Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan raised concerns over the adverse implications of the ruling of the Supreme Court that allowed commercial fishing in the 15-kilometer municipal water zone, which was previously reserved exclusively for small-scale fishers.
During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform on Wednesday, February 18, on the protection of the 15-kilometer municipal waters for small-scale fishers, the senator and chairperson of the committee pointed out the decline in the annual marine municipal fisheries and inland municipal fisheries production following the August 2024 resolution of the Supreme Court.
“So, malaki ang increase ng commercial fishing habang bagsak naman ang production ng inland municipal and marine municipal fisheries. So, doon pa lang makikita bakit gumanda yung huli ng commercial at bumagsak ang huli ng inland at small fishers,” he said.
“Yung pagiging hindi makatarungan ay mapapatunayan dahil nga sa pagbagsak ng kita ng ating mga maliliit na mangingisda kaya yung impormasyon po na galing sa LGU—dahil kayo po ang frontliner sa ating serbisyo publiko—mahalaga po iyon,” he added while addressing local chief executives of several municipalities whose coastal areas and fisherfolk were affected by the SC decision.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority as of February 2026, marine municipal fisheries steadily declined from 879,961.58 metric tons in 2023 to 802,860.03 metric tons in 2024 to only 749,366.40 metric tons in 2025.
Comparatively, commercial fisheries went up from 822,427.47 metric tons in 2023 to 868,324.25 metric tons in 2024 to 849,498.89 metric tons in 2025.
“Kung sino pa yung mahirap lalong humihirap sa halip na bigyan ng proteksyon,” Pangilinan lamented. “Meron naman prinsipyo sa batas na substantial justice should be given more weight than these technicalities. Technicalities should not defeat substantial justice.”
A motion for reconsideration is presently pending before the Supreme Court. In its August 2024 Resolution, arising from a case originally filed before the Regional Trial Court of Malabon, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s ruling declaring unconstitutional the provisions of the Fisheries Code that granted exclusive fishing rights to municipal and small-scale fisherfolk within municipal waters.
This was after the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), through the Office of the Solicitor General, failed to file timely appeals.
Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro Mayor Walter Marquez, one of the resource persons during the hearing, deplored the national government’s and its agencies’ failure to protect small-scale fishers.
“So, ang decision pong ito—at ang pagpayag na makapasok ang mga commercial fishers—ay malaki pong epekto sa kabuhayan ng mga maliliit na mangingisda sa ating bayan,” he told the panel, noting that Sablayan also houses the Apo Reef Natural park and other marine protected areas.
“So, sa pagpasok po ng mga malakihang palakaya sa ating pong pambayang-tubigan, ay higit pa natin pinawala, pinalala ang sitwasyon na magkaroon ng pagkakataon ang mga maliliit na mangingisda na makahuli sa malapit lamang o sa yun tinawag nating municipal waters. Sa pagtingin po ng mga lokal na pamahalaan ay isa pong malaking kasalanan ang hindi po magampanan ng ating mga pinagkakatiwalaan ang kanilang pangunahing trabaho,” he added.
Pangilinan, who expressed support for the position of several local government units in questioning the SC decision, has long advocated for the rights of farmers and fisherfolk as he recognized their immeasurable contribution to national food security.
Aside from local chief executives, nongovernment organizations, such as Rare Philippines, OCEANA, SINAG, and Samahang Magbabangus ng Pangasinan (SAMAPA), also presented their position papers.