Chinese patrols disrupt fisheries and gender norms in disputed waters

Norada and Ronel Badilla moved to Thitu Island in 2009 and found life blissful. Mr. Badilla fished at nearby Subi Reef, selling excess mackerel, and the Philippine government provided them with rice rations and free electricity.

But over the past decade, China has expanded its presence in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and established a military outpost on the reef. The increase in patrols has not only disrupted the peace, but also damaged family ties on Thitu Island, forcing more women to find work to make ends meet.

Today, Ms. Badilla works at the government garden and is vice president of the newly formed Nansha Strong and Brave Women Association, which plans to open a bakery and a souvenir shop. Mr. Badilla now occasionally does some construction work and shares childcare responsibilities, and he is grateful that his wife provides for the family.

Jean Encinas-Franco, a professor of feminist international relations, has seen similar trends across the region. With men unable to fish, women are becoming breadwinners, business leaders and voices of coastal communities.

While it’s unclear whether women will retain these roles long-term, Dr. Encinas-Franco said it was encouraging to see women “trying to demonstrate their agency (and) reimagine their lives” during times of crisis.

In 2009, Noraidah Badilla and her family moved to Thitu Island, a remote piece of land about 300 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Philippines. They were attracted by the government’s promise of aid, including free rice rations, school supplies and electricity. Meanwhile, her husband could fish in the turquoise waters and sell his excess catch.

The couple built a modest but spacious house on a stretch of white sand, with wires clipped to the pink walls and a small Philippine flag hung. “Life was good then,” the mother of three said.

But in recent years, China’s incursions into the South China Sea have disrupted peace on Thitu Island, known locally as Pag-asa, meaning “hope,” affecting not only the livelihoods of Ms. Badira’s family but also their relationships. As China has stepped up patrols of nearby reefs, cutting off their aquatic resources, local women like Ms. Badira have been forced to abandon traditional gender roles and find work to make ends meet.

Jean Encinas-Franco, who teaches feminist international relations at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, has seen a similar trend in the region. With men unable to fish, women are becoming breadwinners, business leaders and advocates for coastal communities.

While it’s unclear whether women will retain these roles long-term, Dr. Encinas-Franco said it was encouraging to see women “trying to demonstrate their agency (and) reimagine their lives” during times of crisis.

Overlapping claims

Thitu Island is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the South China Sea that has been occupied by the Philippine military since the 1970s. Disputed Spratly Islands.

While the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claim parts of the South China Sea, China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire region, including areas such as the Spratly Islands, which are partially within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Although a UN tribunal rejected China’s claims in 2016, Beijing has been actively expanding its presence in the Spratly Islands over the past decade, deploying coast guard vessels and building thousands of acres of artificial islands.

This has led to frequent confrontations between Philippine vessels, and tensions escalated last month when a clash at Second Thomas Shoal (between Thitu Island and Palawan) left a Philippine sailor injured and a Philippine vessel damaged, prompting a new round of peace talks between the two countries, which Philippine authorities described as “candid and constructive.”

Another hot issue is Subi Reef, which is closer to Thitu Island.

China occupied the reef in 1988 and has since established a large military outpost on the island. Locals say the reef is easy to see when the sea is calm, while the lights of the Chinese military facilities shine brightly at night. But until China eases its patrols, fishermen like Ms. Badilla’s husband, Ronel Badilla, must stay close to the coast, where fish are scarce.

“Before, you could grab five Tanig (mackerel). Now, it’s hard to catch even one,” he said.

City Administrator Louie Cascara said the government provides food packages to help families get through the fishing slowdown, but Ms. Badilla said she couldn’t just sit and wait. Last summer, she found contract work with the city. She and other women grow vegetables in the legislative branch’s garden, earning about $140 a month.

The Badiras rely partly on that income to support their oldest child — a 17-year-old daughter — and their parents, who all live on the mainland. “I’m glad I was able to help them,” Ms. Badira said.

She does not see herself as the breadwinner but acknowledges her husband’s contribution to the family, no matter how small it may be at times.

Mr. Badilla said he didn’t mind his wife being the breadwinner but was grateful for it. He occasionally took on construction work and took turns caring for the couple’s young children when he couldn’t go sailing due to patrols or bad weather.

Women’s fields are expanding

Women have always played an important but often overlooked role in Philippine fishing villages, with many women managing household finances, caring for children, doing other household chores, and even selling fish themselves. Today, however, we can see women in fishing villages running gardens, setting up stalls, conducting community meetings, and even running clinics.

Jocelyn dela Cruz, a nurse who co-manages the island’s primary health care facility with a midwife, said some women reported feeling more depressed and anxious as the threat from China looms and economic hardship grows. But she is grateful that so far there have been no serious medical emergencies on the island, which currently has no doctors. Overall, “women here are well taken care of,” she said.

Indeed, despite the difficult family life, the women of Thitu Island have “really gained power,” Mr. Kaskala said. Last year, the women received training in tailoring and other trades through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, a national government agency. Several members of the newly formed Spratly Strong and Brave Women Association (SSBWA) participated in the training.

SSBWA will soon open a bakery in a building provided by the island government. “We are just waiting for the equipment and supplies to arrive,” said Ms. Badilla, the organization’s vice president.

As the island opens up to tourism, the SSBWA has come up with plans to manage homestays and souvenir shops.

Some say the next step is to include women in peace negotiations.

“The participation of women in decision-making should be increased,” said Getty Sandoval, a faculty member at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law who focuses on gender and security issues.

If Ms. Badilla had sat at that table, her point would have been clear.

The Philippine government has stopped actively recruiting residents to the 92-acre island and has eliminated some aid programs for newcomers as the island’s population approaches its maximum limit of 355. But Ms. Badilla’s family is among the lucky few who moved to Thitu early and have benefited greatly from it. She stands by their decision to stay despite concerns that China might attack the island.

“This island belongs to the Philippines,” she said.