During good weather, the shoreline of Calapandayan village in Subic town, Zambales province, bustles with fishermen fixing their boats. Some haul their boats to shore after spending a week or two out at sea, while others prepare their vessels for a new fishing expedition by loading fishing gear and supplies. But these fishermen also have to build up stamina for the long-standing maritime dispute and aggression by the Chinese Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea. What used to be a rich fishing ground has been off-limits, or regulated by Chinese vessels, since 2012, said Leonido Moralde Sr., 57, a fisherman and boat owner. China has been controlling the shoal, part of its supposed historic claim over most of the entire South China Sea, a claim junked by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague in July 2016.

Macatuno, A., & Aglibot, J. (2018, December 31). China claims reduce catch for Zambales fishers. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.