Pinoy fishermen stranded on Chinese vessel for months appeal for help

Several Filipino fishermen have been stranded at sea for at least three months, housed in Chinese vessels that have reportedly continued to move farther away from areas that could be reached by cellular signals. The fishermen took to social media to appeal for assistance from the Philippine government after operations of the Chinese fishing vessel ended in May. The fishermen say their salaries have not reached their families, and their agency has not been coordinating for them to return home. “Tapos na po ang kontrata namin, tapos nilalayo nila kami sa signal, nilalayo nila kami para hindi maka-contact o makahingi ng tulong,” Nante Maglangit, one of the stranded fishermen, said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday. (Our contract already ended, and they are distancing us from signals to prevent us from communicating or asking for help.) The fishermen also lamented that they have been left hungry, as food supplies lasted only until April. “Lugaw na lang po at saka ‘yung bigas, asin po tsaka minsan ‘yung isda na naka-freezer. Pinipilit na lang po namin kasi wala naman po kaming choice kasi kung hindi kami kakain, lalo kaming manghihina at mahihirapan,” said Maglangit. “‘Yung pera din po nila is iniipit daw po ng may-ari nitong barko at nung principal din nila, kaya ang nangyayari, kami po ‘yung nagiging pain para mai-release ‘yung pera nila para din po makauwi kami,” he added. (We are only eating porridge, rice and salt, sometimes the frozen fish. We are making do with what we have because we have no choice. We will become weak if we do not eat. The money is also reportedly being held by the owner of the ship and their principal. What is happening is that we are treated like bait for them to release the money and for us to be able to return home.) GMA News is in the process of trying to reach out to Global Mariner Offshore Services, the agency of the fishermen. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POPCOM, gagamit ng ‘digital platforms’ para pagtibayin ang mga ugnayang pampamilya

Mas pinalalawig ng Komisyon sa Populasyon at Pagpapaunlad (POPCOM) ang adhikain nitong pagpapalaganap at pagpapabuti ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng mga nakakatandang Pilipino sa kanilang mga anak na nagdadalaga at nagbibinata. Nitong Setyembre 21, ang POPCOM ay nagsagawa ng isang “parent-teen talk webinar” gamit ang Zoom, kung saan ang isang “interactive program” ang nagbigay ng naaayon na kaalaman at kasanayan sa mga magulang, habang tumulong ito sa mga anak na teenager na maabot ang kanilang buong potensyal. Hinikayat din nito ang mga nanay at tatay na sumali sa malayang usapan, lalo na sa mga usapin ukol sa sex at sekswalidad, na nakikitang makakatulong upang bumaba ang mga bilang ng mga pagbubuntis sa hanay ng mga kabataan. Maaaring mapanood ang webinar sa https://youtu.be/lZ9jrJCjYas. Ayon kay Ikalawang Kalihim (Undersecretary) Juan Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH, “ang webinar ay naging isang tagapag-simula at ‘padaluyan’ ng pag-uu
Read more

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

Gaza war rages into fourth month as Blinken tours Middle East Adel Zaanoun with Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem, --- Agence France-Presse

The Israel-Hamas war raging in Gaza entered its fourth month on Sunday as the army again pounded the besieged Palestinian territory and US top diplomat Antony Blinken was back in the region seeking to avoid a wider escalation. Israeli airstrikes overnight and early Sunday killed at least 64 people in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory, said its health ministry. It said two journalists were killed when their car was struck. The ministry, medics, and witnesses identified them as Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for Agence France-Presse, and Hamza Wael Dahdouh, the son of Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Gaza who earlier lost his wife and two other children in an Israeli strike. Israeli bombardment also claimed other civilian lives in the southern city of Khan Yunis and in the Rafah area near the Egyptian border, where many of the territory's displaced people have sought refuge, AFP correspondents reported. Relatives were mourning the dead at Khan Yunis' European Hospital, am
Read more