By Leigh Anne Darlene E. Dispo | The Red Chronicles
Photo Courtesy | PAMALAKAYA
Take a glimpse at our senatorial candidates throughout the years, and a pattern emerges: you will see both men and women clad in business attire, perhaps with a slogan so generic it might as well be a catchword for another politician with an all-inclusive purpose. But this apparent difference in Ronnel Arambulo’s campaign is what he believes sets him apart.
A fisherman from Laguna de Bay, Arambulo is Makabayan Coalition’s fifth bet for the upcoming Senate elections in 2025. His candidacy was announced in August 2024 by the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) — for which he is also the vice chairperson for — at a program in Navotas City with the slogan “Mangingisda Naman sa Senado!” (Time for Fisherfolk in the Senate!)
A member of the biggest international organization of small fishermen, known as the World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP), the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS), and the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC), the PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas is an alliance of activist fisherfolk groups that aim to bring up issues about agrarian reform, agriculture, and fisheries. It is also a member of the militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-New Patriotic Alliance).
When asked what pushed him to run as a Senator, Arambulo brought up the lack of representation for the common folk in the political arena. “Ang kawalan ng tunay na representasyon ng sektor ng mangingisda sa pamahalaan,” Arambulo said. (The lack of real representation of the fishing sector in the government.)
He added, “Sa mahabang panahon ay hindi naramdaman ng aming hanay ang tunay na paglilingkod mula sa mga nakaupo sa pamahalaan, partikular sa Senado.” (For a long time, those of us in the fisherfolk sector did not experience substantial service from those sitting in the government, particularly in the Senate.)
It is true that not everyday do the fisherfolk get to be represented in politics. As the vice spokesperson for PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas since 2007, Arambulo has shed light on the exploitation that fishermen face surrounding the safety of fish caught in Manila Bay. Although the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has announced that fish from Manila Bay are safe for consumption, traders continue to manipulate the market. Prices for catches like halubaybay or isdang salinas and alimasag (blue crab) have decreased by over 50 percent. This blatant predatory behavior is shown through the lack of fair treatment for fisherfolk and plummeting farm gate prices across Cavite, Bataan, and Navotas after last year’s oil spill, highlighting the vulnerability that many fishermen experience amidst environmental disasters without assistance from the government.
Being a Senatorial candidate who aims to change such norms, Arambulo posits that to change what is imbalanced in the political climate does not take a lot of methodical moves — because being in service for the people is not a one-man job. “Magagawa ng kahit anong batayang sektor basta ma[s]igasig at kolektibong mangampanya, at bantayan ang eleksyon,” he said. (Any sector can encourage change as long as there is motivation, collective action, and the tenacity to keep an eye on the election.)
A FISHERMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
This is not the first time Arambulo has dabbled in politics, as he has also been advancing the poor’s rights and welfare in campaigns for the benefits of coastal communities and fishing grounds against privatization since 2008.
A former six-year councilor of Barangay Malakaban at Rizal, Arambulo has led protests against the Chinese government for its continuing harassment of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea. Armed with principles for the common folk and defiance against foreign powers that impede Filipinos’ way of living, he organized a protest at Zambales last July to commemorate the eight-year ruling in the South China Sea and even led a collective fishing expedition last May as a message of opposition against China’s declaration of a unilateral fishing ban.
When it comes to the question of how the government should address issues that concern the fisherfolk, Arambulo emphasized their needs. “Una sa lahat ay kailangang pakinggan ang hinaing ng mga mangingisda. Kaakibat ng hinaing ay ang alternatibo rin na taliwas sa mga kasalukuyang umiiral na kontra-mangingisdang patakaran at polisiya,” he said. (First of all, the grievances of fishermen must be heard. There must be an alternative that is contrary to the currently existing rules and regulations that diminish the fisherfolk’s livelihood.)
Since the announcement of his candidacy, Arambulo has consistently broached the subject of Filipinos being prevented from fishing in the West Philippine Sea amidst the increased presence of the Chinese and the United States military. He seeks to rid of foreign military presence in the Philippine territory, saying “Bigyang prayoridad ang preferential rights ng mga mangingisda sa 15-kilometer municipal waters at mga baybayin.” (Priority must be given to the preferential rights of fishermen in the 15-kilometer municipal waters and coasts.)
“Sa mga pagdinig at pagbalangkas ng batas ay dapat kalahok ang mga mangingisda mula sa iba[‘t] ibang bansa,” he added. (When it comes to hearings and draftings for the passing of laws, fishermen from different countries must have a say and participate.)
LONG-TERM ADVOCACY FOR THE POOR
In his candidacy press photos, Arambulo is indeed different from your usual Senatorial prospects. With either a body of water or wooden paddles as his backdrop, he wears normal clothes, a reflection perhaps of his background as a fellow fisherman. There are no flashy attempts at campaigning, no ostentatious efforts in conveying his plans for the poor. Straightforward statements are written on the wood paddles in bold hues — ‘Ibasura ang Fisheries Code by R.A. 10654’; ‘Karapatan sa Pangisdaan, Ipaglaban!’; ‘No to Reclamation, Save Manila Bay!’ — and they are neatly lined up behind him as he speaks to a microphone at the people watching.
Arambulo knows that real change does not come from a single individual, yet he acknowledges that it is our representatives that will have to do the work to give emphasis on what matters and what needs to be done for a long-term solution.
“Makapagbalangkas ng mga alternatibong batas na kikilala sa eksklusibong karapatan ng mga mangingisda sa pook-pangisdaan at baybayin. Layunin [naming] tuluyang maiangat mula sa kahirapan ang aming sektor, na palagiang naitatalang poorest of the poor,” Arambulo said. (To be able to draft alternative laws that recognize the exclusive rights of fishermen in the fishing grounds and the coast. It is our job to completely lift our sector out of poverty, which has always been the poorest of the poor.)
“Ang kolektibo ang nagtutulak ng progresibo at makabuluhang mga programa at polisiya, hindi lamang ang taong nakaupo sa pwesto. Kaya ako man ay palarin sa eleksyon, tiwala akong kasama ko ang maraming mga mangingisda sa pagtataguyod ng progresibong batas na maglilingkod sa interes ng aming hanay,” he added. (It is the collective action that drives progressive and meaningful programs and policies, not just the person sitting in office. So if I am lucky in the election, I am confident that I am with many fishermen in promoting progressive legislation that will serve the interests of many sectors.)
And it is this simplicity and directness in Arambulo’s advocacy that keeps it crystal clear: he may have been put to the task of advancing legislation for the fisherfolk, but it is not a desperate plea. To him, it is a battle cry that has not been uttered for a long time, and it now needs to be heard where it will finally matter and last.
Note: This article was first published in Volume XVIII, Issue I print edition of The Red Chronicles.