A regional forum on migrant fishers to be held this Friday, Nov. 21, at Casa Real de Iloilo is expected to shine a spotlight on what organizers describe as an “alarming” pattern of forced labor, exploitation, and human trafficking victimizing Filipino fishers deployed in distant-water fleets. Despite being regarded as essential contributors to the global seafood industry, many Filipino migrant fishers endure overwork, underpayment, food and water deprivation, and the constant threat of abuse, according to advocates leading the Regional Forum of Migrant Fishers 2025. Hosted by the Iloilo Provincial Government in partnership with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 6 and organized by the Associated Philippine Seafarers Union (APSU), the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), and the Western Visayas Migrants Network, the forum carries the theme: “Safeguarding Filipino Migrant Fishers Against Forced Labor and Campaigning for the Ratification of ILO C188.”

Sornito, I. (2025, November 21). Forced labor, exploitation plagues migrant fishers. Panay News, pp. 3, 15.