Looking back, Ballon said that the people did not have any problem fishing in the waters of Zamboanga. The place had everything that everyone ever needed: a land to grow crops and a vast body of water bounty of different kinds of marine resources.

But the poor are always the victims of life's harsh realities. The community observed a decrease in the number of their day to day catches. The cause would later be traced to gigantic ships and illegal fishers in the area—the owners of these vessels were not ordinary people, they were big-time capitalists and government officials.

"We noticed the decrease in the number of fish. The mangroves were slowly decreasing too. We found out later on that there were very big ships in our waters. Even on the shores, there were strangers who aggressively fished, some were even threatening the locals," he said.

Realising that they have had enough, the community established Kapunungan sa Gamay nga Mangingisda sa Concepcion [Association of Small Fishermen of Concepcion] (KGMC) in 1986. The organisation seeks to empower fisherfolks, provide sustainable livelihood and enterprise, and protect environmental and coastal resources. 

"I joined the group and wrote proposals and resolutions. They were all written in a language that everyone in the area understood. . . in Bisaya," Ballon noted.

Fighting big names was not easy. KGMC saw a decline in the number of members. "The founding members were initially 36, there were men, women, even the youth. As time went by, the number decreased to 18, and then just five, including me, The people were very worried that marine life here would no longer prosper so they travelled to other bodies of water in Palawan," he said.

"As for the other members, they left because they were too afraid of going against the illegal fishers. I could not blame them, we were going against big, wealthy people, some are even in the government, we were nothing compared to them, they are powerful. They can fish wherever they like and no one would dare to question them," he added.

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Despite their number, Ballon's wit and perseverance still shined through. Under his leadership, the remaining members of the KGMC protected bodies of water and land. The group also filed a case before the Office of the Ombudsman and compelled their local government to take action on their concerns.

Their perseverance attracted government support, reaching a milestone in early 2000 when the fishermen were granted tenurial rights to the reforested land under a government forestry co-management program. The fifty hectares they replanted by 1994 had expanded to five hundred hectares of mangrove forests in 2015. What was once a desert of abandoned fishponds is now an expanse of healthy mangrove forests rich with marine and terrestrial life. Fish catch has improved dramatically from 1.5 kg per fishing trip of eight hours to as much as 7.0 kg in three to five hours of fishing. The improvement in the fisherfolk’s quality of life has been evident in their ability to buy a boat engine or simple household appliances and send their children to school.

"Anger was not the reason why I was so determined to take care of mangroves and go against big corporations. I led the community because I saw my neighbours' living conditions. I know my guilt would kill me if I did not do anything," he expressed.

"As their chairman, I knew back then that I have the responsibility to do what they can't do. These people rely on me and my leadership," he added.

Related: Respect and Recognition: Ramon Magsaysay Awards Cocktails

The Ramon Magsaysay Awardees of 2021 were chosen out of their commitment to building solutions to vital and complex issues in their respective societies. The awarding body has made sure that the individuals possess moral courage that is unfazed by repressive systems, social divisions, and deep cultural prejudice.

For his unwavering dedication, Ballon became the Philippines' only awardee at the 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Awards. "When I first heard about the news, I immediately thought it was a scam. There are lots of those now, you know?" he jokingly said. "So we researched and saw that the Ramon Magsaysay award is indeed real and prestigious." 

For Ballon, the recognition he received is a glaring indication that his efforts were not put to waste. "I thank the Ramon Magsaysay body because I now have more opportunities to share the projects and advocacy of KGMC," he said. 

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In the coming years, Ballon said that the KGMC will remain committed to protecting mangrove forests in Mindanao. "Many people do not realise how important mangroves are, besides being a haven for marine life and other animals, they help alleviate climate change," he discussed. "They also protect our shanties here in Zamboanga."

Ballon hoped that his Ramon Magsaysay victory would echo the call of many fisherfolks in the country. "I hope our government sees what we have done so far and what is really happening in fisher communities here. We all hope that there are better policies and programs waiting for us, after all, people like us have voices too," he concluded.

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