By HENRY EMPEÑO | March 25, 2026

MASINLOC, Zambales — Eking out a living from the sea is proving to be more difficult for fishermen in this province who have to contend nowadays with rising fuel prices, stagnant market prices, and continuing harassment by Chinese militia at sea.

Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fishermen’s Association and member of Task Force Karagatan in Zambales, said local fishers suffer from mounting fuel costs on top of Chinese bullying at their traditional fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“’Yan ang mas iniinda nila, ang mataas na presyo ng diesel na umaabot na sa P107 kada litro (That’s what hurts them the most, the high cost of diesel fuel which reaches as much as P107 per liter,” Cuaresma said on Tuesday.

He said ordinary fishermen use up around five liters of diesel fuel for eight hours of nighttime fishing within municipal waters.

“Nighttime fishing is less fuel-intensive; daytime fishing doubles fuel consumption to 10 liters,” Cuaresma explained.

He said a lot of Zambales fishermen have switched to diesel despite its higher price because regular gasoline engines consume more: from 20 to 30 liters of fuel for eight hours of fishing.

As of Wednesday, March 25, diesel fuel prices in Masinloc ranged from P107 to P118 among the seven gas stations in this town, according to a post by Mayor Hazel Lim. Elsewhere in Zambales, diesel prices ranged P102.80 to P121.30 as of Tuesday.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced a P3,000 one-time fuel subsidy for qualified municipal fishermen to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs, but this won’t be enough, according to the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya).

The group said on Wednesday that most of the fisherfolk have yet to receive fuel subsidy and cash aid from the government, and estimated that only 40,000 to 45,000 farmers and fisherfolk will receive fuel subsidies from the DA after Holy Week.

Cuaresma, on the other hand, said that even with fuel subsidies given by the Philippine Coast Guard to fishermen at sea, fishing remains difficult as Chinese militia boats continue to drive local fishermen away from Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, their traditional fishing ground.

“Locals can only fish about 30 nautical miles away from Bajo de Masinloc because of Chinese restrictions,” Cuaresma said. “Which is why they just fish around payaos (floating fish-aggregating devices) in the WPS using hook and line.”

He said locals used to bring home a bigger catch from spearfishing at the contested shoal.

Despite rising fuel cost that eat into their income, fishermen here said fish prices have not increased consequently.

Lita Ebueng, a fish vendor at the Masinloc public market, said on Wednesday that prices of fish, which are abundant in this fishing community, remain low “just as when prices for diesel and gasoline fuel have increased.”

Ebueng posted on social media prevailing fish prices per kilo here on Wednesday. These include galunggong at P120-P180, depending on sizes; matang baka, P120; squid, P160; and yellowfin tuna, P280.

Commenters noted that Masinloc fish prices are about half as lower than those in other provinces. ▲

FISH PHOTOS: Lita Ebueng on Facebook