Migrants to the Coasts: Livelihood, Resource Management, and Global Change in the Philippines

This case study explores the impact of globalization on environmental and human well being in the coastal zone of Palawan Island in the Philippines. The reader will learn about histories, livelihoods, gender roles, socio-economic hierarchies, and the interdependency of fishing and farming in communities whose members are of different ethnic backgrounds and who originally settled or recently migrated to this region. Each of these communities has a unique pattern for using resources with a corresponding impact on the environment. Globalization affects local patterns of resource exploitation by causing population growth and introducing technologies and market forces that intensify destructive kinds of resource use. The movement to conserve the natural environment also has a global reach, as illustrated by an unsuccessful attempt to establish a series of marine protected areas in the municipality of San Vicente. The author bases his assessment of this failure on interviews conducted in four of the ten communities in San Vicente, and on a comparative analysis of similar projects in the Philippines and elsewhere. Although officials cited technical problems, the failure to establish viable marine protected areas was primarily due to lack of real local participation and inattention to people’s daily needs in pursuing their livelihoods. As infrastructure and the social environment change, some households on their own find new ways to make a living that reduce the pressure on marine resources. The author concludes by suggesting that conservation policies and projects have greater chance for success by facilitating appropriate new ways of making a living.
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