ARMANDO PANTE, THE RETIRED MARINE FROM ILOCOS NORTE

Armando Pante, ‘Sarge’ to his troops, saw 21 years of action with the Philippine Marines. He survived the battle for Camp Abubakar in 2000 and won four medals before retiring in 2002. “I returned to my hometown of Pasuquin in Ilocos Norte to live my days in peace. But fighting is in my blood,” he said.

In 2015, the retired Marine Corps Sergeant vowed to fight a new war — this time, to protect the seas of Ilocos Norte from illegal fishers. Mr. Pante and 19 other fishermen from the town of Pasuquin were deputized as Bantay Dagat or fish wardens — volunteers who patrol and protect Philippine waters.

The famed Bantay Dagat system began in the 1970s, augmenting government capacity to protect coasts. Better enforcement has proven to be an effective deterrent for illegal fishers, while enhanced education creates a sense of stewardship for coastal communities to better safeguard their waters. Though more remains to be done, new Bantay Dagat volunteers take to the sea each month.

“Anyone we catch using dynamite will serve five to ten years of jail time,” said the Bantay Dagat’s newest member, Sergeant Pante. The grizzled warrior, part of a batch of 20 new fish wardens, are now patrolling the waters of Ilocos Norte. Pante issues a warning to illegal fishers. “Watch out — we’ll be watching you.”

BENJAMIN PEDRERO, THE BOAT-BUILDER FROM LEYTE

Benjamin Pedrero quietly examines a model banca while waiting for new fiberglass boats to dry. He is among the 146,000 fishermen who lost their boats and fishing gear to Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest tropical cyclone in history — which made landfall in November 2013.

Hailing from Tacloban, Leyte, Mr. Pedrero lost 30 members of his family to the supertyphoon. “Our community, Barangay 89, was wiped off the map by three giant waves. Over 1000 people died or are still missing. I