In the coastal town of Sasmuan, Pampanga province, life flows with the river’s tide. At dawn, slender boats glide through calm waters as fishing nets are cast beneath the warming sky. Onshore, women in this tropical zone gather to mend torn nets, sort the day’s catch, and prepare their harvests for the market. Among them is Christina Guevarra, who gently frees a blue swimming crab from her net. “From February to May, we are grateful,” she told the UN ahead of the International Day of the Tropics marked annually on June 29. “But after these months, especially when the rainy season begins, we have to find other ways to earn.”

Omengan, O., & Egan, A. (2025, July 8). Tide of change in Sasmuan as women revive watersheds and livelihoods. Manila Standard, p. C1.