Through these FGDs, the Commission was able to surface women’s lived experiences and gather from the women themselves, specific recommendations to address their situation. Key recommendations from the FGDs include the need to recognize and render visible women fisherfolks in all fishing communities, dedicated support for women fisherfolks, enhanced protection mechanisms in cases of GBV, and ensuring the availability and accessibility of lifesaving information for marginalized communities, including women fisherfolks. Women in Informal Sector For 2021, one of the sectoral monitoring focus of the Commission for 2021 are women in the informal sectors. This is in recognition of the gap in the Commission’s monitoring work - which has not previously covered the situation of women in the informal sector. The current global pandemic has affected the livelihood of many across different social classes,among the most affected are low wage earners and informal workers. To further monitor the impact of the pandemic on the sector and to surface their situation, a series of FGDs were conducted with a total of 50 women in informal sectors across the country. Conducted on line over the course of three island webinars, the FGDs allowed the Commission to surface the impact of pandemic on the sector including discussions in the reasons that led to their informality. Some of the accounts of the women are as follows: In region 12, the Fibisco factory retrenchment pushed women to informal work which include laundry, cleaning, and cooking services. In other areas, domestic workers and personal drivers whose employers started working from home lost their jobs. Income generally plummeted for many due to irregular work schedules in compliance with government protocols. Some wage earners were only allowed to work about twice a week earning only around 400php weekly. Participants identified restricted mobility as one of their most difficult challenges during the pandemic because it led to diminished profits. Mobility is even more restricted among women who are also senior citizens as well as PWDs. PATAMABA-WISE reported a 60-70% reduction of profit due to the reduced demand of non-essentials. Farmers had limited access to farm inputs despite being producers of food. Small stalls and stores as well as ambulant vendors were unable to sell for weeks on end. When restrictions were loosened, they became at risk for exposure to the looming COVID-19 virus. The transport sector was also forced to stop operating leaving families with little access to food. A food security assessment conducted by a local organization revealed widespread hunger among tricycle drivers as road ordinances make it difficult for them to work. Two participants from the transport sector are unable to provide for their families’ needs. In Lanao del Sur, tricycle fare is 20php. Gas costs 50php and they are only allowed to work 3 times a week, where they would be lucky to earn a maximum of 500php. The case is similar in Zamboanga. Both drivers supplement their income as street vendors. Some days, they earn nothing and have to resort to feeding their families porridge or any other food they can afford. They are also unable to pay for permits necessary to operate legally. A participant and her husband took to fishing after losing their contractual jobs. She makes sea hooks and fish bait with her neighbors, where she earns 50php for 100 pieces. It takes around 2 hours to make a 17