(The interviews took place on November 16,2020 and the following days via phone and facebook chat messenger.) I. ROLES AND GENERAL SITUATIONER What is the nearest body of water near you, and what benefits do you get from it? Most of our women respondents identified the sea as the closest body of water to their homes. A few live near the nipahan or palm plantation and the mangroves, but still connected to the sea. The sea is their main source of livelihood and income. Our women consider it their greatest blessing, next to the hills where they harvest root crops such as camote. Most of the women take part in planting, cultivating seaweeds and harvesting these within a two to three months period. Sometime in the 90s, the seaweeds industry has taken a plunge. But came the 2000s, this dynamic organization of women worked hard and contributed significantly to its revival. Their husbands catch various types of fish in the sea to feed their families and/or to sell to others. Seaweeds harvesting and sorting (December 1,2020)