Tagburos is one of the barangays of Puerto Princesa City in the island province of Palawan. Fishing is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the population of Tagburos. Its population was 9,824 which is 3.20% of the population of Puerto Princesa, as per Census 2020, spread in more than 1,500 households.
The monthly household income derived from fishing is P7,500 compared to the province’s average of P25,343. The fishermen struggle to provide fish even for their own consumption.
In November 2022, United States Vice President Kamala Harris visited Tagburos “to check on the progress of the $28-million USAID Fish Right Initiative.” She conducted a dialogue with Fish Right project officials and asked about the developments of the project and how it was able to help the community.
The initiative is a five-year program, from 2018 to 2023, aimed at countering illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including in the West Philippine Sea.
Harris was quoted by media praising the Tagburos fishing community for their commitment to sustainable fishing. GMA News Online reported Harris as saying: “I heard from local officials in Tagburos about the generation of families that fished these waters. The fisheries of Palawan do not only provide food but also serve as the lifeblood of the island.
I met fishers who go out every day and sustainably catch macrolin tuna, and met a young woman named Jacqueline who owns a fish drying business, a business that has been so successful she taught other women how to dry rabbit fish so that they too, can participate in a vital industry and benefit from extra income.
Community leaders are also helping the residents adapt to warming waters and extreme weather. These stories I have heard made clear that these communities have come together to sustainably manage marine resources.”
On June 19-20, 2023 the USAID Fish Right Program organized a Visual Storytelling Workshop held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Following are photos by participants to said event:
Princesa City, Palawan on June 19, 2023. The labor cost of fish drying is 30 pesos per kilo and Ruiz can manage 30 kilos in a day if fish is abundant. The average monthly household income in the village is P7,500. Photo by Jedidiah Ibañez
By Jimmy A. Domingo
Mata: Asia Press Photo 
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