After years of driving them away, Chinese coast guards in Panatag Shoal share food with Filipino fishermen

Chinese coast guards in Panatag Shoal share their food and cigarettes with Filipinos fishing in the seas.

For four years, these guards drove Filipinos away.

Photo from Manila Bulletin

“Chinese Coast Guard vessels approached the boats of our fellow fishermen but only to share their food, liquor and cigarettes,” said Wilson Almadin, 41.

Alamadin said other fishermen shared their catch with the Chnese.

Eight groups of fishermen from the Zambales province sailed on the shores on October 26 and found that tha Chinese Coast Guards did not block them, which was unusual because this has been their routine since 2012.

“We’re now free to fish around the shoal. There’s no tension there …. As long as we will be allowed to stay and fish around the shoal, I think we can coexist with the Chinese Coast Guard,” said Ronald Giobalane, 46.


“There are four Chinese Coast Guard vessels still patrolling around the shoal. But they did not seem to mind our presence,” Giobalane added.

Panatag Shoal is a triangular chain of reefs and rocks surrounding a lagoon. It has a perimeter of 46 kilometers and an area of 150 square kilometers.

The shoal is located 240 km from the coastline of Zambales but China seized it after a two-month standoff with the Philippines in 2012.

Source: Inquirer

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