Restricted sea zone widened for ‘Balikatan’

HEADING OUT TO SEA In this photo taken last week, fishermen at Barangay Calapandayan in Subic, Zambales, prepare their boats, gear and provisions before heading out to sea, a usual early-morning scene in the coastal community. Their routine will be disrupted by “Balikatan”-related restrictions until April 29. —JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT

SAN ANTONIO, ZAMBALES—More coastal communities in Zambales province will be affected by temporary sea restrictions as maritime and air defense drills under this year’s “Balikatan” exercises begin this week.

The sea restrictions are bound to limit fishing and tourism activities in several coastal villages.

According to Commander Euphraim Jayson Diciano, head of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Zambales station, an integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise scheduled from April 26 to April 29 will cover waters from the vicinity of Subic town to areas off Botolan town.

The drills will take place within an operational area covering nearshore waters across six towns—Botolan, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio and Subic. Safety protocols will be implemented during the exercise period.

Fishing restrictions have been in effect in Subic since Monday as the maritime and air defense drills are ongoing.

The PCG earlier issued advisories and notices to mariners to inform fisherfolk and other community members of the affected zones and schedules.

READY FOR DRILLS “Balikatan” participants link arms during the opening ceremony of the 41st Philippine-US Balikatan Exercise at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on April 20. Troops from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, and New Zealand are joining the combat drills this month. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Safety protocols

Diciano on Thursday confirmed that the advisory was updated to clarify the full scope of the operational area as safety measures were finalized.

“We acknowledge the concerns regarding the Navigational Warning issued for the Balikatan Exercise. Initial information highlighted Subic as the primary area; however, as part of standard safety protocols and evolving operational requirements, the coverage was subsequently clarified to include nearby waters,” he told the Inquirer.

Several coastal towns will be affected by temporary sea restrictions, with operational waters ranging from nearshore areas (coastal areas) up to about 4.07 kilometers (2.2 nautical miles) offshore affecting at least 21 villages across the province.

Local governments of the affected towns have also released advisories restricting fishing and other beach-related activities within designated danger areas for the duration of the drills.

Authorities said the restrictions are necessary to ensure the safety of civilian vessels while participating forces conduct coordinated air and maritime defense drills.

The IAMD exercise is part of a series of activities under this year’s Balikatan, which includes maritime, air and live-fire training across several locations in the country.

The annual exercises between forces of the Philippines and the United States are intended to enhance interoperability, strengthen defense readiness and improve joint response capabilities in maritime and airspace security operations.

However, the temporary restrictions have raised concerns among some fishing communities in the province, where residents rely heavily on daily fishing or tourism-related activities for income.

In previous exercises, fishermen reported disruptions to their livelihoods when sea access was temporarily limited for safety reasons.

Local authorities earlier said they had informed fishermen’s groups about the scheduled drills through notices to mariners and coordination meetings ahead of the activities.

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