After the Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with identified women fisherfolks in Claveria,
Cagayan, Focused Group Discussion (FGD) was set and held on September 14, 2020 at
Ocean Inn in the said coastal town. Atty. Grace R. Marcos, Regional Gender and
Development Focal Person, Commission on Human Rights Region 02, welcomed the
participants to the FGD. Before Atty. Marcos proceeded to the FGD proper, she discussed
with them the rationale of the project and cited the specific objectives. She informed them
that the results of the Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with women fisherfolks and
government service providers will be presented in a webinar on the sector.
Furthermore, Atty. Marcos inquired on the consent and willingness of the interviewees to
be named in the report or request anonymity. She assured them that their identity and the
information derived from the FGD will not be used against them.
FOCUSED GROUP DISCUSSION PROPER
1. Situationer of Women Fisherfolks
● There are 557 registered women fisherfolks in the coastal town of Claveria.
FishR or Fish Registration System of the LGU, BFAR created the database and
LGU Claveria supplied the data. There are still many who remain unregistered
despite free and voluntary registration in their barangays. This occurs despite
BFAR information drive on the benefits of registered fisherfolks.
● There was mass registration of fisherfolks but those who were minors during the
conduct of such have not enlisted as of this report.
● Generally, women fisherfolks are in fish vending business since majority of them
are married to fishermen or have families in fish trading. Fish vending includes
buying and selling.
● In addition, the BFAR Fisheries Livelihood Development Technician (FLDT)
informed Atty. Marcos that they conduct post-harvest training to fisherfolks and
Rural Improvement Clubs (RICs) on bagoong making, drying and value adding
products such as fish nuggets, fish tocino, fish lumpia to name a few.
CHR:
MAO Virginia:
Are these women involved in post-harvest activities such as pagdaklis
(beach seine fishing), fish drying and making value adding products for
example, considered as women fisherfolks or are they just an extension of
their husbands or partners? Are they restricted from sailing and fishing?
Yes, they are considered as fisherfolks as defined by FishR as any
individual directly or indirectly engaged in fishery and fishery-related
activities. Women are not prohibited to sail the sea as long as they sturdy
and strong to brave the open sea. They have that option. Majority of
women fisherfolks are involved in pagdaklis
CHR:
That’s what we call equality of opportunity. On another note, what is the
current state of their income?
BFAR FLDT:
Fisherfolks in Claveria, Cagayan are extremes in income. There are some
who are middle- incomed compradors and fish traders but most fisherfolks
living in Pata East, Pata West, Culao, Dibalio and D. Leano are below
poverty level. These are fisherfolks who do not have the capital to compra
or buy fish from traders.
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