Ms. Barquilla is a deputized fish warden with “Bantay Dagat,” or “Guardians of the Sea,” a civilian fisheries patrol force made up of volunteers who keep a 24-hour watch on the Philippines’ coastal waters up to 15 kilometers from shore. Her job is to police the municipality of Del Carmen’s waters for illegal fishing. But the job comes with a unique set of environmental hazards: physical assault, armed assault, and even death threats. For one of Del Carmen’s only female Bantay Dagat officers, the risks are even higher.
“I want to fight for [the environment],” says Ms. Barquilla from her office in Del Carmen, Siargao Del Norte, Philippines. “But my life is also at risk.”
The rewards, however, outweigh the risks. Ms. Barquilla’s commitment to protecting the waters that sustain Del Carmen’s fishing community has led to widespread behavior change and more sustainable fishing practices community-wide; it even helped turn some of the municipality’s biggest offenders into fierce protectors of the sea.
Today, as the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) of Del Carmen, Siargao, Ms. Barquilla is at the forefront of enforcing environmental laws, particularly in safeguarding the municipality’s coastal resources. Fearless in her duty, she states, “Hindi ako natatakot dahil ‘yun ang mandate ko” (“I am not scared because that is my mandate”).