Increased government presence at the West Philippine Sea has allowed Filipino fishermen to continue operating in the area, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). The DA’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said in a statement on Tuesday that 108 commercial fishing vessels from Bataan and Zambales, 20 from Pangasinan, 19 from Palawan, and two from Occidental Mindoro have been fishing in the West Philippine Sea since January.

Ochave, R. M. D. (2021, June 9). Agri dep't Filipinos continue to fish in West Philippine Sea with gov't support. BusinessWorld, p. S1/8.