Struggles at sea drive Subic fishing families to abandon boats
(Conclusion)
SUBIC, ZAMBALES — After the tragic disappearance of four fishermen in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) last year, “mother” fishing boat FB Reincris, docked in Barangay Calapandayan here, has been idle and is now for sale.
“Since November last year, the boat has stopped operating because my husband seems to be getting nervous. He just joins other boats now because he has lost people,” shares Christina Bausen, 43.
Her common-law husband, Renato Celistra, 56, the owner and skipper of FB Reincris, lost four of his eight crew members near Scarborough Shoal in the WPS on Nov. 27 last year.
The missing — brothers Richard and Reymond Recalde, along with Daniel Sabido and Anthony Tadeo — ventured out from their main vessel on small motorized boats to fish using the traditional hook-and-line method, locally known as “nangawil.”
What would have been a routine three-hour trip turned tragic when strong waves prevented their return. They also were unable to take shelter at the shoal, locally known as Panatag or Bajo de Masinloc, like fishermen used to do.
“Since they are banned from entering Scarborough Shoal, many boats have been in trouble. It’s not like before, when even during bad weather they can just hide there. Now, when the weather is bad and they’re still at sea, they come home empty-handed,” Bausen tells the Inquirer.
‘Harder now’
As she gazes at the idle FB Reincris, Bausen adds: “It’s harder now. It’s not like before when we owned the boat.”
According to her, they acquired the secondhand boat while she was still working as a domestic helper abroad, sometime between 2014 and 2017.
The boat cost them over P1 million, which they yet have to fully pay. Now, they’re looking to sell it for P750,000.
While the boat’s fate remains uncertain, Bausen has taken a job at a small restaurant inside the Subic Bay Freeport to supplement her husband’s income.
She hopes the sale of the boat will bring financial relief, especially since one of their children wants to move to Metro Manila to find work.
Bausen and Celistra have four children — ages 25, 22, 12, and 2. Two of them have graduated from college and awaiting employment.
Like many fishermen here, Celistra discourages his children from following in his footsteps, says Bausen.
“Their father doesn’t want them to be like him. He often says that while he’s still strong, they should study hard because being a fisherman is hard. There’s no security at sea. Unlike when you finish your studies and find a job — then you’re stable.”
FB Reincris is not the only boat now up for sale. At least two more boats, including FB Akio, have been decommissioned.
FB Akio, which used to frequently ventured into the WPS, exploded after an engine failure. Two fishermen — Rolando Lumapas and Freddie Legaspi — suffered third-degree burns during the incident.
Suitable boats
But while some fishermen are selling their boats, the government has been distributing fiberglass boats to selected fishing groups in this province and nearby Olongapo City.
Five units of 62-foot fiberglass boats have been delivered by personnel from the technical group of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), according to some fishermen during the Inquirer’s visit to Barangay Calapandayan on Sept. 6.
Leonido Moralde, 64, vice chair of the Subic Hook and Line Fishermen’s Association, says their group is among the recipients.
But Moralde finds the “boat too light.” He has just returned from nearby Barangay Cawag, where their new boat is docked.
Many fishermen here are grateful for the aid — such as diesel, food packs, and other provisions — and now the new boats. But they are calling on the government to provide boats that are truly suitable for venturing into the WPS.
“There are many boats being given that end up wasted and unused. But this new one — maybe we can just have it repaired so it can be put to good use,” says Moralde.
Celistra, Moralde, and many other fishermen who continue to venture into the WPS are among the direct victims of harassment and intimidation by the China Coast Guard (CCG).
Harassment
Moralde, who has been fishing since 1988, recalls that three days of fishing near the shoal used to be enough. Now, they have to stay at sea for a week or more — which means spending more on diesel, food, and other supplies.
According to him, fishermen like him — and even those from neighboring countries — used to freely access the area. But things changed with the growing Chinese presence.
They experienced this abusive behavior when CCG personnel boarded their boats and forcibly took their best catch.
Then in 2012, the situation worsened. The CCG began chasing them away from the shoal and, in extreme cases, firing water cannons to intimidate them.
Moralde’s son, Leocilo Moralde, 40, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a fisherman. But the elder Moralde says his son never got to truly experience the bounty of the shoal.
“They’re just there in the distance, avoiding the [CCG], because when you go near, they’ll chase you,” shares Moralde.
Together with the fishing community that continues to adapt to these challenges, many are now pinning their hopes on the assistance the government is providing.
But they still hope that one day, everything will go back to the way it was — when they could freely venture into their traditional fishing grounds without fear of CCG vessels shadowing them.
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(This special report was produced with the support of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, in partnership with Internews, for the Indo-Pacific Media Resilience project)
