Filipino fishermen COLLAGE BY IDSI
Higher fisheries yield in and lower poverty incidence among frontline provinces facing the West Philippine Sea (WPS) or the South China Sea (SCS) defy the portrayal of state abandonment of the Filipino fisherfolk. New opportunities in aquaculture and marine ecotourism also hold promise. Growth in other sectors, such as manufacturing and services are also providing high-paying alternatives from this humble livelihood. All these suggest that the lot of common fisherfolk in the country's western seaboard is improving, although much remains to be done.