PASAY CITY – Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform took a major step on Wednesday, February 18, to address years of systemic neglect, tackling a suite of bills aimed at protecting Filipino small-scale fishermen. 

The hearing highlighted a dual-front crisis: continued harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard and illegal encroachment by large Philippine commercial vessels into municipal waters. 

Lawmakers stressed that these "frontline heroes" of food security have long endured from both foreign aggression and local industrial overreach, underscoring the need for a legislative shield to restore their livelihood and dignity.

To deliver immediate relief and long-term structural change, the committee discussed the Municipal Fisherfolk Protection Act and the Pantawid Pambangka Act, which seeks to provide essential fuel subsidies amid rising costs. 

The legislative package also includes the Bantay Dagat Welfare and Incentives Act to strengthen local sea patrols, and a proposal to elevate the current fisheries bureau into a full-fledged Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. 

By amending the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, the Senate aims to institutionalize these protections, ensuring that the country’s most vulnerable sector receives not just temporary aid, but a permanent voice at the economic table.

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