The Atin Ito Coalition will bring its West Philippine Sea fisherfolk forums to Subic, Zambales and Puerto Princesa, Palawan in October, with a third stop in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro tentatively set for the first or second weekend of December 2026.
The Center for Information Resilience and Integrity Studies (CIRIS) will partner with the coalition for the succeeding local forums.
The series opened today in Quezon City, where fisherfolk leaders, government representatives, and civil society advocates are meeting to assess the condition of Filipino fishers and the public support needed to protect their livelihoods and safety at sea.
A fisherfolk panel will tackle access to fishing grounds, operating costs, and safety at sea. The panel includes Leonardo ‘Ka Nards’ Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fishermen Association; Fausto Alpay, president of the Subic Commercial Fishers Association; and Roberto ‘Ka Dodoy’ Ballon, chairperson of PAKISAMA.
Roy Ortega, chief of the Fisheries Resources Management Division of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), will present the proposed 2027 fisheries budget. Akbayan Party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismulah will discuss the legislative agenda for fisherfolk rights.
The forum will also recognize local government leaders who have supported fisherfolk communities and other West Philippine Sea frontliners, including those whose local governments declared July 12 as West Philippine Sea Victory Day.
Several entities will provide assistance, including Spirit of America, a privately funded nonprofit that has partnered with CIRIS to support initiatives engaging vulnerable communities. The organization provides rapid, flexible humanitarian and economic assistance to fisherfolk and other disaster-affected communities through partnerships with local networks and the diplomatic community.
Titled ‘West Philippine Sea: Mana Natin: The State and Legacy of Filipino Fishers and Those Who Stand With Them,’ the forum is being held at B Hotel in Quezon City as part of Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month. CIRIS supports and participates in the initiative.
Atin Ito co-convenors Rafaela David and Edicio Dela Torre are among the speakers, while Dorothy Dulnoan, project coordinator and volunteer advocate, represents CIRIS.
The program also features the screening of CIRIS’s short film ‘Alon ng Kabayanihan’ on West Philippine Sea frontliners and a presentation on Atin Ito’s fourth civilian mission.
Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong, Philippine Navy, will deliver the closing remarks.