CALABARZON with 11 killings, and Central Luzon with 10. Comparing data from 2019, it could be seen
that there were 273 reports then, showing a percentage decrease of 86.81% of reported drug related killings.
It must be noted however, that like cases of GBV, reporting and requesting assistance has been difficult
during ECQ/MECQ period. In the 22 cases of Brgy Holy Spirit, Quezon City, alone, majority of these cases
have not been formally reported to CHR. They have yet to secure police reports and death certificates,
constrained by very limited resources, transportation options, and also of their fear for their own safety. It
is to be expected that like Brgy. Holy Spirit, there may have been drug related killings in other
communities/localities that have not been properly documented and reported during this crisis.
Women Fisherfolks and Women and Girls at Risk of Trafficking
Rural women and indigenous women are among the most affected by the current pandemic. They are
rendered more vulnerable due to pre-existing inequalities in accessing and control of resources, access to
basic health and other social services, and due to their often exclusion in community and local decision
making processes. In 2020, the Commission, through its 16 regional offices conducted FGDs and Key
informant interviews (KII) with women fisherfolks. The FGDs and KIIs sought to assess situation of women
fisherfolks and to inquire on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial results of the FGDs and KIIs
have started to come in and based on initial submission, the FGDs and KII highlighted the dire circumstance
of many women fisherfolks because of the pandemic. While some were able to identify assistance provided
to the fisherfolks community, there are still accounts of exclusion as women fisherfolks and as beneficiaries
of other forms of assistance. Reports of GBV against women fisherfolks were also documented.
For instance, in CHR-1, KII with DSWD service provider revealed how the quarantine measures affected
women fisherfolks access to the Sustainable Livelihood Project (SLP). Because of lockdowns,
operationalization of the enterprises of the SLP program were interrupted, mobility was constrained and
access to raw materials limited. This affected women fisherfolks who depend on their everyday living in
said enterprises. 60 In CHR-II, regulations and protocols were in place regulating the number of fishermen
who sail out to sea, ambulant vending (padyak) was restricted women fisherfolks had to travel as far as
Ilocos Norte to sell their catch whilst complying with travel passes and quarantine measures. Despite lean
catch caused by restrictions and protocols, stall lessees were still required to pay rental fees. Compared to
other FGD areas however, the women fisherfolks in Claveria, Cagayan were organized and were able to
collectively access government support amidst challenges. However, more vulnerable women fisherfolks,
like ambulant vendors and market stall renters faced more difficulties in making ends meet and were often
unable to attend meetings/trainings of women fisherfolks because of multiple burden.
In CHR-VII, in Cebu, women fisherfolks recounted the difficulty brought about by the pandemic, the lack
of access to information on government services and their exclusion from SAP. One woman fisherfolk
shared “As a senior citizen fish vendor, I experienced financial difficulty. It doubled my worries in terms of
money in this time of pandemic. I cannot easily sell my product to the market. Most of our previous
customers do not have money as well. We have dried fish available. We can sell this to the market. One of
the problems I encountered was nobody wants to buy our product.” Another fisherwoman also shared “I
was once a vendor in Carbon Market. Since the start of the pandemic, I was not able to sell my products
because of the difficulty in transporting my dried fish going to Carbon Market, Cebu City until now.” And
yet another recounted the difficulty of his husband and son catching fish “Karon lang maam, migawas ko
sa among balay naara sa duol naglawod akong bana ug anak pero wala, nanguha ug tempo kaso walay
kuha ng isda. Akong bana ug anak nga grade 7 nangisda from 8am to 2pm wala’y nadala karon na isda,
so wala’y sud-an, wala’y kita” [Just this moment ma’am, I went outside my home, my husband and son
60
CHR-1 FGD with Women Fisherfolks
15