PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. took the opportunity of his state visit to Vietnam and his meetings with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi to perorate on his desire for the Philippines to take on an important role in the globe’s common fight against climate change.
Marcos began the narrative by announcing that the Philippines is keen on pursuing land-based and marine pollution abatement projects with the ASEAN neighbor, after pointing out that the Philippines and Vietnam share the same vulnerability to climate change. What the President has in mind are joint research initiatives on low carbon growth.
After all the “pasakalye” (introductory hints), Marcos goes direct to the point: he wanted Vietnam to support the Philippines’ having a seat on the board and hosting the world’s Loss and Damage Fund, which was adopted recently in the Conference of Parties (COP) to help developing nations cope with the extreme impacts of climate change. The COP is a group of 197 nations and territories that have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“The offer to host the Board of the Fund is in line with the Philippines’ long-standing engagement on discussions of this Fund for the past decades, and it is our belief that all States must contribute to the success of its institutional architecture,” he said.
‘… Mr. Marcos would be better appreciated by Filipinos had he taken up the complaint of hundreds of fisherfolk in Palawan against illegal Vietnamese poachers in the West Philippine Sea, saying the Vietnamese are using cyanide and dynamite in their fishing activities.’
In the same meetings, Marcos touted the country’s resolve to develop a “circular economy” that will reduce further consumption of natural resources, and develop an alternative method of plastic waste management. Toward this end, the President said the Philippines is optimistic about the full implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Framework for Circular Economy, starting with different sectors depending on each country’s circumstances.
“The Philippines also recognizes that saving the environment is an existential issue that demands concrete, innovative, and immediate solutions. Thus, the Philippines welcomes an approach to economic development that maximizes all of its products’ use in a manner that reduces further consumption of natural resources. I believe that a circular economy is an important component for achieving sustainable economic growth and mitigating carbon emissions in ASEAN,” he added.
Instead of discussing these global issues in the style of World Economic Forum speakers, Mr. Marcos would be better appreciated by Filipinos had he taken up the complaint of hundreds of fisherfolk in Palawan against illegal Vietnamese poachers in the West Philippine Sea, saying the Vietnamese are using cyanide and dynamite in their fishing activities.
Members of the Kalayaan Palawan Farmers and Fisherfolk Association (KPFFA) said in a statement the illegal fishing methods used by the Vietnamese are exacerbating their poverty and financial distress, with the current low fish production and the geopolitical tension with China.
The fishermen from Palawan noted that while Vietnam has officially taken the position against illegal fishing, particularly the use of dynamite and poisonous chemicals that destroy the environment, it has been ineffective in fighting illegal fishing. The KPFFA noted that in 2017, the European Commission issued a “yellow card” as warning to Vietnam for not cooperating with other nations in the campaign against Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The European Commission called out Vietnam for its lack of an effective system of punishment or sanctions against those involved in IUU fishing. The EC also added that the Vietnam government has been lax in monitoring illegal activities of fishing vessels and crew operating in waters outside of its maritime jurisdiction, and even using globally banned methods of destructive fishing.
The fisherfolk of Palawan wish that instead of talking about the attainment of a circular economy and meeting Sustainable Development Goals, the President would at least mention their plight and their problems with Vietnamese poachers while he is in Hanoi.
