Fishing communities struggles in Luzon, Philippines during COVID-19
Channel: InsightShare
Date: 2020-05-14

Communities like the ones living on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines, are facing two competing crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the suffering caused by restrictions. Many of the 13,000 households in Luzon are made up of fisherfolk who make a precarious living through daily fishing and trade. ‘Staying at home’ has put a stop to this, forcing many households to go hungry. 

This video, captured by Ammoyo Volunteers, highlights the struggles of fishing communities in Luzon and the lack of government support they have received. In response, local people have driven their own campaign, Ammoyo: Ilocos Peoples COVID-19 Response. Ammoyo or ‘bayanihan’ in Iloco refers to the ‘community spirit’ of helping one another in times of need, which Ilocos farmers practice. It is an immediate response to the health and economic challenges that the crisis has brought about, especially with the unprepared declaration of the national government of the Enhanced Community Quarantine or ECQ and /lockdown. 
Ammoyo was established to quickly facilitate and communicate people's demands and responses to the crisis so that local government units, non-governmental entities, organizations and groups could assist them immediately. It also evolved into raising various support including relief generation and delivery to communities hit hard by the lockdown including the fisherfolk, farming communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, young children and senior citizens.

The Organisations collaborating on the Ammoyo project are: Solidarity of Farmers against Exploitation (STOP Exploitation); Tulong Kabataan Volunteers Network-Ilocos (TKVN-Ilocos), Alyansa Dagiti Mannalon iti Ilocos Norte (AMIN), Sanggir ken Urnos ti Umili iti Ilocos Sur (SUMAPI), Timek ken Namnamma dagiti Babassit a Mangngalap (Voice of Marginalized Fisherfolks)  iti La Union (TIMEK-La Union), Ilocos Region Ecumenical Council, SILNAG Ecumenical Group and Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment and Development (ICRED), Inc.

You can use the contact links below to directly support the Ammoyo local aid network:
Telephone: 0917-145-4224 / 0942-217-2570
E-mail: ammoyo.ilocos@gmail.com
Facebook: @ammoyo.ilocos, Ilocano Friends International

The COVID-19 pandemic is a pressure point for the world’s vulnerable peoples. As we all retreat into our homes, their struggles become more invisible. InsightShare Network’s new series amplifying Indigenous and rural communities’ voices on COVID-19 uses media to bring into focus stories on the crisis. 

Drawing on our global network of Associates, this InsightShare series explores the struggles Indigenous and rural communities face and the solutions they offer. Our partners are working to meet the urgent need of COVID-19 information in local languages, and in culturally relevant ways. InsightShare is supporting them as they define their approach to the long-term effects of the global pandemic. 

We believe that it is grassroots voices who will lead us in change, by identifying our societal fault lines and envisaging life-ways of the future. 

Find out more about how InsightShare is responding to the global COVID-19 crisis here: https://insightshare.org/covid-19-indigenous-insights/ 

For more content subscribe to the InsightShare channel and follow us on social media: 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Insightshare
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsightShareUk/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InsightShare 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_share/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightshare/