The Last Pabitin? E. Tuazon’s fishing community faces uncertain future as 2024 Barangay Fiesta may be their last celebration

May 19, 2024

Lucillo, Marc Vincent, Cristobal, Rizzel Ann, Zuniga, Thonie

Racks of goodies hang at a small basketball court inside E. Tuazon Street for the celebration of the feast of Barangay San Jose.

San Jose, NAVOTAS CITY —  Loud street music, vibrant hanging banderitas,  rehearsing walking bands, and a busy church are the usual scenes in San Jose, Navotas City every morning of the 5th of May as the whole barangay celebrates their fiesta. 

A festive Singkaban at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Jose de Navotas entrance welcomes the Patron Saint San Jose devotees.

This 2024, the same scenes were observed in the barangay, however, it was not as festive as in the past. 

In the puzzling narrow ways of E. Tuazon Street in San Jose, although scarce in space, the spirit of the fiesta was striking. Neighborhoods gathered in a small half-basketball court to prepare their food for their salo-salo lunch and activities. 

According to Annaliza Canonoy, one of the residents busy preparing for the fiesta, this neighborhood celebration has been an annual tradition ever since in the past. Their neighborhood, which are all fishing families, never missed a single fiesta. 

They would always hang racks of goodies and clay pot jars filled with candies and host party games for the neighborhood’s kids. But, this year is different. Canonoy feared that if the ‘cleaning’ of Manila Bay was pursued their only source of income would disappear for good making it hard for them to celebrate events.  

The family of Canonoy, like many families in Navotas, relies heavily on the sea. A census in 2020 revealed that 90% of the population of the city has livelihoods related to fishing industries, mostly mussel farming. Many people have their livelihoods on the verge of disappearing.

“Parang nanghihina kasi diba dun na kami kumukuha ng pagkain, pangangailangan namin. May mga anak kaming nag-aaral tapos pag wala ng hanapbuhay paano na kaya ayun lang inaasahan namin.” 

“We feel weak because we only depend there [the sea]. What will happen to us if we lose our job? We have children who are still in school”. Canonoy said.

The Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program signed under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte aims to clean. rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay and restore its water quality fit for swimming, skin diving, and other recreational activities.

However, this program instead worsens the fishing community of Navotas by destroying their livelihood. 

For instance, Canonoy’s husband sailed regularly in the bay to harvest mussels for a long time since he was still a teenager. It is the only job he knows. Thus the sudden ‘cleaning’ of the bay would completely decapitate their income.

“Siguro wala. Katulad niyan pag ano wala na kaming hanapbuhay pag tuloy tuloy yung pag ano ng dagat. Sa dagat lang po kami umaasa yun lang po kasi alam ng asawa ko na hanapbuhay.” 

“Most likely nothing, for instance, if we lose our jobs while the water is still being reclaimed. My spouse only knows how to fish, therefore that's our only source of income.” Canonoy said.

According to Amos Hachinova, Barangay Captain of San Jose, the local government is aware of the heeds of their residents. Efforts were made to alleviate the occupational needs of the community such as the implementation of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

However, the wage from this program needs to be higher to provide for the needs of a family. A member can only benefit from the program for 10 to 90 days.

On the other hand, Capt. Amos also encouraged his constituents to search for jobs that require similar skills fishermen employ in their jobs as early as possible while emphasizing that these fishermen would be better off if they could keep their original jobs. 

“Sa nakikita ko, kung mawawala talaga tahungan maghahanap sila ng alternatibong hanapbuhay dito sa Navotas. Hindi lang kasi tulad ng magtatahong… kasi mas maganda kita kapag nagtatahong ka eh parang pagnenegosyo na rin yan. Pwede silang maging o magtrabaho sa mga shipguard/ yard or mag welding, kaya nga lang di tulad dati na magtatahong ka.. May jackpot dyan eh. Syempre, kapag nakahuli ka ng marami kasi syempre nature yan eh. Malaki pagkakaiba ng sumusweldo ka ng regular.. Kapag ano yun 600 lang mahigit pag ikaw nakakuha ng maraming tahong pwedeng libo ang halaga niyan, kaya mo palakihin sahod mo di kagaya na kapag regular ka lang hanggang doon ka lang.  Tsaka ayan ang skill nila eh paano kung hindi sila sanay sa ibang klase ng trabaho pag-aaralan pa nila tapos maliit pa ang sahod hindi katulad dyan ayan ang skills nila na sanay silang sumisid at lumangoy nasa dagat talaga ang nature ng trabaho nila. Ibang iba yung trabaho ng sa lupa ng nasa dagat. “ 

"As far as I can see if they lose their homes, they will look for alternative jobs here in Navotas. But not like mussel farming, because, it pays you better, it's like doing business. They can work in shipyards or do welding, but it is not like mussel farming. There's a jackpot there. Of course, when you catch a lot because of course that's nature. It's a big difference if you earn a regular salary. When it's only 600 [minimum wage] but more than when you harvest a lot of mussels, it can be worth thousands, your salary can increase unlike when you're just a regular worker whose wage is controlled. Besides, that's their skill, what if they're not used to other types of work, they’ll work more, then the salary is still small, unlike [in mussel farming], they're used to diving and swimming, the nature of their work is actually in the sea. The work on land is different from that in the sea. " Capt. Amos said. 

“Hindi… sakin walang problema. Maglalambat na lang kasi wala na kami tahong. Pag malinis yan.” 

"No... I don't have a problem. I’ll just do net fishing because we don't have any more mussels. When [the bay] is clean." Renante Enmancino, a fisherman said.

Enmancino is one of the remaining fishermen that has a mussel farm in the bay. According to him, since February of this year, backhoes loaded in pontoon floats have been tirelessly pulling their sticks (where the mussels grow) out from the bay. 

However, the pulling was not news to him because they had been notified that following the rehabilitation program of the bay ‘cleaning’ would be done in some areas which, initially, only covered one barangay and was not in San Jose.  Unfortunately, the cleaning expanded and will then cover the whole bay area of Navotas.

This sparked alarm within the Navotas’ fishing community as their livelihood has been endangered instantly. Since February, Navotas fisherfolks led by the non-governmental organization PAMALAKAYA Navotas have been organizing demonstrations to call for stoppage. 

Navotas’ fishing community rallies for survival as their livelihood faces sudden peril. Courtesy of Piso Wifi Balita.

Annaliza Canonoy’s husband was one of the active protesters rallying their plea to the government in the hope they would be heard. Annaliza and his husband strongly opposed the ‘cleaning’ of the Manila Bay. Their life and livelihoods, like most of the population of Navotas, depend on the sea, Taking it away from them is taking their future away. 

Canonoy has only one wish for this fiesta.

Sana yun ano mabigyan pa ng pagkakataon yung mga tao dito na wag muna sana ngayon para kahit papano makapag ipon para ano makapag ready sa ibang hanapbuhay ganon. 

“I hope that the people here will be given another chance that they don't have now so that we can somehow save so we can find  other jobs.” Canonoy hopes.

She hopes she and her neighbor will still be preparing food at the basketball courts and there will be racks of goodies and clay pots for kids to play next fiesta. #