IBA, Zambales — The provincial government here will procure an automated harvester vessel with ancillary boats and facilitate new technology training for local fisherfolk to boost their competitiveness amid adverse geopolitical conditions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said the provincial government aims to kickstart the modernization of the local fishing industry with the 96-feet long, steel-hulled harvester boat paired with two reinforced fiberglass lightboats and one service boat under an assistance program initiated by the Zambales Maritime Development Council (ZMDC).

The vessels will be built by Stoneworks Specialist International Corp. in General Trias, Cavite, the biggest fiberglass boat maker in the country, which also builds tugboats, barges, and other customized vessels. They will be operated by members of the Zambales Provincial Fishery Association, a federation of fisherfolk groups across the province.

While awaiting the delivery of the new vessels this year, local fishermen will undergo training on modern vessel operations under the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) in San Narciso town.

Ebdane stressed that the training component of the fisherfolk assistance program is as important as procuring the new vessels. “Learning new technology and developing new skills is necessary for our fishermen to be competitive. They need to adapt in order to survive and thrive,” he added.

At least two fishermen’s clusters have already completed training under the PMMA. More fishers’ groups are expected to follow suit.

The Zambales governor has long advocated boosting the competitiveness of local fishermen as a strategic solution to the problem in the WPS, where local fishers cannot access traditional fishing grounds on account of bullying by Chinese militia vessels.

Ebdane pointed out that while the WPS situation has socio-economic, political, and security implications, the welfare of local fishermen should be a primary concern.

Last year, Ebdane shepherded the formation of the ZMDC to oversee, supervise, and manage fisherfolk cooperatives, as well as the distribution of P5-million worth of fish aggregating devices or payaos to 26 fisherfolk groups belonging to the Zambales Provincial Fishery Association.

Another P5.6 million worth of payaos will be distributed this year under the provincial government’s payao livelihood program under ZMDC.

Ebdane said the procurement of a modern harvester boat and ancillary vessels “is the logical next step in pursuit of a long-term solution to the WPS problem by giving local fishers a significant fighting chance.”

Meanwhile, with the prospects of operating a modern fishing vessel with automated features like computerized boom and power block, local fishermen are getting ready for training, said Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fishermen’s Association, one of the groups under the provincial fisherfolk federation.

“Bago sa amin ‘yan—wala pang bakal na bangkang pangisda dito sa Zambales, at pati ang mga instrumento ay computerized na. Kaya kailangan talagang pag-aralan namin kung paano gamitin ito (That kind of boat is something new to us local fishermen, as there has not been any steel-hulled fishing boat in Zambales previously. We really have to learn how to operate it),” Cuaresma said.

Cuaresma also said that small payao fishers are excited over the prospects of using a commercial fishing boat, as it is expected to increase their productivity while decreasing the cost of harvests.

“P’wedeng ang pederasyon na mismo ang magsimbada, at hindi na kailangang magbayad pa kami sa may mga lantsa (The fishermen’s federation would be able to harvest the payaos by themselves, and we don’t have to pay commercial operators who own mother boats),” Cuaresma added.

PHOTOS: Gov. Ebdane discusses concerns on fish production with fisherfolk at the seaside village of Maloma in San Felipe, Zambales in these file photos taken in March last year.

July 8, 2025