Canipo is an isolated island barangay (village) in the Municipality of Magsaysay, in Palawan Province, with a population of about 1,500. The Andres Soriano Foundation (with whom Seacology has partnered in Barangays Manamoc and Rizal) has been helping Canipo protect its natural resources. In 2005, the village declared a 15-hectare (37-acre) portion of its coastal area as a marine protected area (MPA). Since then, use of destructive fishing methods such as dynamite, sodium cyanide, and fine nets has dramatically declined. As a result, marine life in the area is on the increase. Villagers who used to engage in dynamite fishing are now raising livestock in the hills of the island.
To strengthen community support for the MPA, the local fisherfolk organization regularly conducts seminars on coastal resource management. It also offers trainings on alternative livelihoods for its members. There is no sheltered place for these meetings to take place. The community needs a venue for its activities and requested a Seacology grant to build a multipurpose building. In return, they pledged to keep protecting the MPA for at least another 20 years.