Coast Guard extends aid to fishermen during Panatag Shoal mission

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino fishermen from around 50 fishing boats in the vicinity of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea received aid packages during a regular humanitarian mission conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, on Friday said “more than 40 to 50 Filipino fishing boats” received assistance including fuel subsidies, fresh water, ice, and food packs during the “Kadiwa” activity since Wednesday.

The fishers in the vicinity of the shoal came from the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan, and Mindoro.

Tarriela said PCG vessels, namely the 83-meter BRP Gabriela Silang, as well as two 44-meter vessels BRP Cape San Agustin and BRP Cabra, were deployed for the operation.

Cape San Agustin has escorted fish carrier MV Mamalakaya, maritime monitor SeaLight reported on Thursday.

Mamalakaya is the government-owned fish carrier deployed for the “Kadiwa” program, which aims to purchase the fisherfolk’s catch and offer fuel subsidies.

On the other hand, the PCG has monitored the presence of at least three China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels with bow numbers 3105, 3106, and 2307 during the mission.

“Despite the continued presence of these CCG vessels, Filipino fishermen have steadfastly continued to fish in these waters, exercising their rightful access to fish,” he said.

But unlike in previous operations, the PCG did not report any aggressive actions from the CCG.

Intense encounters between Manila and Beijing have taken place in the Panatag Shoal, punctuated by the Aug. 11, 2025, incident which led to the collision of a CCG vessel and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy warship while in pursuit of a PCG ship.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, but the 2016 arbitral award effectively ruled in favor of Manila’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, while also declaring Panatag Shoal as a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.

Despite this, Beijing still continues to enforce what experts call an “exclusion zone enforcement” around the shoal, preventing fisherfolk access there since its effective takeover in 2012 after a tense standoff with Manila.  /gsg