By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

TWO reports filed on 07 June 2025 puts Pangasinan on the spot light one again, with social media saying, “fishing is now profitable” in Pangasinan:

“Fishers recover P1.17-B “shabu” off Pangasinan”, Yolanda Sotelo Philippine Daily Inquirer

“1.17 billion shabby found floating in Pangasinan” Cesar Ramirez, Philippine Star

Why was I not surprised? I was not surprised that the sacks were labeled “dried durian” but it amused me as much as “Jay Kamote” and “Miggy Mango”, fruit-inspired recipients of the Confidential Fund. Surprised or not, it is alarming. PCG Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan is right, “Illegal drugs are always a cause for alarm. It is a threat to society and the people.”

Gavan expressed concern over the recovery of the 1.17B shabu in Pangasinan saying the pattern is similar, they’re packed in vacuum-sealed plastic bags and placed in sacks and floated in the waters. He underscored the importance of the community in law enforcement and awarded certificates and financial incentives to fishermen from Bataan who had earlier found shabu in Masinloc.

The participation of the community is an integral part of the Lingayen Gulf Coastal Area Management Commission (LG-CAMC) established during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos in 20 April 1994 by Executive Order No. 171 to manage and protect the Lingayen Gulf and its surrounding coastal areas. Was it dismantled?

Directly under the Office of the President, LGCAMC”s primary goal is to address various issues and challenges facing the Lingayen Gulf, such as overfishing, destructive fishing methods, mangrove and forest denudation, siltation, coral reef degradation and others. At the time of its creation, it did not foresee the critical mandate of protecting the waters from drug syndicates and other illegal activities.

The Commission is composed of the Secretaries of the following departments: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) , Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department Tourism (DOT) Department of National Defense (DND), including the Head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and the Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). At the regional level, the members include: Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security in Ilocos Region (CORDS-1); Chairman, Regional Development Council (RDC); Governor of Pangasinan, Governor La Union and Mayors of all concerned LGUs. The concerned LGUs in Pangasinan include: Agno, Alaminos Anda, Bani, Binmaley, Bolinao, Dagupan, Labrador, Sa Fabian and Sual. In La Union: Agoo, Aringay, Bauang, Caba, Rosario, San Fernando and Santo Tomas.

Under Section 3, the participation of the private sector was outlined, serving as consultants to the Commission, one representative each from the following private sectors: Non-government Organizations (NGOs), religious, business and agriculture.

If the LG-CAMC has been dismantled, we need a similar but smaller organization, one focused on the Lingayen Gulf ecosystem and its outlying areas, with a mean and lean structure, not too many secretaries of departments who have no time to attend, but with accountable officials given enough power and funding to protect Lingayen Gulf’s 56-kilometer stretch between the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union. Cooperation with the coastal towns of Zambales is also critical since the gulf sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Mountain Range.

Floaters

dried durian, dressed in sacks
they float at sea, with the Lucys
in the sky, with diamonds
as Angel’s Trumpet dance in midair
and they spin, the mushrooms
In their golden tops

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