ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines – For Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon, awards are not the end goal. They are reminders of the work still left to do.

The 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay has spent over three decades restoring mangroves and organizing small-scale fisherfolk. His grassroots work has revived fish stocks and offered hope to coastal families long battered by illegal fishing and dwindling catch.

But while his reforestation projects are flourishing, the threats to the community’s livelihood are mounting.

Large-scale infrastructure and commercial ventures are encroaching on municipal waters — from proposed airports and seaports to tourism roads and expanded commercial fishponds.

Fisherfolk warn that if these projects push through unchecked, small-scale fishers could lose access to as much as 90% of municipal waters — a prospect fueled by a Supreme Court ruling that opens certain municipal fishing grounds to commercial fishing.

The looming displacement mirrors what happened in Taliptip, Bulacan, where more than 600 mangrove trees were cut down and 700 families were forced to leave to make way for the New Manila International Airport.

Ka Dodoy and fellow fisherfolk leaders are pushing back, calling for policies that prioritize the environment and the rights of small fishers over commercial interests.

They want the government to: Protect municipal fishing grounds from corporate takeover; address the worsening impacts of climate change; halt or reform destructive mining operations; and strengthen education as a long-term solution to poverty.

“I grew up as the son of a fisherman. If we restore our seas and stop destructive practices, the resources we lost will come back,” Ka Dodoy said in Filipino.

The Ramon Magsaysay laureate remains rooted in his community — planting mangroves, leading cooperatives, and fighting for a vision where fishing families can thrive without having to choose between livelihood and survival. (with reports from Philippine Collegian)