Full title: ‘Pakiramdam namin uunti-untiin na kami’: The raging waves of fear and struggle caused by SMC’s Aerotropolis to the fisherfolks of Binuangan
By Amiel Antonio
In a barangay considered as an island in the town of Obando, Bulacan, fisherfolks have been struggling to provide for their families as the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) also known as the Aerotropolis continues to drastically affect their livelihood.
View from Isla Binuangan's light house facing SMC's excavators dredging the river. Photo by Julienne Fuentes, KALASAG
Obando’s Brgy. Binuangan is an island on an estuary formed by the confluence of Binuangan River and Muzon River along the coast of the Manila Bay, North of Isla Pulo, Tanza, Navotas. According to the residents, the river has been a huge part of their lives as it is the primary source of their livelihood.
The life for them in the past years used to be as calm as the waves— peaceful to watch and uncomplicated, not until the San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) Aerotropolis entered the scene and caused the waves of fate to rage.
According to the locals, in October this year, the SMC bought “baklad” or fish corrals from some fishermen in Obando in exchange for P50,000 and were used as barricades in restricted fishing areas. This means that the fisherfolk would not be allowed to go as far as they accustomed to in recent years.
Their source of livelihood became limited, and so is their income.
Google Maps Image of Barangay Binuangan, Obando, Bulacan
Mang Ric, a 44-year-old fisherman in the said island, shared the changes in his daily earnings ever since they were prohibited in the area where they used to catch enormous amounts of piscatorial creatures.
He said that he earns P300 to P500 daily and the highest he could get is P1,000— but unfortunately, it is now rare these days.
“Nu’ng ‘di pa ginagawa ‘yang airport na ‘yan, malaki at marami ‘yung nahuhuli namin. Halos libo, inaabot ng tatlong libo o apat na libo, tumataas pa minsan, nakakapag-ipon kami ng panggastos namin talaga sa loob ng isang taon,” Ric said. “‘Di katulad ngayon, huhuli kami ng gan’to lang [kakaunti], makakaipon ba kami ngayon? Tapos marami pa kami [sa pamilya], nagpapagatas pa kami ng bata, paano na lang mangyayari sa ‘min?”
He also added that due to limited fishing area, the fishermen have no choice but to catch small amounts of fish to give opportunity to others unlike before that they have the liberty to catch everything.
“Paano nga sa sobrang dami naming namamalakaya d’yan sa ilog lang, nagsisiksikan na kami. Naghahati-hati kami sa huli.”
The money he earns is not even enough to provide for his family and pay for their bills. Mang Ric has two daughters, the other one lives outside Bulacan and the other chose to live with them in Binuangan with her baby. They are two families living under one roof struggling to survive the rough waves of life brought by the said airport.
Mang Ric also added that aside from household expenses, the continuous price increase of fishing materials also adds to his plight.
“Kulang ‘yung kinikita ko, kasi kapag ano, bibili pa kaming lambat. E dahil sa kulang ang kita, inuutang pa namin ‘yung panggawa ng lambat, dahil ‘di namin kaya tustusan na mag-asawa,” he said.
According to Mang Ric, a “lambat” or giant fish net costs P420 which is way too expensive for his daily earnings.
“Ano matitira sa ‘min? Pambigas, sa gatas ng apo ko. Wala na [matitira] pagdating ng hapon, wala na. Walang [natitira] kasi bigas lang, magkano na ngayon kilo. ‘Di naman ho kakasya sa ‘min isang kilo isang araw,” he said. “Ta’s gan’yan pa ginagawa sa pinangingisdaan namin— tinatambakan. Namiminsala pa sila.”
Compared to other fishermen, Mang Ric’s fishing boat is way too small and not strong enough to brave massive waves.
“Katulad nu’ng daang bangka, dapat ba nilang hukayin ‘yan? Kasi ‘yan ang pinamamalakayahan namin. Sa’n kami mamamalakaya kung tutungtong kami sa laot? P’wede ba ‘yung bangka namin, e ang liliit ng bangka namin,” he said.
“Sana katulad nu’ng ibang bangkang malalaki, nakakarating kung saan-saan. ‘Di katulad namin na hanggang d’yan lang kami sa kailugan lang, ‘di kami makalaot dahil tulad nu’ng ‘pag may alon na, wala nang mangyayari sa ‘min, ‘di na kami makakalaot.”
Mang Ric also mentioned that there was a meeting conducted before wherein it was discussed that the fishermen in Obando would be offered P15,000 pesos monthly if they stop fishing in the river.
However, in Mang Ric’s perspective, the offered amount was not enough.
“Katulad nu’ng nakaraang meeting d’yan, nag-meeting, p’wede ba ‘yung sa isang pamilya bibigyan ng kinse mil kada isang buwan, kakasya ba ‘yon? Bibigyan daw ng kinse mil buwan-buwan panggastos ng tao,” he stated. “Ano lang ‘yon minsan, wala pang isang buwan, kinikita na namin ‘yun.”
Mang Ric also told Kalasag that his family might move to the province of her other daughter once the ongoing construction becomes wider because there was nothing they could do to stop it.
“Wala, wala na kaming magawa kasi ganu’n, hanggang dito na lang. Hanggang sa ngayon, tatambakan ‘yan, lalawakan [‘yung] pagtambak, lalong liliit nang liliit ‘yung pamamalakayahan namin. Pawala na talaga,” he said. “Kung ako tatanungin niyo talaga, ‘pag nawala pa ‘yung pamamalakayahan namin, mangyayari uuwi na lang kami sa probinsiya ng asawa ko.”
The NMIA is a P735-billion project that is supposed to replace the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the main entrance to Metro Manila and other neighboring provinces. It is expected to be completed by 2024.
The Aerotropolis covers 2,500 hectares wherein 1,168 hectares of it was reserved for the airport that covers the coastal areas in Bulakan, Hagonoy, Malolos, Obando, and Paombong in the province of Bulacan. However, the SMC accumulated more than 3,000 hectares, way beyond than the measurement they have reserved.
Residents are told to keep a distance of at least 500 meters or more from the ships and equipment in the said airport.
While many view this as a good development move, it cannot change the fact that it has awfully affected the lives of residents living near the area.
Chris, 45, also a fisherman in Binuangan and a father of three aired his sentiments about the ongoing project.
“Sa ngayon talaga, ang mga tagarito nangangamba talaga sa [pagpapatayo] ng airport na ‘yan kasi nga, ang ikinatatakot ng mga tao rito ay mawala nga ‘yung kabuhayan,” he said. “‘Yun ang kinatatakot ng mga tagarito. Halos pakiramdam namin, uunti-untiin na kami.”
He shared that it is possible for them to lose their job with the construction of the airport forbidding them to fish in the wider area of the river. He also mentioned that most of Obando fisherfolks benefit from the river, specifically their barangay, Binuangan, and the other island barrio, Salambao.
“Dalawang barangay ang nakikinabang d’yan sa kailugan d’yan. Itong Brgy. Binuangan, saka itong kabila, Brgy. Salambao. Halos kumbaga sa ano, siguro 80 porsiyento ng mangingisda sa buong Obando, nandito sa Binuangan saka Salambao, e,” he said.
When asked about how the construction affects his fishing, Chris said that because of the excavators dredging the river, the water quality decreases and the aquatic creatures die.
Photo by Lorenzo Uldog Jacinto
“Talagang apektado. Kikita ka ng isang araw kasi magkakamatay mga isda, lulutang. Pagkaraan ng mga ilang araw, wala na— simot na. [Maghihintay] na naman ng panibagong magandang tubig para bumalik ulit ‘yung mga [isda],” he stated.
Just this year, a group of fishermen brought the issue to their mayor’s office, and Chris was one of them. However, the discussion did not go as they expected. It seemed to them that there was nothing to do with the problem anymore.
According to Chris, there was not even a consensus between the corporation and residents affected by the airport. He knew that even if they were asked, the project would still continue.
“Kahit man sabihing tumutol kami, wala kaming magagawa, e. Kasi nandyan na ‘yan. Naaprubahan na ‘yan pati ng presidente,” he said. “Nakakalungkot nga lang, ang gobyerno ‘di sa pag-aano, halos nararamdaman ng mahihirap na mas pinapaboran ang mga mayayaman.”
Chris also fears the possibility that his children might not even finish school due to the low income he gets from fishing.
“E syempre malungkot, kasi nga iniisip namin kung mapapagtapos pa ba namin ng pag-aaral mga anak namin,” he said.
On the other hand, Walter Rivera, a fisherman and a kagawad in Brgy. Binuangan, also shared his opinion on the ongoing project of SMC.
“Hindi tayo against sa development, ‘di tayo against sa progreso. Kaya lang sino ba ang naaapektuhan? Ang mga taong barrio,” he said in an interview. “Kung wala namang naaapektuhan, wala namang problema d’yan. Kaya lang syempre, ‘di man kami totally ang nasasakupan ng airport na ‘yan, pero ‘yung kailugan [na pinangingisdaan namin] na nand’yan, bahagi kami n’yan, d’yan kami kumukuha ng kabuhayan namin.”
This November, the inflation rate of the country hit 8%, higher than the 7.7% that was recorded in October according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). At the same time, the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) issued a statement that P500 to P1,000 is already enough for a family of five to celebrate Noche Buena this year. However, for Chris and Mang Ric, the said amount is not enough given the current economic status of the country.
“Siguro kung kikita ng maganda-ganda, siguradong makakapaghanda. Kung wala, magtiis,” shared Chris.
“Bahala na, mahirap magdesisyon ngayon. Dahil nagtataasan [ang presyo ng mga bilihin]. ‘Yun pa isa, pamasahe,” said Mang Ric. “Saka sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, ‘di katulad ng dati.”
Now that Christmas is around the corner, Mang Ric and Chris have the same wish— not only for themselves, but also for the people extremely affected by the Aerotropolis.
“Sa akin ang hiling ko lang, ‘wag lang kami pagbawalan [mangisda]. ‘Yun lang ‘yung hanapbuhay namin, ‘wag [sana] mawala dito. ‘Yun lang. Masaya na lahat ng mga tagarito, hindi lang para sa sarili ko pati ng mga tagarito,” Chris stated.
“‘Wag lang mawala hanapbuhay ng mga tagarito masaya na ang Pasko namin,” Mang Ric said.
As of November 2022, the land development for the project has already reached 42% according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
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TAGS: Obando, Bulacan, Brgy. Binuangan, Brgy. Salambao, San Miguel Corporation, New Manila International Airport, Aerotropolis
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