Tawilis price at ‘all-time low’ amid claim of missing sabungeros’ bodies dumped in Taal Lake - group
Metro Manila, Philippines - The price of tawilis has reached an “all-time low” amid a claim that bodies of missing cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros were dumped in Taal Lake in Batangas, a fishers group said on Sunday, July 13.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said a kilo of tawilis decreased to P100 in several areas in Cavite from the usual P250.
“Kung gaano kababa ang presyo ng tawilis sa pamilihan, tiyak na higit ang pagbagsak ng farmgate nito sa mga mangingisda ng Taal, na magiging dahilan ng kanilang pagkalugi,” Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Hicap said in a statement.
[Translation: The lower the price of tawilis in markets, the lower is the farmgate prices of Taal fishers which would result in their profit losses.]
“Hindi na kakayanin ng mga mangingisda ang ganitong pagkalugi dahil ilang buwan na nilang iniinda ang epekto ng Habagat kung saan nagiging matumal ang pagpalaot,” he said.
[Translation: Fishers cannot endure further losses because they were not able to sail much in the past months due to the effects of the southwest monsoon.]
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) earlier assured that fish from Taal Lake are safe for consumption. Despite this, fish products from Taal are still affected.
The group urged the Department of Agriculture and BFAR to purchase Taal fishers’ products at a fair price and encourage the public to patronize it, among other actions.
Fishers in the vicinity of Taal Lake previously lamented the public’s fear in consuming fish from the area.
Julie Patidongan, suspect-turned-witness in the missing sabungeros case, claimed that bodies of the victims were thrown in Taal Lake.
Authorities have been conducting search and retrieval operations in the lake following the claim. To date, they have recovered three sacks, which are being examined if they are related to the missing sabungeros case.
