PHILIPPINES, Mabini, New Ibajay, Sibaltan, Villa Paz Villages, El Nido, Palawan - February 2008
Construction of guardhouses, purchase of conservation area patrol boats, equipment, buoys and signage, and purchase of cashew production equipment as an alternative livelihood enterprise in exchange for the establishment of a 470-acre marine protected area and 2,408-acre mangrove protected area both for 25 years
The Southeast Asian nation of the Philippines has some of the world’s most diverse coral reefs, featuring far more species than are found in other parts of the world such as the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the Philippines is also home to some of the world’s most damaged reefs with 85% of Philippine reefs negatively impacted by blast and cyanide fishing, overfishing and pollution. Four villages on the Philippine island of Palawan have agreed to protect 470 acres of threatened coral reef and an additional 2,410 acres of mangrove forest for a minimum duration of 25 years. In return the villagers have asked Seacology to provide funding for two guardhouses, patrol boats, marker buoys and signs to enforce the new no-fishing reserve. As the villagers will be foregoing needed fishing income they have also requested funding for shelling and roasting machinery for their fledgling cashew farming industry. (This is Seacology's 50 Simple Things project.)
UPDATE January 2009 - In June 2008 Karen Peterson visited the site with field representative Ferdie Marcelo. Abundant seagrass is evident in the MPA. As of October 2008 all four communities had submitted village conservation agreements to the Municipal Council. The Council’s environment committee was scheduled to draft a municipal ordinance reflecting these agreements by end of 2008. Once the ordinances are finalized, the implementation and construction component of the project will begin.
UPDATE June 2009 - As of April 2009, all four barangays have endorsed their marine protected areas in the form of resolutions from the Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (BFARMC) and from the Barangay Council in each of the four barangays. Legal establishment of the sites will be completed when the legislative body of El Nido passes the Municipal Ordinance, a draft of which is currently being deliberated. Meanwhile, enforcement efforts are being strengthened in the vicinity of the sites, in partnership with the multi-stakeholder enforcement team composed of municipal government-hired personnel and local task force teams from each barangay. ENF extends partial support to these teams in the form of enforcement supplies (fuel, oil, other supplies).
UPDATE December 2009 - As of December 2009 field representative Ferdie Marcelo reports that legal establishment of the sites has been completed with the passing of four municipal ordinances covering the mangrove areas within each barangay. Enforcement efforts are still being strengthened in the vicinity of the sites,and management planning activities are facilitated by ENF and are participatory in nature, and are also ongoing. With the passage of the ordinances, the project is expected to move along after the holidays.
