SUMMARY OF KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW
1.
Roles
Out of twenty (20) respondents, three (3) of them said that their respective husbands solely
fish on the periphery island of Sta. Cruz. The other two (2) respondents said their husband fish
on two areas namely Sta. Cruz Island and Tagtabun. Three fish in Sta. Cruz and Layag-layag.
Only 1 husband of the respondents’ fish in the Sta. Cruz Island and Sumarik while eleven (11) of
them fish in multiple places such as Sta. Cruz, Layag-layag, Labuan, Tagtabun, Sumatra, Mariki,
Linungan, Banalipa, Sinucsuc, Baliwasan, and Paseo. The Fisherfolk were able to get fishes,
seaweeds, and other sea creatures from the sea which they sell.
All of the respondents said that the sea is essential to them because fishing is their primary
source of living wherein not only fish can be sold but also seaweeds and other sea resources.
There are three (3) of them who consider the land work as less effective as a source of income
due to reasons that they struggle in cultivating the land because they are not accustomed to it.
All the respondents are housewives. All the household chores are being done by them such
as cooking, washing dishes and clothes, cleaning the house, taking care of their children and
even their grandchildren. Less than ten (10) of them have a small business in selling goods
(food) to help sustain their daily needs especially when their husbands’ catch isn’t good. Since
their husbands are the ones fishing, their counterparts as wives are preparing the materials for
fishing such as nets, hooks, etc. They also sell their husbands’ catch of the day at the market or
sell it at wholesale while others sell it to the neighborhood.
Twelve (12) of the respondents’ sons join their father in fishing or they fish separately since
their sons are old enough and were able to earn 100, 300, and 500 pesos depending on their deal
with buyers. The remaining eight (8) said their sons are still young or are minors and have no
knowledge of fishing. One (1) respondent’s child already passed away. All of the respondents’
daughters do not join in fishing but they are the ones who help their mothers in cleaning the
house, selling the fishes at the market, and even peddling it to the neighborhood. Moreover,
one (1) daughter is accepting laundry from others to earn extra income. All the respondents’
minor children are still studying.
The respondents believe that they belong to the so-called women fisherfolk even though
they are only selling the fishes caught by their husbands. The job they are doing still belongs to
the fishing sector.
When the pandemic started, the families’ source of sustenance did not change but their
daily routine and income were greatly affected. Their husbands cannot go fishing often
anymore since they are afraid to get infected by the virus. Also, there are additional documents
that they need to comply with to allow them to operate as usual. They earn less now compared
to their income before because customers demand also declined. One (1) respondent decided
to peddle their catch to the nearby Christian community hoping that they will earn more.
2. Economic Participation and Recognition
Most of the respondents said that they are fishing together with their male family members
like their children, brothers, cousins, uncles and the like. Women, most likely, are the ones who sell