

of species other than target species, and that it was

therefore desirable to regulate fishing with drift-nets,

adopted the recommendation that:

1. No vessel flying the flag of a Contracting party of

GFCM may keep on board, or use for fishing, one or

more drift-nets whose individual or total length is

more than 2.5 km; and

2. Throughout the fishing referred to in paragraph 1,

the net must, if it is longer than one kilometer,

remain attached to the vessel. However, within the 12

mi. coastal band, a vessel may detach itself from the

net, provided it keeps it under constant observation.

GFCM has advised that the Italian Government is seeking

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to comply with UN, EC and GFCM resolutions concerning the

authorized maximum length of drift-nets. The Government’s

plan has led to a substantial reduction in the number of

vessels operating with nets in excess of 2.5 km. However,

it is understood that the Italian coastguard is

experiencing logistical difficulties enforcing drift-net

gear provisions.

The Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission

(WECAFC) has indicated that that there have been no reports

of large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing in the

Commission’s area during the 1997/98 period.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic

Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has reported that the

matter of large-scale drift-net fishing was discussed at

the annual meeting of the Commission in 1990. This resulted

in the adoption of Resolution 7/IX, which declared that, in

accordance with UNGA resolution 44/225, there would be no

expansion of large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing into the

high seas of the Convention Area. Since the adoption of

this Resolution, no cases of activities or conduct

inconsistent with the terms of the CCAMLR Convention Area

have been reported to CCAMLR.

The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)

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has stated that there have been no reports of large scale

pelagic drift-net gear being used in the NAFO Convention

Area during 1997-98.

The North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization

(NASCO) has indicated that the Organization is not aware of

any fishing with large-scale pelagic drift-nets within the

area covered by the Convention.

The Commission for the Conservation of Southern

Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) has advised that there have been no

reports of fishing with large-scale pelagic drift-nets in

its area of competence in the last year.

The International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission

(IBSFC) has stated that it is not formally subject to the

drift-net resolution since Baltic Sea has no high seas

area.

The Permanent Commission for the South Pacific

(CPPS) has reported that in the Southeast Pacific Ocean,

and specifically within areas of national jurisdiction,

there have been no reports in the last year concerning

fishing with large-scale pelagic drift-nets.

The Organización Latinoamericana de Desarrollo

Pesquero (OLDEPESCA) has advised that there have been no

reports of fishing with large-scale pelagic drift-net

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vessels in the Organization’s Area of competence in the

last year.

UNAUTHORIZED FISHING IN ZONES OF NATIONAL JURISDICTION AND

ON THE HIGH SEAS

Unauthorized fishing in zones of national

jurisdiction and on the high seas has a number of

significant impacts, including the undermining of fisheries

conservation and management measures and, in the case of

unauthorized fishing in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ’s),

the denial of legitimate revenue to those States whose

resources are poached. It is principally for these reasons

that international concern has been expressed about

unauthorized fishing and steps taken within the United

Nations to curb, if not prevent, such fishing.

Action by FAO

The Fisheries Department of FAO does not maintain

specific records concerning the incidence of unauthorized

fishing in zones of national jurisdiction. However, at

fisheries meetings and consultations convened by FAO, this

matter is often raised and commented upon by FAO members in

their country statements. For example, at the FAO-sponsored

Regional Workshop on the Adaptation of the Code of Conduct

for Responsible Fisheries in West Africa, Benin, 1-5 June

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1998, many participants referred to unauthorized incursions

by foreign-flag vessels into their respective EEZs, and

very often close to shore, and they commented on the impact

that these incursions were having on artisan fishers and

their production. To address this situation the need for

effective national and regional programs in monitoring,

control and surveillance (MCS) was stressed.

FAO maintains a program on MCS. Advice and

assistance are provided on a request basis. At the

invitation of the Government of Malaysia the FAO/Norway

Program has organized a regional workshop on fisheries MCS

in Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Terengganu, 29 June - 3 July

1998. Thirty five participants from India, Sri Lanka,

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam,

Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore and Indonesia

attended. The workshop examined the technical measures

involved in MCS, including commonly accepted procedures and

recent experiences with vessel monitoring systems (VMS).

Participants exchanged information about the use of MCS in

support of fisheries management. A field visit has been

arranged to Kuala Terengganu where participants studied the

techniques used by the Malaysian Department of Fisheries in

conservation and management of resources through patrols at

sea as well as protection of marine parks and reserves. It

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is anticipated that the FAO/Norway Program will become

further involved at a national and subregional level to

strengthen MCS in participating countries, which border the

Bay of Bengal and South China Sea.

The Agreement to Promote Compliance with International

Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on

the High Seas (Compliance Agreement), approved on 23

November 1993 by resolution 15/93 of the Twenty-seventh

Session of the FAO Conference, is an integral part of the

Code. To date the Agreement has been accepted by ten FAO

Members: Canada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Georgia, Myanmar,

Sweden, Madagascar, Norway, United States of America,

Argentina, and the European Community. The Agreement was

enforced from the date of receipt by the Director-General

of FAO of the twenty-fifth instrument of acceptance.

The Compliance Agreement seeks to ensure that there

is effective flag State control over fishing vessels

operating on the high seas. This requires, inter alia, that

Parties to the Agreement maintain a register of vessels to

fish on the high seas and that all vessels engaged in such

fishing operations are authorized to do so. Moreover, the

Agreement requires that certain records concerning the

physical characteristics of the vessels and their ownership

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and operational details, be maintained by the Parties are

part of their flag State responsibilities. Furthermore,

Parties are obligated to exchange information maintained on

their respective registers through FAO and other

appropriate global, regional and subregional fisheries

organizations.

The Inter-regional Program has been submitted to the

international donor community for consideration and

possible funding. The Program involves assistance in the

following areas:

A. Implementation of the Compliance Agreement;

B. upgrading of capabilities for reporting on fishery

statistics;

C. upgrading of capabilities in monitoring, control

and surveillance;

D. promotion of responsible fishing operations;

E. upgrading marine resource survey capabilities;

F. improving the provision of scientific advice for

fisheries management;

G. fisheries policy, planning and management;

H. developing and implementing fleet restructuring

policies;

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I. implementation of post-harvest practices and trade;

J. umbrella support to non-governmental organizations,

and

K. programme coordination and facilitation.

Asian Overview on Fishing

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic nation in the

world, with a coastline stretching over 95,000 square

kilometers around more than 17,000 islands. An extensive

group of coral reefs protect these islands. RRSEA estimates

that Indonesia has approximately 51,000 square kilometers

of coral reefs; this number does not include reefs in

remote areas that have not been mapped or subsurface reefs.

If this conservative estimate is accurate, 51 percent of

the region's coral reefs and 18 percent of the world's

coral reefs are found in Indonesian waters. Most of these

reefs are fringing reefs, adjacent to the coastline and

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easily accessible to coastal communities. Twenty-five

percent of the nation's GDP comprises the coastal and

marine industries, oil and gas production, transportation,

fisheries, and tourism, which percent of Indonesia's

workforce. Although coastal communities have long extracted

marine resources sustainably, population growth has put

additional pressure on Indonesia's coral reefs.

Aside from their sheer magnitude, Indonesia's coral

reefs are also among the most biologically rich in the

world, containing an extraordinary array of plant and

animal diversity. Today, more than 480 species of hard

coral have been recorded in eastern Indonesia,

approximately 60 percent of the world's described hard

coral species. The greatest diversity of coral reef fish in

the world are found in Indonesia, with more than 1,650

species in eastern Indonesia alone. In fact, Indonesia's

coral reefs help to support one of the largest marine

fisheries in the world, generating 3.6 million tons of

total marine fish production in 1997. Because many reefs in

eastern Indonesia have yet to be surveyed, the actual

extent of Indonesia's biological endowment is still

unknown.

However, Indonesia's rich supplies of corals and reef

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fish are endangered by destructive fishing practices.

Cyanide and blast fishing are widespread throughout the

archipelago even in protected areas. Around 65 percent of

surveys in the Maluku islands had evidence of bomb damage.

Despite the short-term profits, studies have shown that the

economic costs of blast and poison fishing are prodigious.

RRSEA estimates that the net economic loss in Indonesia

from blast fishing over the next 20 years will be at least

US$570 million. The economic loss from cyanide fishing is

estimated to be US$46 million annually.

Indonesian reefs are also subject to various pressures

from inland activities. The average annual deforestation

rate in Indonesia between 1985 and 1997 was 1.7 million

hectares. Reforestation and other land-use changes have

increased sediment discharge onto reefs, and pollution from

industrial effluents, sewage, and fertilizer compounds the

problem. Reefs affected by land-based pollution have shown

30-50 percent less diversity at depths of 3 m, and 40-160

percent less diversity at 10 m, in comparison to pristine

reefs.

The Philippine Setting Overview

The Philippines is located in the southeastern portion

of Asia. Her neighbor on the north is the Republic of China

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(Taiwan or Formosa), while on the west is Communist

Vietnam. Further west is Thailand. Immediately to the south

of the Philippines is Indonesia and to the southwest are

Malaysia and Singapore. The Philippines is known because of

traditions like bayanihan and hospitality of the people as

unique traits.

The Philippines is separated from her nearby Asian

neighbors by several bodies of water. They are the Pacific

Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the north and

west, and the Celebes Sea and the coastal waters of Borneo

on the south.

Land and Its People

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands

and islets. The biggest islands are Luzon, with a land area

of 40,530 square miles (105,000 square kilometers);

Mindanao, 36,670 square miles (95,000 square kilometers);

Palawan, 5,749.86 square miles (14, 896 square kilometers);

Negros, 5,278.55 square miles (13,675 square kilometers);

and Samar, 5,183.59 square miles (13,429 square

kilometers). She has a rugged land mass and, similarly, she

has an irregular coastline, which is twice as long as that

of the continental U.S.A. This irregularity has resulted in

numerous fine harbors and landlocked straits that can

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accommodate large ships. They can also be a refuge of ships

in distress during stormy weather.

The land surface is 115,800 square miles (300,000

square kilometers). Land forms include hills, plains,

valleys, and mountains. Her mountain ranges, which are

volcanic in origin, are drained by small river systems.

There are seven major mountain ranges. The largest and

longest is Sierra Madre, which faces the Pacific Ocean on

the eastern coast of Luzon.

Three Major Islands

The three major geographical groups in the country are

Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon comprises the northern

portion of the archipelago. The Visayan region has about

6,000 islands including Leyte, Cebu, Samar, and Bohol.

Mindanao is the second largest land and encompasses about

400 small islands.

These islands are divided into provinces, which are

run like states in the United States. Each province is

ruled by a governor, a vice governor, and members of the

provincial board. Each province is composed of cities,

towns, and barrios. There are five levels of government in

the Philippines, namely, national, regional, provincial,

municipal, and village-level. Shifts in leadership at any

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level have a potential impact on the implementation of ICM

projects. However, changes in the municipal government

leadership pose the greatest risk because of the devolution

of coastal management authority to the municipalities in

1991. Devolution in this case meant the shifting of some,

but not all, managerial control over marine spaces from the

national government to the local government units (LGUs).

This involves a transfer of both rights and

responsibilities, so that a LGU may obtain new

opportunities to control exploitation, but must also assume

significant management obligations (Abregana et al. 1996).

Specific tasks and powers have been assigned to three local

levels of government, the provincial, city/municipal, and

the Barangay levels. Most of which have no capacity to

formulate coastal resources management programs.

The guarantee that Coastal Laws and the preservation

of Marine life and Aquatic Resources should be the

primordial responsibility of the coastal town executive.

However, there are instances that even the endangered se

turtle or Pawikan is caught and killed in the towns of

Sta.Ana and Gonzaga. There was an instance that small

sharks are also caught by inshore fishing in Buguey.

Driftnets are said to have tons of catch of dilis and

anchovies which are sold in neighboring cities. (Lara,

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2004)

Oceans and Coastal Areas

The Philippines signed the United Nations Convention

on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on December 10, 1982 and

ratified it on February 27, 1984.

To ensure a comprehensive and pragmatic approach to

addressing marine and ocean concerns within the context of

the Philippines' commitment to implement UNCLOS, the

existing Cabinet Committee on the Treaty of the Law of the

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Sea created on October 3, 1981, has been reconstituted as

the Cabinet Committee on Marine and Ocean Affairs. The

Committee is mandated to formulate practical and viable

policies to address the various concerns of UNCLOS and

other marine related matters. As an initial output of the

Committee, a National Marine Policy has been formulated and

adopted to serve as the umbrella framework for addressing

ocean and marine concerns.

A comprehensive National Marine Program is currently

being formulated to achieve the goals of the National

Marine Policy. In addition, the Philippines participated in

the formulation of the Regional Action Plan for the East

Asian Seas. The country has become a partner of the

International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), established in

response to Agenda 21. In 1995, the Philippines hosted the

ICRI workshop which resulted in the formulation of the ICRI

Call for Action and a Framework for Action. The Call of

Action and Framework of Action serve as a guide in the

formulation of the regional action plan. As an ICRI

Partner, the Philippines has now established the Philippine

Reef Database (Philreef), and has formulated a National

program for the celebration of the International Year of

the Reef.

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The need to conserve and manage marine resources,

particularly the straddling fish stocks (SFS) and the

highly migratory fish stocks (HMFS), prompted the

Philippines to sign an agreement in 1996 to prevent

conflict over fishing on high seas and to conserve stocks

of fish which migrate between international waters and

areas under national jurisdiction. In preparation for the

enforcement of the agreement, a draft Comprehensive Program

has been prepared.

Recognizing the impact of land-based resources of

pollution in marine and coastal productivity, the

Philippines actively participated in the series of meetings

that led to the formulation and adoption of the Global

Program on Land-based Sources of Pollution. A national

program on land-based sources of pollution is currently

being conceptualized to integrate Philippine initiatives

and commitments to both the Association of South East Asian

Nations (ASEAN) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of

East Asia (COBSEA) Regional Programs, and NGO initiatives

under the auspices of the Advisory Committee on the

Protection of Seas (ACOPS).

A national data center on coastal zone environment and

resource management is currently being established under

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the auspices of the ASEAN-Australia Environment and

Economic Program, Phase III. This project aims to create a

meta-database on coastal resource management which will be

implemented through a network approach, that is, a network

of networks, and the development of a decision support

system.

Tourism is considered to be a major source of

alternative or supplemental livelihood for these fishing

communities. How to develop tourism in the countryside with

revenue benefiting local populace and not just the external

capitalists is a challenge that requires infrastructure

development and competent planning and cooperation of

various sectors (i.e., tourism, environment, fisheries) and

stakeholders concerned. Keeping the integrity of marine

habitats, the basis of growing nature tourism in the

Philippines, is also a major concern.

Setbacks

The occurrence of red tides in the country that has

become more frequent in the past two decades (Corrales and

Gomez 1990) focused concern on water quality. Heavy rains

after a long dry spell that causes nutrient overloading and

sudden drops in salinity because of excessive freshwater

inundation tends the occurrence of red tides. Red tide

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occurrences have affected shellfish and other fishery

industries and have raised public health concerns mainly

because of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) resulting

from the ingestion of infected shellfish. Though most

people take PSP seriously, there are those whose economic

situation leads them to take a risk by either consuming or

selling the banned infected shellfish (green bay mussel,

Perna viridis). Moreover, the entire fishing industry is

affected because uninformed consumers would not eat fish

and other products from the sea when red tides occur for

fear of contamination or poisoning despite information

campaigns on the contrary.

The lack of point-source and non-point source

pollution controls is the main factors that contribute to

the degradation of water quality in the Philippines. Forest

denudation exacerbates the flow of silt and other

pollutants to coastal waters. Uncontrolled dumping of raw

sewage in coastal areas, particularly in areas that are

thickly populated or used heavily by tourists, contributes

to dangerous water levels of the bacteria Escherichia coli.

This problem, on a few occasions, has caused conflicts

between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

and the Department of Tourism.

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In summary, the following are the major issues that

gave rise to the need for ICM in the Philippines:

Serious resource depletion problems, particularly fishery

resources, decrease in catch per unit of fishing effort

particularly by subsistence fishers, loss of or damage to

productive coastal ecosystems (e.g., mangroves, seagrass

beds, and coral reefs), cases of local extinction of

economically important marine species, conflict among

uses/users of coastal resources, poverty and other social

problems of coastal communities, sectoral/fragmented

approach to coastal resources management ,lack of capacity

among local government to manage coastal resources.

Community-based coastal resources management

Slowly, through a series of projects and programs

beginning in the early 1980s, the Philippines have

developed the capacity for community-based coastal

resources management. Ferrer (1992) described CB-CRM in the

Philippines as follows:

1. CB-CRM strives for more active people's participation

in the planning and implementation of coastal

resources management.

2. It has greater potential for effectiveness and equity.

3. It involves self-management where the community takes

30

responsibility for monitoring and enforcement.

4. It provides a sense of ownership over the resource,

which makes the community far more responsible for

long-term sustainability of resources.

5. It allows each community to develop a management

strategy, which meets its own particular needs and

conditions.

6. It allows for greater degree of flexibility and can be

easily modified.

7. It provides for greater participation by the community

in resource management.

8. It strives to make the maximum use of indigenous

knowledge and expertise in developing management

strategies.

There is now a substantial body of experience in this

form of coastal resources management among various

institutions including national and local government units,

NGOs, and academic and research institutions. Nevertheless,

despite what have been accomplished by Coastal Resources

Management initiatives so far, there is unabated

destruction and depletion of coastal resources. The

struggle to conserve coastal resources in the country

continues in cooperation with international and regional

31

organizations, and the support of donor countries.

The empowerment of disadvantaged groups that comprise

the majority of coastal residents affected by multiple

management issues is among the main goals of community-

based coastal resources management (CB-CRM). The community-

based management approach uses education and community

organizing as a major tool in accomplishing its goals of

resource protection, habitat rehabilitation, and poverty

alleviation (Rivera and Newkirk 1997). These disadvantaged

groups, mostly small-scale fishers and other extractive

users, are directly affected by management initiatives such

as ìno takeî marine protected areas. Educational efforts

attempt to assist various stakeholders in negotiating the

imposition of restrictions on fishing and similar

extractive activities in marine protected areas. A recent

Haribon Foundation report estimated the number of MPAs

established in the Philippines to be about 460 of which

only around 6% are fully protected (Pajaro et al.1999).

Institutional mandates in and components of CRM

Various government agencies are involved in coastal

management. These agencies implement various mandates that

sometimes overlap. For example, both DA and DENR are

involved in the establishment of marine protected areas;

32

the former historically assuming such a function through

the issuance of Fisheries Administrative Orders, and the

latter through the more recent National Integrated

Protected Areas System (NIPAS) program (DENR 1992). CRMP

(1997) listed the following mandates of agencies involved

in coastal management in the Philippines: (Please see

Appendix 1 for a list of acronyms)

1. Policy formulation (LGU, FARMC, NGA, DENR) (see CRMP-

Philippines' web site for complete texts of Philippine

coastal laws)

2. Resource assessments: coastal (DA-BFAR, DENR, PCAMRD);

marine (DA-BFAR, DENR, PCAMRD)

3. Statistics gathering and compilation: fisheries (DA-

BAS); mangroves (DENR); fishponds (DA-BFAR)

4. Establishment of protected areas (LGU, DA-BFAR, DENR,

Congress)

5. Mangrove reforestation (LGU, DENR)

6. Fishery licensing: municipal waters (LGU); offshore

waters (DA-BFAR)

7. Fishery law enforcement (LGU-PNP, PCG, DA-BFAR,

deputies)

8. Pollution law enforcement (LGU, PCG, DENR)

33

9. Land use management (LGU, DENR)

10. Tourism management (LGU, DOT)

11. Reclamation (DENR (LMB and EMB), PEA)

12. Pollution monitoring, including marine waters (LGU,

DENR-EMB, PCG)

13. Establishment of municipal/fishing ports (PFDA, PPA,

and LGU)

14. Research (DA-BFAR, DA-BAR, and DOTC-PCAMRD) (CRMP

1997, 3-16).

The following components were identified from past

and ongoing CRM projects and programs in the

Philippines:

1. Socio-economic profiling

2. Physico-chemical-biological profiling

3. Stock assessment and population dynamics

4. Community organizing

5. Environmental scanning/rapid resources appraisal

6. Environmental assessment and monitoring using

standardized methodologies

7. Education and training and other capability-building

strategies

34

8. Policy development and advocacy (national and local)

9. Livelihood development/entrepreneurship

10. Strategic planning

11. Institutional development (government reorganizations

in structure and functions to accommodate CRM)

12. Infrastructure development (fish processing

plants/ice plants)

13. Aquaculture development (seaweed farming;

mariculture)

14. Research

15. Fisheries regulation and other regulatory activities

(Fisheries Code of 1998; local/municipal ordinances)

16. Tourism development (development of the National

Tourism Master Plan).

Particular Successes and Lessons Learned

A participatory approach to CRM (community-based) is

especially manifest in the establishment of artificial

reefs and marine protected areas. A recent evaluation of a

number of this type of coastal management projects

indicated the following lessons learned from this

experience:

35

Evaluations of project success by project staff and

beneficiaries vary probably because they use different

criteria.

Early and continuous participation of project

beneficiaries in project planning and implementation

is related to their positive evaluation of impacts.

Positive cultural attitudes toward the efficacy of

collective action were consistently related to

perceptions of positive change.

Mobilizing people for collective action is a time-

consuming process that requires the presence of

committed, competent, and people-oriented project

personnel, and a shared understanding of project

objectives by both the cooperators and the project

personnel.

Capability-building efforts enhance the perception of

empowerment and sense of confidence of project

cooperators to undertake new tasks and to meet current

and future challenges.

Project cooperators, as well as non-cooperators perceive

positive changes in the impact indicators.

User rights to material interventions must be specified

and enforced.

36

The data indicate that fishers like their occupation and

would not necessarily change to another job,

suggesting that supplemental, rather than alternative,

occupations may be the most effective (Pomeroy et al.

1996).

The attitude of fishers in the last lesson listed

above may also be further understood in the context of most

villages in the Philippines having a considerable number of

families with one or more members working in urban areas in

the country or overseas. These workers send home funds that

subsidize livelihood activities including fishing by other

members of the household.

There is now a substantial body of knowledge and

experience in coastal management in the country on which

can be based the formulation of a national policy in

coastal management for the Philippines. Based on

experiences elsewhere, national policies on ICM were

developed to provide broad goals and standards to guide the

widespread adoption of CRM in the country while leaving

room for flexibility in the choice of site-specific

activities and techniques. The national policy should

provide for budgetary allocations to support CRM

initiatives by local government units and the functioning

37

of various forms of advisory bodies (e.g., national multi-

sectoral, multi-disciplinary advisory body with a

secretariat or support staff based in an existing

government agency). This policy should also provide for the

establishment of mechanisms to avoid duplication of efforts

among agencies involved in CRM, to develop strategies on

how to improve the transferability of lessons learned and

techniques already developed, and to build on existing CRM

programs. It will also be desirable to provide for the

development of mechanisms that address global and regional

environmental trends and concerns such as climate change,

food security, biodiversity, and marine pollution.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources

has started this process. However, it is important to

emphasize the need to involve all sectors and stakeholders

concerned in the development of this national law. The

ongoing USAID-funded CRMP has come up with an analysis of

the legal and jurisdictional aspects of coastal resources

management in the Philippines which has been useful in

guiding the development of a draft Executive Order

providing for a national policy in CRM. A careful

evaluation of past and ongoing CRM programs and projects

would be very useful to policy makers in determining which

goals need to be incorporated and prioritized in the policy

38

and which strategies could be realistically implemented in

the country.

Related Studies

This case describes the experiences of the

Establishment of Marine Reserves in Negros Oriental

(EMRINO) project, which took place in central Philippines,

from September 1994-December 1996 (Vogt and Schirm, 1994,

1995, 1996a, b, Vogt 1998).

The aims of the study were to protect selected parts

of the coral reefs in order to allow over-exploited

economically important food fish stocks to recover. This

measure was expected to reverse the decline in fish catches

for small-scale fisherfolk in areas near the new reserves.

The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands,

many of which are surrounded by coral reefs. The income of

an estimated 2 million Filipinos depends on reef fishing,

which supplies half of the protein to the average Filipino

diet (McAllister and Ansula, 1993). The rapidly growing

national population (36 million to 63 million between 1966

and 1992) has caused increasing demands for fish, whilst at

the same time coral reefs have been adversely affected by

destructive fishing methods, especially dynamite fishing.

The combined effects of over-exploitation and degradation

39

of the reefs have led to a situation where the catches from

the remaining fish stocks can no longer keep pace with the

increasing demand. The social consequences for the

traditional fisherfolk are not fully known. However,

McAllister (1988) estimates that 127,000 small-scale

fishermen are unable to fish because their reefs have been

destroyed, with a resultant loss of 160,000t of fish/year,

worth approximately US$ 80 million. Unless conservation

measures are enforced rapidly, many fishing families will

have to obtain their incomes from other sources.

Politicians and scientists are aware of the situation, and

laws have been passed to prevent further reef destruction,

however, law enforcement in many provinces is a major

problem.

Since World War II, coral reefs in Negros Oriental have

been subjected to the use of dynamite for fishing. This

method, despite its dangers, is viewed by artisanal

fishermen as more time and cost efficient than other

fishing techniques. Unfortunately, explosives or 'blast

fishing' also has devastating effects on the coral reefs,

as the shock waves caused by explosions can reduce reefs to

mere rubble zones. An estimated 5,000 km2 of coral reefs

have been destroyed by the use of explosives in the

Philippines, (McAllister and Ansula, 1993). Coral reefs

40

have very slow growth rates, and once a reef has been

damaged by explosives, it may take many decades to recover

to its previous state.

The consequences of this reef destruction with regard

to the total size of the fish stocks are unknown, but the

local fishermen are only too well aware of their declining

catches. The local reefs are already being heavily over-

fished using a wide range of fishing methods. Many of the

fish now caught are still juveniles, and for some important

target fish species, large adult specimens have become a

rare sight. Fish aggregating devices have been placed in

many offshore locations to attract fish, thus making

fishing more time efficient for some fisherfolk. However,

if the problems of habitat destruction and over-

exploitation continue, the livelihoods of many coastal

villagers will become even more uncertain. Already, large

numbers of Filipinos choose to work oversees to support

their families.

Changes

The changes which have led to the present levels of

ownership and environmental awareness in Negros Oriental

have developed around two themes, the delegation of legal

powers from central government to local councils, and the

41

willingness of local communities to grasp the opportunity

this allowed to save their threatened resources.

Coastal fisheries tend to be common property

resources. A major step towards limiting these open access

fisheries to Philippines coral reefs was the delegation of

central power to a municipal forum by the introduction of

the Local Government Code of the Philippines (1991). This

empowered municipal mayors with the right to issue permits

to all fishermen operating within municipal waters. This

enabled restriction of fishing by outsiders, thus

protecting the catches of fishermen living in the

municipality (Christie and White, 1997).

Environmental Awareness of Communities

Staff from Silliman University in Dumaguete City, the

provincial capital of Negros Oriental, was active in

preventing blast fishing on reefs near the city as early as

1969. The campaign against blast fishing was soon extended

to other areas of the province, and in 1972 such fishing

was effectively banned in the entire province. Then in the

early 1980s, the University actively involved the local

fishing community of Apo Island, in the south of the

province, in a marine reserve program. All destructive

fishing methods were banned around the island, and within

42

an agreed demarcated reserve area fishing was banned

completely. Local fishermen did not to fish within the

reserve, and were active in preventing fishermen from other

islands from so doing. The fishermen expected that fish

stocks within the reserve would recover, and that fish

catches in the adjacent areas would increase and be

available for capture by local fishermen. Since then, the

Apo Island marine reserve has received world wide

attention, and serves as a model for numerous other

programs in many areas of the world. Finally, in the

Central Visayas, the World Bank funded a coastal resource

management program as part of the Central Visayas Regional

Project I (CVRP-I). During the course of this program,

several communities managed coral reef reserves were

established in the project provinces.

After the termination of the CVRP-I phase in 1992, the

Provincial Government of Negros Oriental created the

Resource Management Division (RMD), which continued the

CVRP program using provincial resources. The strength of

the RMD lies in the close contact of its staff to the

fishing communities. This has been made possible by the

work of about 30 community organizers who regularly visit

the villages. Although the RMD received strong support from

the Governor and technical support from the German

43

Development Service (GDS), more scientific expertise was

needed.

This gap was filled by the project, the Establishment

of Marine Reserves in Negros Oriental, EMRINO (1994-96).

The project was funded by the Commission of the European

Union, DG 1B, External Economic Relations, and administered

by the University of Bremen, Germany. The main objective of

EMRINO was to establish small marine reserves, in order to

provide protection for sections of coral reefs where

recovery of the fish populations could take place. The

underlying principle was that successful reef conservation

could only be achieved if the local fishing communities, as

the main stakeholders, were in charge of selecting and

managing the reserves. The project created a non-

governmental organization (NGO) called the Center for the

Establishment of Marine Reserves in Negros Oriental or

CEMRINO, Inc. This NGO provided scientific, technical and

logistical support to the provincial government and in

particular to the RMD. A systematic survey of the entire

coastline of the province was conducted, to locate and

assess the status of the coral reefs. Once detailed

inventory studies had been completed, 14 sites were

recommended to become marine reserves. These

recommendations were made available to the RMD and the

44

community Fishermen's Associations. The information was

used to draft community ('Barangay') resolutions, which

were presented in public hearings at a municipal and

provincial level. The resolutions were converted into

municipal ordinances, and became legally binding, once

approved by the municipality and the provincial parliament.

The key institutional change which facilitated this

project was the introduction of the Local Government Code.

This code brought legal empowerment to the local

communities, and together with the pioneering activities of

Silliman University staff, the example of Apo Island, the

Governor's support, the environmental awareness-building of

CVRP and the RMD, and the scientific and logistical support

of the EMRINO project, enabled the villagers to make

informed choices regarding the future of their marine

environment.

Fishermen have stated that the marine reserves have

had a positive impact on their catches in areas near the

reserves. The fishermen are encouraged to weigh and record

their catches, as part of the fish catch monitoring

program. Indeed, villages now compete with each other to

produce the best quality data for RMD. These quantitative

data are essential for the assessment of the economic

45

benefits of the reserves. Another potential source of

income for local communities may be small scale tourism on

the protected reefs. While may make only a small

contribution initially, in Apo Island Reserve, tourism has

already contributed considerably to the income of the local

community (Vogt, 1996).

The sustainability of these activities depends, in

addition to the continued desires of the local coastal

communities, on the continued existence of the RMD and the

NGO CEMRINO. During the project, a media campaign was

initiated to raise environmental awareness and the profile

of the RMD. This has since become a well known organization

in the Central Philippines, with representatives from other

organizations visiting their offices to learn from their

experiences in Negros Oriental. As a result of its

excellence, the RMD received the Galing-Pook Award from the

Philippine President in 1995, for its outstanding

environmental program. The institutional arrangements

allowing its existence were made possible by the strong

support from the governor of the province of Negros

Oriental. The increased effectiveness of the RMD has, in

turn, led to improved management of the coral reefs. Prior

to the EMRINO Project only 10 reserves had been

established, some of which were poorly managed. As a result

46

of the EMRINO/RMD/GDS co-operation, numerous workshops were

held in the villages. Fishermen became more aware of the

benefits of reserves and supported their establishment. By

the end of 1996, the number of reserves had been increased

to 19, covering a total area of 177 ha. This means that

about 7 % of the total reef area in Negros Oriental is now

protected by law. The reserves are now clearly demarcated,

and guardhouses are provided for each local fishing

community, whose members enforce the reserves.

In the Philippines, coral reefs and their associated

fish stocks have been in a state of decline throughout most

of the archipelago. However, these processes can be

arrested, if local and regional authorities collaborate

effectively and involve the fishing communities in reef

protection. The EMRINO project has shown that if additional

catalytic support is provided at the right time, then

community-supported environmental protection can be put in

place, and fish stock regeneration can be achieved.

Fishermen told the project review mission that they wanted

their children to catch more fish than they were currently

doing, and that they viewed this project as an entirely

appropriate way to achieve this.

The success of the project in a number of villages in

47

Negros Oriental suggests the possibility for wider

dissemination of project activities to elsewhere in the

province. Village meetings within the province to discuss

legal resolutions to establish reef and fishing reserves

were frequently visited by representatives of adjacent

villages demanding similar project activities in their

villages too. However, the possibility of extrapolating

these methods elsewhere in the Philippines archipelago may

not be so feasible. The Governor of Negros Oriental may be

unique in his strong support for conservation issues, and

in his appreciation of the need for sustainable coastal

resource management. Unfortunately, some provinces are

notorious for their continued use of dynamite fishing.

Whether this is due to a lack of environmental awareness or

a fishery of desperation is uncertain. This would need to

be determined before further activities were undertaken.

The legal framework is certainly available to support other

provincial governors if they wished to initiate groups

similar to the RMD, to raise local environmental awareness.

Several other provinces have shown an interest in the

methods used as a result of its proven successes. Another

area of Replicability would be to consider environments

other than coral reefs which are at risk. Recruitment to

the adult stock of many economically important fish species

48

relies heavily on juvenile survival in mangrove swamps or

sea-grass beds. Awareness of these habitat requirements,

and the wishes of local communities to preserve small areas

of these as foci for breeding and juvenile sanctuaries, is

being considered as an extension of the present EMRINO

project.

With all these, considering the richness of aquamarine

resources of the Philippines, laws were made to protect the

coral reefs and other endangered species. However,

responsible fishing like inshore fishing in the

Northeastern Coast of Luzon is encouraged, notwithstanding

the Taiwanese poachers in Calayan, for the law will deal

with them. Further, cited literatures and study are related

to the study at hand.

49

Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This Chapter presents the methods employed in the

conduct of the study, specifically discussing the research

design employed, where and when it was conducted, the

people involved and other sources of information needed in

the qualitative study.

Research Design

The study made use of the qualitative-expository

research method using key informants such as the members of

the daklisan, municipal officials and barangay folks of

Buguey.

Research Methodology

The standard participant observer method was employed

and unstructured interview technique was utilized to gather

the data for this study. These are necessary inasmuch as

the study is qualitative.

Locale of the Study

The study’s setting was Buguey, a fourth class

50

municipality situated between Sta. Teresita and Aparri in

the coastal area of Northeastern Luzon. Buguey is a coastal

municipality. Buguey is chosen as the venue of the study

since there are still many daklis operating there. The

members are also accessible. They come from Paddaya and

Minanga and are easily reached by the researcher.

Subjects of the Study

Subjects of the study are the members of the daklis,

barangay folks of Paddaya and Minanga and local officials

of Buguey. Personal experiences of the researcher (he is

familiar with the daklis) will also be presented in the

body of discussion.

Research Instrument

Interview was the primary tool and camera was used to

capture the events needed in the study.

Sampling Procedure

Since this study is qualitative in nature, convenience

sampling was utilized. Moreover, no sampling technique was

employed. Since it is quasi expository, the appropriate

term of whoever will give the data is stakeholders.

(Galuba, 2004)

51

Data Gathering Procedure

Employing participant observer technique, the

researcher sought information from key informants as to the

history of daklis in Buguey, the process, and its

relationship to bayanihan. As to the other specific

questions, the researcher floated personally the

questionnaire. Unstructured interview was also used. Field

notes, listening to the narratives of the barangay folks

and the use of camera was extensively used.

Method of Analysis

Upon writing down the facts gathered from the subjects

and key informants, the researcher compared their

statements with what he had in his field notes. Pictures

were developed to coincide with the explanation and

narrative in Chapter IV.

Finally, the researcher answered the specific

questions on hand.

52

Chapter IV

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS

Principal Fishing Techniques

There are three Principal Fishing Techniques.

Pots- this is a technique wherein the trap lies near

the seabed. The bait is placed inside to attract target

species. A line is left attached to a buoy at the surface

and a vessel with large winches pulls up the pots. This

type of fishing is commonly employed in the Mediterranean.

Similar to this in river fishing is the tallakeb. Only, the

water is shallower.

Hook and Line- it could either be stationary (long

line) or towed, (trolling) A long line reaches from the

surface to the seabed (up to 150 fathoms) Troll lines can

go down to ten fathoms.

Fishing Nets- there are four main types. A purse seine

encircles fish, from the surface to ten fathoms. A midwater

trawl is a towed net that can catch fish from the surface

to the bottom. The bottom trawl can either be towed or used

to encircle fish near the ocean floor. Gill nets are

stationary, from the surface to the bottom (up to fifty

fathoms).

The Daklis is a fishing net that encircles fish from the

surface end eventually to the bottom.

53

The Daklis

One of the most popular fishing techniques in Buguey

and in Gonzaga is the Daklis. The peak season starts early

in March, when the waters’ color becomes tropic blue, and

ends mid May, when rains and thunderstorm would make the

sea turbulent. It is also unique, because it involves a

whole barangay in its peak season. The spirit of bayanihan

is felt, as young and old participate in the pulling of the

ropes and nets before the purse (bubo). The bubo contains

the bulk of the catch. Sometimes it includes small sharks

and stingrays. Most often, tons of dilis and anchovies

trapped in the net or are contained in the purse become the

fruit of the days effort. These are sold to waiting

compradoras who would in turn sell it in Aparri or in

Tuguegarao. Either Barangay folks who participated in the

“pulling” could dry these anchovies in the sun (Daing), or

they make them as the flavored bagoong. (Caviar).One recipe

is cooked from an earthen jar, covering palmfuls of

anchovies with banana leaves. Another is by just mixing

salt, vinegar or calamansi and ginger. This is known as

kilawen (eaten raw). The daklis is a fragmented whole.

First, the officials are organized, then the boatmen and

the netmen. This is the start of an organizational set up,

starting from the amo to the bumbero (rope men).

54

The nets are formed in U shape, with the size of holes

as quarter inch. Anchovies (munamon) measure 2.5 in. long

and .75 cm. in width. The size of the net holes is ideal

for this fish. The net is then attached to a rope more than

100 meters long (except the purse) by a pakawan. The

pakawan is a sturdy, seasoned bamboo where the Y shaped

rope holds the net in place. The whole assembly is

deposited in a boat, supported by planks of wood fore and

aft. The keel is flat, so it could contain the net and the

men. In the early days, the boats were big. The boatmen

even used oars (lapag) or sails (layag) as they scout for

schools of fish. But as lumber and timber became scarce,

and the use of motorboats in pulling the boat containing

the net became prevalent, the gargantuan boats became

smaller. Still, the mast is not removed, for the person

good in scouting the pangen (school of fish) has to stand

elevated by this mast. The boats of the daklisan are

elaborately painted, with names of the boat or owners on

both sides. Barangay folks could then identify the owner by

the color it uses. If there is a very big catch, they raise

a flag, thus letting the people know either they could try

casting nets again or stop for the day off. The daklisan

can have at least three castings per day. The pull men

(agguyod) would walk the shore to where the boatmen cast

55

the net.

Origins of the Daklis

The use of boats had been natural to seafarers. The use

of nets however has its origins from the pensionados who

went to the Americas, observed the trawlers using long

nets, and catch tons of fishes. Buguey, a fishing

community, had been using gill nets, stationary nets used

to trap tilapia, porong and bangus. Bugueyanos also use the

tarik in the river.

The daklis was associated with the biray, as Samuel

Tapat tells it, these are big boats used by the Ilokanos to

reach the shores of Cagayan. The problem was there was no

motorized bancas yet before to pull the boats. It was not a

problem then. They used the oars and the sail. The problem

was how to pull the net from the water. Combining

enterprise and bayanihan, the daklis was formed, using

human effort to pull the net from out of the sea.

Why Collaborative

The net is heavy. Even though the amo has now

identified the officials of the daklis, and plenty had

already enlisted as part of it, they still need others to

pull the heavy nets. These people who are not part of the

56

daklis but who go there to help pull the net are called

makipagguyod or makidaklis. They are rewarded with a share

of the catch, but not money. They pull the rope up to the

time the purse comes to shore.

It is just like the carrying of a house in bayanihan,

where those who helped are rewarded by a sumptuous meal.

Those who are termed as makipagguyod are given at least

three or four kilos of anchovies after they (the officials)

have sorted out the catch in a saludan (woven rattan

container). One saludan could weight 50-100 kilos. Most of

the times, one casting could have 10-20 saludan. If the

catch is not bountiful, however, the sharing is lowered to

a kilo or less.

A neophyte may not readily identify the regular

members of the daklis, but a person who had been used to

the daklisan can. The regulars have with them sikote, an

instrument which is a combination of wood and rope used in

pulling the rope and the net. The wood is shaped like a

yoke (sangol) or patennged, only it is smaller and it is

worn around the waist. This is convenient for the daklisan

because the momentum to pull is greater when the force

comes from the waist. The sikote is placed around the waist

while the end rope is attached to the main rope or net of

57

the daklis. The pullmen then have to walk backwards,

pulling the rope first, then the net. From time to time

they have to stop momentarily, to wait for the current to

subside. Sometimes the prowador sings in sync with their

steps, thus filling the air with gay tune as everybody

joins in the singing. Sometimes, when the current is so

strong, the pullmen scramble towards the water, letting go

of the rope before it will be strained.

Hierarchy In The Daklis

The following is the hierarchical system in a daklis:

Amo: owner of the daklis. Meaning, he financed all that is

needed in the enterprise.

Sobreamo: the trusted one, very close to the amo.

Piloto: in charge of the boat. He sees to it that the nets

are arranged so it will be easier to drop it at the side of

the boat. Further, he is in charge of the timon (rudder)

Matador: this is the person who acts as a look out for

school of fish. He stands at the mast of the boat which is

normally elevated.

Prowador: in charge of the rope, and the platoon of

pullmen. He also sees to it that the catch is safely placed

in the buyer’s truck.

58

Cabesilla: the person in charge of selling the catch to the

compradoras.

Guardian: look out, monitors the purse and the selling of

the catch.

Tapwak: in charge of dropping the net to the water

Bumbero: he swims with the rope to the shore, especially if

it is low tide. The boat follows the direction of the fish,

and the bumbero swims to shore where he signals the pullmen

to come to him.

From a crude concept of fishing come an organizational

structure and sharing and the spirit of bayanihan therein.

The terms however, signify Hispanic origin. The people

listed above are not sufficient to pull the heavy net (plus

the catch). The amo and the sobreamo have to employ pullmen

and boatmen. Thus, a scheme of sharing was conceptualized.

The Sharing Scheme

The officials have the highest share in the

enterprise. The total income in one season is divided by

two. One half goes to the amo and the other half is divided

between the officials and the members. This sharing is

called ingguddua. In every season, the cabesilla sees to it

that the members are all present; so as to be assured that

59

everybody will be included in the sharing.

When asked how could they know the real amount of the

income per season, one member answered the cabesilla always

update them every after the pakat, when shares for those

who helped (Nakipagguyod) and the catch were already sold.

When asked if they are happy with their job, they

remarked: “Dayawen mi ti baybay ta adda ditoy ti sagot ti

Dios kadakami. Naragsak kami ngmin, nu agtrabaho kami,

kasla asideg kami kenkuana.” (We praise God for giving us

the sea with its gift, we are happy because when we work,

we are really near him)

They are not ashamed in telling that they receive

low income, though, and they even say “saan kami ngamin nga

nakpagadal.” (We have no education)

How it Starts

As early as January, when the sea becomes calmer, men

and women starts going to the amo or the sobreamo to be

listed as a daklisan. Meaning, if they are listed as

members of the enterprise, they will be included in the

sharing for the whole season. The sharing is accumulated

and is given to them after the end of the daklis season.

60

Some would get payment in advance (vale).

The amo now designates positions like cabesilla and

prowador, and a schedule is set for the netmen to fix the

purse seine. This is the stage where they fix the big holes

of the net. (agayuma). The netmen bring with them their

gittay and they also attach missing gamaw or patapaw

(buoys) to let the upper portion of the net to float, or

attach missing buli (weights) to let the lower part of the

seine submerge to the bottom of the water. The net is then

stretched along the shore, where they build temporary

shelters covered with coconut palms. The ayuma starts. The

netmen are paid by the amo per day.

The Basbas

One practice, which is being observed by the daklisan,

is the basbas. The net is raised on top of the mast of the

boat and they butcher pig, the blood of which is poured

into the bubo. According to Manolo Macutay, who had spent

his life with the daklis, this is a ritual asking the

anitos for a good catch. The meat of the pig is cooked, but

there are no spices. Members of the daklis and the visitors

bring salt. Plenty of wine is offered, while the

panglakayen offers wine during his incantation. Atang is

then served beneath the raised net. In the olden days, old

61

men would recite dallot while the celebration is going on.

The celebration usually lasts up to the wee hours of the

morning.

Most members of the daklis have an annual income of

6,000-8,000 pesos annually. The amo is the most moneyed,

having financed the whole enterprise. Most of them are

Ybanags who claim to have been born in Buguey. During lean

months, they endeavor in farming. Others venture into other

fishing techniques.

Most of the daklisan are from Paddaya in Buguey, near

the boundary in Aparri in the west. Some are from Minanga.

The shoreline from Centro West to Paddaya is the common

target fishing ground of the daklisan. As to date, there

are only three surviving daklisan in Buguey. The original

daklis, the REMEDIOS and the VIERNES had switched to

trawling and buli buli, other offshore fishing

characterized by big motorized boats and is operating

within the restricted zones near the Balintang Channel. The

daklis is an inshore fishing enterprise, which cast their

nets at 250 to 300 meters from the beach. The bigger ones

before go as far as 500 meters to 1 kilometer before

casting.

Butch Pagador, a key informant who works at the

62

Mayor’s Office said the daklisan today are already smaller.

This could be attributed to the fact that many of the

daklisan are now venturing on trawling, going as far as the

seas near Camiguin to hook blue marlin and Dorado. Engr.

Benjie Upano however said it is because of the irrigation

project that is now operating in Balza Creek, which

provides water to the rice fields in Paddaya, most sea

fishers are now in farming, which is more lucrative than

the seasonal daklis. There are some setbacks of the

irrigation, however. Because of the Magapit Irrigation

Pumping Station, the brackish water of the Cagayan River is

choked at the Balza Creek. (Mondejar, 2004) Buguey suffered

from Flash flood during the typhoon Igme.

The sizes of the daklis today are now smaller than

before. The boat they used before could contain around

forty men, working with the oars. The net is also inside

the boat. Today, though the net is still the same in shape,

the boats are smaller. It could only contain the officials,

around ten of them, and it is towed by a motorized banca.

The first amos to venture into this fishing enterprise

were the Macutays in Paddaya, the Talozas in Minanga and

the Viernes family in Centro. During those times, big game

offshore fishing in the seas was not yet known in Buguey.

63

Buli buli and muro ami were not yet introduced. Small

driftnets used by small boats and squid anglers were the

techniques used before, together with the daklis.

As to how many are involved in a daklis, the officials

those who have enlisted and those who are there to help

pull the nets are involved.

The net when dry weighs 300 kilos. It would weigh

triple when it is wet and the catch is big. The whole of

the officials, the enlisted pullmen and the barangay folks

are thus included in this venture. It is then viewed as a

bayanihan when culturally aligned.

The Daklisan

The daklisan are simple folks aspiring to earn honest

living. With the income that they earn during the daklis

season, they augment this when harvest time in the fields

come. They are also farm hands, carpenters and plowers.

During planting season, they are employed as tagasekka and

tagaraep. Though they prioritize daklis, they are jack-of-

all-trades. They are also friendly and jolly. In barrio

fiestas, they are very cooperative. They are thrifty and

they know to save for the rainy day. They have a stock of

daing and inasinan for the year round. They have also rice,

for they participate during harvest time. They are used to

64

the rough sea, for they live near the shoreline. They are

skilled swimmers and are adept with the use of cast net

(Tabukol). They also dig holes in the fields, which they

call rama, trapping catfish, mudfish (dalag) and eel. They

live with adequate money savings, though they are way below

the poverty line.

The Pakat

The pakat is the actual operation of the daklis. When

the sobreamo notices that the sea is already calm

(nalinak), he sends notice to the members of the daklis.

The day before, the net was already checked by the netmen.

The net is already stored in the boat. The officials,

boatmen and pullmen assemble as early as 5:00 in the

morning. They have to push the boat to the water. The trawl

that will pull the boat to where the net will be cast

stands by. With the help of two round logs placed below the

keel of the boat, they push it to the water’s edge. The

pullmen and other members start to walk eastward. The

officials and the matador board the mast of the boat, which

is to be towed to where they will scout for the pangen.

Daklis is a combination of pulling and walking. They have

with them their kalupi, where lunch is placed inside a tube

made of cleaned plastic containers of motor oil. They have

65

tomatoes and salt. They also bring containers of water.

They do not bother bringing viands. They can cook fish from

the catch.

When the matador or prowador shouts pointing at the

direction of the pangen, everybody goes to the assignment.

The tapwak gives the rope to the bumbero, who is

accompanied by another skilled swimmer. The boat then

traverses to the direction the fish had taken so the net

can trap them. The tapwak drops the net to the water.

Meantime, as the bumbero reaches the shore, they have

to hold the rope attached to the pakawan, while waiting for

the pullmen and other barangay folks to arrive. They follow

the direction of the current. If the current goes to the

west, they pull westside. If it goes eastside, they go that

direction. On the other side, as the boat drops anchor, the

second set of pullmen goes there, where the other set of

rope attached to the pakawan holding the net is waiting.

The pulling and bayanihan begins, for barangay folks soon

will join them.

66

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of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines. 1991.

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Review of Marine Protected Areas in the

Philippines: A Preliminary Report. Haribon

Foundation for the Conservation of Natural

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Coastal Resources Management Program (CRMP). 1997. Legal

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management in the Philippines. Department of

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INTERNET SOURCES

http://www.fao.org/fi/agreem/codecond/codecon.aspFPRIV

ATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Back to FAO Fisheries site"

http://www.fao.org/fi/agreem/codecond/codecon.asp

World Resources Institute | 10 G Street, NE (Suite 800) |

73

Washington, DC20002phone: +1 202 729-7600 | fax: +1 202

729-7610 | email: lauretta@wri.org

The Philippines: Then and Now

(Excerpted from The Filipino Americans (From 1763 to the

Present) Their History, Culture, and Traditions by

Veltisezar Bautista.)

Appendix 1. List of Acronyms

CB-CRM Community-based Coastal Resources Management

CEP Coastal Environment Program

CRM Coastal Resources Management

CRMP Coastal Resource Management Program

DA-BAR Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural

Research

DA-BAS Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural

Statistics

DA-BFAR Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and

Aquatic Resources

74

DENR-EMB Department of Environment and Natural Resources-

Environmental Management Bureau

DENR-LMB Department of Environment and Natural Resources-

Lands Management Bureau

DOST-PCAMRD Department of Science and Technology-Philippine

Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development

DOT Department of Tourism

FARMC Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council

FRMP Fisheries Resource Management Project

ICM Integrated Coastal Management

LGU Local Government Unit

LGU-PNP Local Government Unit-Philippine National Police

MPA Marine Protected Area

NGA Non-government Agency

PCG Philippine Coast Guard

PEA Philippine Estate Authority

PFDA Philippine Fisheries Development Authority

PPA Philippine Port Authority

USAID United States Agency for International Development

Other Links

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture

Department's (SEAFDEC-AQD) research

75

on community fishery resources management

The Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and

Development's (PCAMRD) Integrated Coastal

Resources Management Program

The Coastal Resources Management Project's (CRMP) web site.

CRMP is a 7-year (1996-2001) project funded by the USAID

which aims to provide technical assistance and training to

local governments and communities in coastal resources

management.

The Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural

Resources' programs on Community-Based Resource

Management; Research; Capability-Building; Environmental

Law; and Advocacy

Tambuyog Development Center's Sustainable Coastal Area

Development Program

Silliman University's Center of Excellence in Coastal

Resources Management

University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute

The Coral Reef Information Network of the Philippines

(PhilReefs)

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

76

"Blue Environment" programs; includes information on DENR's

Coastal Environment Program

overseas@oneocean.org