Pulitzer Center Update July 5, 2024
Fishing Community Gathers for Film About Life Near Scarborough Shoal
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Project
The Fishermen of Masinloc
This project explores the lives of Filipino fishermen as they strive to provide fish for their...
Video by Shirin Bhandari. Philippines, 2024.
This year, we marked World Ocean Day (June 8) by bringing a Pulitzer Center-supported short film to the very community affected by the issue discussed in the documentary. This engagement activity is a collaboration between Southeast Asia outreach and Pulitzer Center grantee Shirin Bhandari.
Spearfishing for grouper and red snapper in the same way as your forefathers, in the same waters, sounds like a relatively straightforward livelihood. But these days everything is complicated in the West Philippine Sea, which is coveted by China for its shipping routes and gas deposits as much as its rich fisheries.
In all of this, caught between the geopolitical tensions are the Filipino fishermen who do not have the means to fish elsewhere; their small wooden boats are no match to the scale of modern vessels used by the Chinese.
When I began researching for the film in December 2022, I intended to amplify the voices of the Filipino fishermen directly affected by this issue, as they struggled to earn a living and feed their families. It remained an underreported issue at the time as China continued to block their access to Scarborough Shoal.
Through the support of the Pulitzer Center, principal photography began in August 2023 in San Salvador, the island closest to the shoal, and the dream of producing the documentary became a reality. However, the news has not been encouraging since the film was completed in October 2023.
The Chinese coast guard has sent more fleets barring Filipino fishermen's access to their traditional fishing grounds. They have shown increasing aggression by using water cannons toward the Philippine coast guard and local fishing boats. In turn, the Philippines has sought the support of the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Australia.
On June 8, 2024, World Ocean Day, close to a year since the film debuted, I returned with our small team to San Salvador so the community could watch the documentary. The isolated island is inaccessible to reliable internet connections or mobile phone signals. It was a challenge to bring a 55-inch TV from Metro Manila for the seven-hour drive and cross the ocean with it, but, thankfully, everything went smoothly.
Video by Shirin Bhandari. Philippines, 2024.
Upon arrival, I sensed some hostility, mainly from the barangay captain (local official) toward our team, which we had not experienced during our last visit. A month prior, several activists with local media in tow engulfed the island and held a campaign to assert the sovereign rights of the Philippines without their permission.
Locals felt slighted, and the news that came out was not always truthful. They deserve to be included in the planning of any event held on the island. To avoid any misunderstandings, I was accompanied by the wife of one of the protagonists in the film to walk with her to the local barangay (administrative office) hall and was advised by the fishers to register for the film screening.
It was a 45-minute trek each way from the port—strategically constructed in the center of the island to accommodate residents who lived farther up. The heat and uneven terrain made it difficult and it was apparent the island lacked basic social services, such as access to medical care, as the lone health center remained closed without any on-duty nurse or doctor. It made me realize that should you face a life-or-death emergency, you are always closer to death on these islands and will need to cross the open sea to get the proper care.
On the same day, a medical mission was held on the mainland in Masinloc, so some residents who needed a free medical checkup were unable to attend the film screening. Despite this, we had a decent turnout.
Rony Drio, our main protagonist, made the arrangements, and our scenic venue overlooked the sea as we gathered under a large tree to watch the film. It is fulfilling for me as a filmmaker to present the story to the people who inspired it. The situation has unfortunately continued to deteriorate, and the issues highlighted in the film still hold today, but I am still thankful that I had the opportunity to present a documentary that is a reflection of the times.
After the screening, we had an open dialogue with the local fisherfolk and discussed their feelings toward the new mandate from China that started on June 15, 2024, allowing the Chinese coast guard to detain any foreign fishers who will trespass the contested waters of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal. Their last trip to the shoal was in May 2024, and the fishers have chosen not to return for fear of being arrested for up to 60 days without a trial.
The Philippine government has not reached out to them or provided any advice on what to do. Fishermen will not risk going to the shoal without a Philippine coast guard or military vessel to escort and protect them. In the meantime, they have extended their patience and fish in municipal waters. The marine life around San Salvador is unable to provide enough fish to earn a living and barely sufficient to feed their families.
Alternative livelihood programs for fishing communities can help the wives of fishermen or other members of the family learn a trade or craft that they can do from their homes. Most households mainly rely on the men as the sole breadwinner. Since it has become increasingly perilous for fishermen in places like San Salvador to fish in Scarborough Shoal, families are going hungry. The government may provide relief goods, but this is a temporary, band-aid solution.
Some organizations even make the fishers go out to sea as part of their propaganda before they are given gasoline for their boats and food to eat. Help can be provided directly on the coast where families need it most.
Children who are not fed properly end up malnourished and stunted and struggle in school. Public schools in fishing communities could provide supplementary feeding and education programs that support children from lower-income households, increasing their chances for a better future. Leaders could collaborate on a policy that works best for all fishermen.
I hope my film continues to be screened and open conversations on how to protect our fishermen and their rights.
“If this is how it’s going to be … if [the Chinese] can fish, we should also be allowed to fish without bothering each other,” Rony Drio says. “That’s what I thought of. No more trouble. I just hope this can be resolved peacefully.”
