West PH Sea: AFP assures livelihood aid for fishers impacted by Balikatan

In this handout photo from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) taken and received on May 8, 2024, shows the BRP Jose Rizal launching a C-Star Surface to Surface Anti-Ship Missile directed towards a mock enemy target during the maritime strike exercise as part of the joint US-Philippines annual military Balikatan drills in Laoag, on Luzon island’s northwest coast. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will provide livelihood assistance to fisherfolk affected by its “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise, the annual war games with the United States (US).

Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose Aquino II, who was defending the Department of National Defense’s (DND) 2025 budget, gave this assurance to ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro during Thursday’s 2025 General Appropriations Bill plenary deliberations.

“Ang ating programa bago mag-umpisa ang Balikatan ay bababa sa communities and LGUs affected bago magumpisa ay mamimigay ng AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation), TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers),” Aquino said.

(Before the start of Balikatan starts the agency will visit communities and LGUs affected and give out AICS and TUPAD.)

READ: Fishers fear livelihood loss due to ‘Balikatan’

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“And the AFP ensures the safety of the local communities during international military activities by engaging in deliberate planning conducting both initial and final site surveys also prioritize coordination and collaboration with LGUs,” he added.

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Prior to this, Castro bared reports on the war games’ effects on fisherfolk and their communities.

“Sa bandang norte, Batanes, ‘di lang siguro ‘yan nai-ba-balita nakakarating sa amin na yung kabuhayan ng mga communities ay natitigil dahil ginagamit yung ating katubigan sa ating mga Balikatan exercises. May mga ginawa pang pag-pa-pasabog ng barko as part of the exercises,” the Makabayan lawmaker revealed.

(Maybe it’s not being reported in the news but in Batanes, reports reached us that the livelihood of the communities is stopped because our waters are being used for the Balikatan exercises. There were even explosions on the ship as part of the exercises.)

READ: Next year’s ‘Balikatan’ is for ‘full-scale battle’– Teodoro

She added that Zambales fisherfolk, including farmers also reported the same problem to them.

“Dahil alam naman po natin na tatlong kahig isang tuka lalo lalong sa sitwasyon ng ating mga mangingisda na kung ilang araw magkakaroon ng exercises madidisrupt ang kanilang kabuhayan,” Castro pointed out.

(Since most of them were only able to eat once a day, if there are exercises for a few days, their livelihood will be disrupted.)

“Ngayon nga sa bahagi ng Zambales, Palawan nagkakaproblema na tayo dahil sa West Philippine Sea,” she added.

(Not to mention our problem in the West Philippine Sea, which affects our fisherfolk in Zambales and Palawan.)

According to Aquino, this year’s war games were conducted in five areas: Tarlac, Zambales, Laoag City, Palawan, and Cabra Island in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro. Last year’s exercises were held in Batanes, among other areas.

Last April 22, the Balikatan’s 39th iteration ran until May 10 in Northern Luzon and Palawan with approximately 16,000 military personnel, including contingents from the Australian Defense Force and French Navy.

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