Boatmen of Pagsanjan, Laguna struggle to make ends meet as tourists dwindle amid pandemic

The boatmen of Pagsanjan, Laguna have been struggling to make ends meet as tourist activity dwindled amid the pandemic.

According to a report on "24 Oras," Tuesday, some of them have resorted to selling their boats in order to feed their families.

Pagsanjan is the tourist capital of the province, but with no visitors to patronize their service, they have not been able to make any income as boatmen.

"Ang lahat s'yempre nabigla, talagang total na-paralyze 'yung operasyon ng pagbabangka dito so talagang 'yung amin pong hanapbuhay talagang nawalan ng saysay," said Antonio Javiniar, president of the United Boatmen Association of Pagsanjan.

["Everyone was caught off guard, the boat operations were totally paralyzed here so our livelihoods lost meaning."]

One of the boatmen, LJ Sanchez, looked at the situation and decided to contact the GMA Kapuso Foundation to ask for aid on behalf of his colleagues.

"Wala nang turista, wala nang binabangka, wala na kaming hanapbuhay dito. 'Yun ang dahilan kaya sumulat ako sa GMA Kapuso," he said.

["With no tourists, no one will ride our boats, no jobs for us. That's why I wrote a letter to GMA Kapuso.")

The GMA Kapuso Foundation responded and distributed grocery packs with rice, noodles, seasonings, bread, and spread to a total of 8,000 individuals in Pagsanjan. Among them were around 2,000 boatmen.

The boatmen thanked the foundation for responding to their call for help. They also expressed hope for the pandemic to end.

"Sana bumalik sa normal para naman mga susunod na henerasyon maranasan nila 'yung sarap ng pagiging isang tunay na bangkero," said Enrico Abaquin.

["I hope we can return to normal so the next generation can experience the joy of being a true boatman."]

—MGP, GMA News