Though Habagat’s seasonal pattern is predictable, its impact on municipal fishers remains overlooked.

ALBAY – Year after year, the Habagat season (Southwest Monsoon) leaves municipal fishers without income for months. Yet government aid remains limited to physical damages, making advocates call for the permanent inclusion of the sector’s income loss in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) disaster response list.

“The government should tap the DA’s P1-billion quick response fund (QRF) to support fisherfolk affected by sigwada (local term for Habagat) as it is meant to cushion the impact of calamities on the agri-fisheries sector,” national fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said.

Sigwada forces small fisherfolk to suspend fishing from late May to August due to strong winds and rough seas, the group said. It added that this cuts off the fishers’ main source of income and worsening hunger among affected families.

Pamalakaya decried how the impact of Habagat remained largely under-addressed despite its predictable seasonal pattern.

In response to Bulatlat’s inquiry to national and regional headquarters of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the agency’s Bicol office said it works with other government offices to plan and coordinate help for fisherfolk when the Habagat season keeps them from going out to sea.

Once coordination is done, social welfare agencies may provide food packs and other kinds of support to affected communities, it said. BFAR may provide support like fishing gear, boats, or fuel subsidies to help restore livelihoods once damages are validated.

However, the Department of Agriculture’s QRF can only be released after validated reports and corresponding recovery plans are submitted.

The Bicol bureau noted that weather-related disruptions and commercial vessel intrusion have contributed to the region’s declining municipal fish production in recent years, in turn affecting local livelihoods.

Likewise, BFAR Region IV-A stressed that “even short-term disruptions in fishing can lead to income loss and reduced access to food, making resilience building and timely interventions all the more critical.”

It also pointed to “climate change [as] a key contributing factor to the observed [nationwide] decline in municipal fish production.”

No response as yet from BFAR on whether affected fishers can directly report their situation during this season or if prolonged fishing disruptions qualify for calamity fund assistance as of writing.

Pamalakaya national chairperson Fernando Hicap reminded the government that, based on consultations with affected fishers, “some boats have already been hauled ashore in anticipation of rough weather expected to last for several months.” (RTS, RBV)