Senator Loren Legarda has filed the Municipal Fisherfolk Protection Act, seeking to reserve the entire 15-kilometer municipal waters exclusively for municipal fisherfolk to restore constitutional preferential rights and promote ecological sustainability in the Philippines’ coastal zones. The proposed legislation responds directly to the Supreme Court’s November 2024 decision in G.R. No. 270929, which upheld a lower court ruling allowing licensed commercial fishing vessels to operate in municipal waters beyond seven fathoms—overturning key provisions of the Philippine Fisheries Code that empowered local government units (LGUs) to enforce fishing regulations. According to the Supreme Court, “municipal water is a natural resource… vested to the national government agency, not with the LGUs,” stripping municipalities of their enforcement role under Section 149 of the Local Government Code.

Angelo, F. L. (2025, July 21). Senator files bill to protect 15-km fishing zones. DailyGuardian, pp. 1, 11.