Sarangani fisherfolk worry for their livelihood after coastal uplift

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Fisherfolk in Glan, Sarangani struggle to sustain their livelihood as the magnitude 7.8 earthquake redefined coastal landscapes

SARANGANI, Philippines – Genn Abubacar, a 53-year-old fisherman, was inside their house along the coast of Barangay Pangyan, Glan, when the magnitude 7.8 offshore earthquake struck Sarangani on June 8.

His family and neighbors could not flee to higher ground as quickly as they wanted because of the violent shaking. Some were crying as their homes lay in ruins.

After the quake, residents of Purok Tamparan were shocked to find the shoreline had extended by about 200 meters and the seabed had risen by as much as two meters.

Abubacar, the purok leader, said there are around 100 fishermen in Purok Tamparan.

“Wala po kaming mahanap ng pagkakitaan sa dagat dahil di makalabas lahat ng bangka,” he told Rappler. 

(We can’t do fishing as our livelihood now because the boats are trapped.)

TRAPPED BOAT. Fisherman Genn Abubacar cannot set sail to fish as his boat was trapped following the coastal uplift along the coastline of Barangay Pangyan, Glan, Sarangani. Photo by Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring/Rappler

The phenomenon, called coastal uplift, has been reported in other areas in Sarangani and Davao Occidental. It usually happens when the seabed rises above sea level after the up-and-down movement of an earthquake.

The coastal uplift has disrupted the livelihoods of fisherfolk in Glan, with shifting tide levels making it difficult to navigate newly exposed land and a coastline pushed farther out to sea.

“Kung ganito lang palagi, pagtitiisan nalang. Wala na kasing ibang mapupuntahan,” Abubacar said. 

(If this will be the situation, we will just put up with this. We don’t have anywhere to go to.)

The Sarangani provincial government has yet to determine how many fisherfolk have been affected. Fisheries and aquaculture are among the province’s major industries. 

Finding other ways to earn

The shoreline of Barangay Gumasa, still in Glan, did not recede as much as in Barangay Pangyan. But locals said the tide patterns were “not normal” in the aftermath of the earthquake.

NO INCOME. Fisherman Eric Maso works as a motorcycle driver for now as they cannot fish yet almost two weeks after the magnitude 7.8 Mindanao earthquake. Photo by Jelo RItzhie Mantaring/Rappler

With fishing at a standstill, 49-year-old Eric Maso has turned to driving a motorcycle for hire whenever passengers need a ride. But the earnings are nowhere near the roughly P2,000 he could make on a fishing trip.

The problem is that there are currently few travelers in Glan, the province’s “tourist capital.”

“Hintayin nalang kung anong [sabihin] ng coast guard sa amin na pwede na mangisda… Malaking epekto ‘yan sa amin. Paano ang ipapakain namin sa aming pamilya kapag di mangisda?” Maso told Rappler. 

(We will just wait until the coast guard says we can return to fishing. The disruption has had a huge impact on us. What will we feed our families if we can’t fish?)

Worries for beach resorts

Barangay Gumasa is also known for its white-sand beaches. Leicinio Pontilar, a beach resort owner, said the local government told them not to accept customers for a month as aftershocks are still felt. 

Pontilar said they would immediately resume operations once they receive the go signal. The worry, however, is whether tourists will still visit the beach, as the coastal uplift has made the waters shallow even during high tide.

“Negosyo namin, beach lang. Meron kaming maliit na sari-sari store, nasira lahat,” Pontilar said. 

(This beach resort is our only business. Our small sari-sari store was destroyed by the earthquake.)

NEW SHORELINE. Beach resort owner Leicinio Pontilar stands on the spot where they would expect the shoreline during high tide and points to the new tide level in the waters of Barangay Gumasa, Glan, Sarangani. Photo by Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring/Rappler

The coastal landscape of the Isla Jardin Del Mar beach resort, one of the popular tourist destinations in Barangay Gumasa, has also been massively redefined. 

Joana Grace Lapore, the provincial public information officer, said authorities continue to assess the new stretch of land following the coastal uplift caused by the earthquake.

Local environment officials are still assessing the damage to marine habitats as exposed corals and seagrass beds have begun dying off, along with marine organisms such as reef fish, eels, clams, and shellfish. – Rappler.com