Meet Ka Pabs: The voice steering UPV’s Class of 2026

The University of the Philippines Visayas has named fisherfolk leader Pablo “Ka Pabs” Rosales as the keynote speaker for its 47th Commencement Exercises on July 10 at the UPV Covered Court in Miagao, Iloilo.

Rosales has served as national president of PANGISDA-Pilipinas since 2016 and is regarded as one of the country’s leading grassroots voices for small-scale fishing communities.

He is among the founders of the group, formally the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Mangingisda sa Pilipinas, a national alliance of artisanal and small-scale fisherfolk organizations established in 1998.

Through his leadership, Rosales has championed the protection of municipal waters, sustainable fisheries, food security, and the welfare of fishing communities.

His advocacy places him at the center of one of the country’s most contested resource issues, the push to keep commercial fishing vessels out of the 15-kilometer municipal waters reserved for small-scale fishers under the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

Fisherfolk federations, including PANGISDA-Pilipinas, have rallied behind the Atin ang Kinse Kilometro campaign to restore those exclusive fishing rights as national fish catches continue to decline.

The choice of a fisherfolk leader underscores the identity of UP Visayas as a university long anchored in fisheries, marine science, and coastal development.

The public may watch the ceremony through the UPV official Facebook page on July 10 at 3:30 p.m. (Carlson Alelis/UPV-IPO)