LAGUNA Lake and Manila Bay based groups on Tuesday announced their support to the senatorial bid of Makabayan coalition senate candidate Rep. Teodoro Casino.
In a statement fisherfolk leaders Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis partylist, Salvador France of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Myrna Candinato of Alyansa ng mga Mandaragat ng Bacoor, Cavite, Pedro Gonzalez of Koalisyon Kontra Kumbersyon ng Manila Bay (KKK-Manila Bay) and Ronel Arambulo of Save Laguna Lake Movement (SLLM) said so far it is Casino (on his third and last term as partylist representative of Bayan Muna in Congress) who qualified among the other 32 senatorial candidates running in the May 2013 elections.
“Rep. Casino has been with us in the fight against large-scale reclamation in Manila Bay and against corporate plunder of Laguna Lake since time immemorial. We would be in a major political default if we will not campaign for him. His victory in the Senate is a political and moral necessity for small fishermen and ordinary people like us,” said France, vice chair of Pamalakaya fisherfolk group.
France said as congressman, Rep. Casino sponsored and supported several house resolutions calling the attention of the Philippine government to investigate and put an end to the various reclamation and privatization projects in Manila Bay and Laguna Lake which will affect not less than 6 million people in both major fishing areas.
Pamalakaya, Anakpawis partylist and SLLM noted that Casino had been very supportive of the fisherfolk campaign against privatization and conversion of Laguna Lake and over the last 9 years as partylist congressman had pursued legislative inquiries that would address pressing issues across the lake in accordance with the collective interest of people around the lake.
As for KKK-Manila Bay and Alyansa ng mga Mandaragat sa Bacoor, Cavite, Rep. Casino in partnership with Anakpawis partylist had filed a number of house resolutions since 2008 calling for a full-blown inquiry on large-scale and widespread reclamation activities in Manila Bay.
Last year, Casino and Mariano filed resolutions calling for an investigation of big-reclamation projects in Manila Bay, one of them is the ambitious P 14-B reclamation plan in Las Pinas-Paranaque. The partylist representatives had also sought congressional inquiry on the 102 reclamation projects all over the country under the National Reclamation Plan of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).
“Rep. Casino’s victory in the Senate is a political and moral necessity for the all poor and the marginalized people who want real change and meaningful reforms and for those who are sick and tired of traditional politics and Jurassic promises by trapos,” the groups said.
On Monday, Pamalakaya, Anakpawis party list and SLLM launched an across Laguna de Bay signature drive to promote the Laguna de Bay Fisherpeople Electoral Agenda.
“The Laguna Lake Fisherpeople Electoral Agenda will represent the collective sentiment of small fishermen and other poor sectors across the 90,000 hectare lake will be submitted to national and local candidates in an electoral forum in March and April.
We will raise the bar of electoral exercise by raising these pressing issues and legitimate concerns pertaining to hunger and poverty in Laguna de Bay,” the Anakpawis partylist and Pamalakaya leaders said.
According to a joint survey conducted by Anakpawis partylist and Pamalakaya early this year, widespread hunger is all over of lake, with 6 out of 10 fishing families, including poor and locw income families have failed to complete the required three-meals a day due to declining fish catch and lack of economic and livelihood opportunities around the lake.
The groups said hunger and lack of food is expected to hit an all time high this year and this problem will prolong beginning March up to December this year due to year round season of declining fish catch and other environmental factors like the proliferation of invasive species in Laguna Lake like janitor fish, knife fish and the Chinese softshelled snake turtles.
The Laguna Lake People’s Electoral Agenda calls for a full-blown production and economic subsidy to small fishermen and other poor residents of the lake.
The signature drive will call on the national government to drop the ambitious Laguna Lake Master Development Plan which envisions the implementation of 54 major projects across the lake that would cost taxpayers money by P 400-B from 2013 to 2025.
The master plan involves the construction of 100-kilometer ring dike around the lake, the dredging of the 94,000 hectare lake, the construction of high end condominiums and eco-tourisim facilities, the revival of ferry transport system, the reclamation of not less than 5,000 hectares of lake waters in South Metro Manila, the tapping of Laguna Lake as main source of water for water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water and the construction of the ambitious Rizal International Airport in Talim Island.