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Romblon Province News February 2012

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Romblon environmental office calls for the protection of Pawikans

by Dinnes Manzo


ODIONGAN, Romblon, Feb. 26 (PIA) -- The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) has called for the protection of Pawikan nesting sites at Bgy. Bunsuran in Ferrol and Bgy. Batiano in Odiongan.

PENRO Chief Reynaldo Angel M. De Juan said this when he recently visited this area. The agency made this call in response to the alarming rate of declining population of this particular species.

The conduct of the regular monitoring is headed by Ecotourism and Land Use Plan Division to conserve and protect our remaining wildlife species and their habitats to promote ecological balance and enhance biological diversity.

On the world’s seven Pawikan species, five can be found in the Philippines. Four of the country’s species are found in the province of Romblon namely leatherback turtle, hawksbill turtle, green turtle, and olive ridley turtle. The last three mentioned turtles nest in the sandy areas of these two municipalities.

The Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act or R.A. 9147 of 2001 prohibits the hunting, selling and killing and collection of the eggs of endangered species like Pawikan. (TBO/DM-PIA4B/Romblon)






Anti-mining groups issue declaration vs mining in MIMAROPA islands - Vox Bikol

by cebusandman.typepad.com


SIBUYAN ISLAND, Romblon, Feb. 23, 2012—Mining-affected communities formed a united effort to protect rich biodiversity areas from destructive mining activities. Members of a regional convergence group, on February 19, have signed a declaration opposing mining in the provinces of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan (MIMAROPA). In a statement titled ‘Defending MIMAROPA Islands, Securing the Future from Mineral Extraction’, the group called for a moratorium on mining and urged to make agriculture and tourism as basis for development. The declaration also called for the cancellation of all mining applications and revocation of existing mining licenses and permits; recognition of the local government’s autonomy to ban mining in their respective territories and respect for the indigenous people’s genuine Free, Prior and Informed Consent processes. Stressing the people’s right to a healthful and balanced ecology, the group also called for the scrapping of Mining Act of 1995 and the enactment of the alternative mineral management bills pending in Congress. It further urged President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III to declare Key Biodiversity Areas, Island Ecosystems, Critical Watershed Areas, Geo-Hazard Areas, Natural Forests, Eco-Tourism Zones and Agricultural Lands as Mining No-Go Zones. The regional convergence group is composed of 10 alliances and non-government organizations. During the three-day assembly in Romblon’s Sibuyan Island, the group launched the Cooperation of Small Islands (CSI-MIMAROPA), which, among other things, aims to strengthen “regional cooperation for environmental justice and protect the epicenter of marine biodiversity of the country; broaden support to communities to confront the impacts of climate change and hazards; engage government at all levels and communities to promote eco-cultural, historical tourism and sustainable initiatives; and help ensure food self-sufficiency and recognize the interdependence of island provinces.” “As a regional convergence, the Cooperation of Small Islands (CSI – MIMAROPA), we shall stand up learning the lessons of the past to act on the challenges of the present and face confidently the future to make our islands the best places to live in without chaos in the grand harmony of Mother Nature,” the group said. Among those who signed the declaration were KAAGAPAY PO-NGO Network Inc. (KAAGAPAY) from Occidental Mindoro, Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN) from Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC) from Marinduque, Alliance of Students Against Mining (ASAM) from Romblon, Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (REFAM), Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM), Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment Inc. (Sibuyan ISLE), Ancestral Land / Domain Watch (ALDAW) from Palawan, Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI) and the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC). (CBCPNews)






Romblon town sets up a fish sanctuary

by Dinnes Manzo


CAJIDIOCAN, Romblon, February 23 (PIA) -- A 288-hectare fish sanctuary has been established late last month in this town which aims to protect coral reefs from human access that may cause damage to the marine habitat.

The fish sanctuary, which starts from the Paraiso point of Brgy. Taguilos to Binarilan point of Brgy. Marigondon, is also expected to help increase the supply of fishes to cope with the increasing market demand.

The fish sanctuary is directly managed by the Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (BFARMC) with support funding from the Barangay and Municipal Government.

The fish sanctuary prohibits fishing, anchoring, cutting of mangroves, gathering of shells, crustaceans and other marine products in adherence to Municipal Ordinance No. 02-11. The ordinance further prohibits using the sanctuary as a short-cut route using motorized or paddle boats. Violators will be penalized with a fine of not less than one thousand pesos but not more than two thousand five hundred pesos or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or both, at the discretion of the court.

The establishment of the fish sanctuary was initiated by the municipal government led by Mayor Festo R. Galang Jr. and Vice Mayor Mabini T. Maca with technical assistance from ENRO Personnel-CRM/Fishery Division Delfin F. Mores and Cesar C. Garcia. (LBR/DM/PIA-IVB/Romblon)






Fuel stakeholders join bio-energy conference

by (LBR/DM/PIA-IVB/Romblon)


ROMBLON, Romblon, Feb. 22 (PIA) --- Stakeholders from various sectors participated in the recently-held Philippine International Bio-Energy Conference at the Manila Hotel, which assembled bio-energy industry players from farmer groups, plant producers, investment groups, financing institutions, academe and LGUs among others.

The delegates from Romblon were led by Governor Eduardo C. Firmalo, along with the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO – Romblon) and the technical working group of the Biomass Self-Sufficiency Program from the Romblon State University.

The delegates are currently exploring ways to apply the principles and issues tackled in the conference related to the bio-industry, particularly the latest developments, current trends, lucrative investment prospects and business opportunities in the province.

The conference was organized by the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Biofuels Board (NBB) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corporation (PADCC).





Riverbanks rehabilitation, a priority program of the ENRO

by Dinnes Manzo


ODIONGAN, Romblon, February 21, (PIA) --- The Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) conducted its first tree planting activity at Brgy. Progreso Este to mitigate problems on soil erosion and river bank denudation caused by quarry operations of sand and gravel extraction and natural calamities such as typhoons and floods.

The activity was participated by 22 participants composed of ENRO employees, members of the barangay council of Progreso Este, the Philippine Army, some barangay tanod and the permit holder of sand and gravel extraction at the said barangay.

A total of 150 bangkal (Nauclea orientalis) seedlings were planted at the riverbank. Bangkal is one of the fast growing species that can be planted along riverbanks because it thrives everywhere and can hold the soil from erosion. It is well-known as the provincial forest tree and commonly seen in the community but its importance was not recognized by some locals before.

Ornamental nurseries are propagating the said plant specie in order to support watershed rehabilitation and reforestation programs of the private sector and the government. It is also one of the plant species produced during last year’s “Pista sa Gubat” program of the Provincial Governor.

The effort of conserving the province's riverbanks through protection and rehabilitation is one of the priority programs of ENRO Forestry Division to prevent environmental problems. In this venture the participation and cooperation of other stakeholders especially the barangay local government unit (BLGU) are encouraged.(DM/TBO/PIA-IVB/Romblon)





Fisher folks of Alcantara, Romblon form a council

by Dinnes Manzo


ALCANTARA, Romblon, Feb. 20 (PIA) -- Fisher folks from the nine coastal barangays of Alcantara have organized themselves through the recent creation of the Municipal/Barangay Fisheries Aquatic Resource Management Council (M/BFARMC).

The establishment of the M/BFARMC is in accordance with R.A. 8550 or ‘The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.’

The new council has regular members from each barangay composed of the Barangay Development Council, Sanggunian Barangay Members and the Chairman on Agriculture and Fishery, non-government organizations and the private sector.

The nine coastal barangays include Barangays Calagonsao, Tugdan, San Roque, Bonlao, San Isidro, Lawan, Poblacion, Gui-ob and Comod-om.

During the meeting, the council raised the possible establishment of the Fish Sanctuary and Fishery Refuge/Reserve in their respective areas. There was also a suggestion to conduct a Fisherman Education Campaign among the fisher folks in the communities. The council members expressed their willingness to cooperate with the Municipal Agriculturist in implementing the programs suggested during the meeting. (LBR/DM/PIA-4B/Romblon)






Country’s 1st anti-mining monument unveiled Commemorates Romblon’s biggest protest yet

by ALYANSA TIGIL MINA (ATM)


Tablas, Romblon: Advocates joined the unveiling of Romblon’s Anti-Mining Memorial to commemorate the biggest protest against mining fought by the Church, local government leaders and its people on February 14.

The first of its kind in the country, the anti mining memorial will remind the people of their effort to strongly face and counter the entry of large scale mining firms in Romblon.

Gov. Eduardo Firmalo of Romblon said, “Today we commemorate the unity of our people to uphold the dignity of life and environment. As a person and public servant, I continue to adhere to the principles of genuine sustainable development, which will not sacrifice the capacity of future Romblonanons to survive. We maintain that local government units have the autonomy to defend the general welfare; at the end it is our people who will be left and will suffer. Metallic mining has no room in the province, and to follow the priority industries of President Noynoy Aquino: we should focus on agriculture, tourism and infrastructure.”

Romblon’s struggle started in 2006 when 8,000 people gathered to protest against mining in Sibuyan where anti-mining activist Armin Marin was killed the following year by an employee of Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corporation. In 2011, more than 12,000 people gathered in Tablas Island to protest against another big mining company Ivanhoe Philippines Inc. (wholly owned by Ivanhoe Canada) which applied for a permit to explore approximately 14,000 hectares of land in Tablas Island but decided to withdraw in September 30 that same year due to people’s and local government’s opposition.

“We hope that the proposed mining policy reform order of President Aquino will uphold the decision of my constituents, recognize and further respect the mandate of the local government officials to defend the health, security and future of the general welfare.” Firmalo continued.

Msgr. Nonato Ernie Fetalino, administrator of the Diocese of Romblon and adviser of Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (Refam) explained, “For nine months we have united all our voices and efforts but it is a lifetime commitment to defend the integrity of creation. We look at our environment as significant source of life and we are called to maintain the balance of ecosystem, we are stewards and we are not called to abuse it. It is our spiritual duty to defend the dignity of life.”

Ivanhoe’s main reason for pulling out from Tablas Island was the lack of support from local officials and unresponsive communities, it said in its letter to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Meanwhile, Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona is currently pushing for House Bill 4815 that will declare Romblon as a mining no-go zone.

“This is the voice of our people not to allow mining in the province. This biggest legacy we can leave for the province—to make our province a better place to live in with a balance and healthful ecology. We hope the House Bill 4815 will soon be passed as a law,” added Madrona.

Today, as the people remember their struggles against mining in Romblon, they also reaffirm their position against the destruction of the Philippine environment and the policies that allow mining to be one of the country’s priority industries.

“We shall continue to stand up for God and our country’s patrimony. The Mining Act of 1995 has been the root-cause of division among communities and continuously degrading the environment. We cannot permit this to happen in the province. We call for the scrapping of the Mining Act of 1995 and urgent enactment of the consolidated alternative mining bills pending in the House of Representatives,” Bishop Ronelio Fabriquer of Iglesia Filipina Independiente and chairman of Refam, concluded.

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) is an alliance of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs/POs and other civil society organizations who are opposing the aggressive promotion of large-scale mining in the Philippines. The alliance is currently pushing for a moratorium on mining, revocation of Executive Order 270-A, repeal of the Mining Act of 1995 and the passage of the Philippine Mineral Resources Act a.k.a. Alternative Minerals Management Bill.

For more information email or call the following: Gov. Eduardo Firmalo, romblongov@gmail.com; Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, doymadrona@yahoo.com, doymadrona@congress.gov.ph; Jaybee Garganera, ATM national Caoordinator, 0927-7617602, nc@alyansatigilmina.net; Rodne Galicha, ATM Sites of Struggle officer, sos@alyansatigilmina.net; and Farah Sevilla, ATM Policy and Advocacy officer, 0915-3313361 policy@alyansatigilmina.net.






PHL's 1st anti-mining monument erected in Romblon

by LBG, GMA News


Anti-mining advocates witnessed this week the unveiling of the country's first anti-mining memorial, during a protest against mining by the Catholic Church, local officials and residents.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the monument is a reminder of the people’s struggle against the entry of large-scale mining firms in the island province of Romblon.

"Today we commemorate the unity of our people to uphold the dignity of life and environment. As a person and public servant, I continue to adhere to the principles of genuine sustainable development, which will not sacrifice the capacity of future Romblonanons to survive,” Romblon Governor Eduardo Firmalo said, according to an article posted on the CBCP news site.

He added the province will not allow any mining activities to destroy the environment and bring suffering to the people.

Also, he said local government units have the autonomy to defend the general welfare of the population.

Instead, he said they should focus on agriculture, tourism and infrastructure.

“Metallic mining has no room in the province, and to follow the priority industries of President (Benigno) Aquino III: we should focus on agriculture, tourism and infrastructure," he added.

Firmalo voiced hopes the national government will respect the autonomy of local government units “to defend the health, security and future of the general welfare” of its constituents.

“We hope that the proposed mining policy reform order of President Aquino will uphold the decision of my constituents, recognize and further respect the mandate of the local government officials...," Firmalo said.

Romblon Diocese administrator Msgr. Nonato Ernie Fetalino, adviser of Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (REFAM), added safeguarding the integrity of the creation requires a lifetime commitment.

"For nine months we have united all our voices and efforts but it is a lifetime commitment to defend the integrity of creation,” he said.

He added it is everyone’s “spiritual duty to defend the dignity of life.”

“We look at our environment as significant source of life and we are called to maintain the balance of ecosystem, we are stewards and we are not called to abuse it,” he said.

Scrap Mining Act

For his part, REFAM chairman Aglipayan Bishop Ronelio Fabriquer called for the scrapping of Mining Act of 1995, which he said has become a source of division among communities and cause of environmental destruction.

Also he said, We call for... immediate "enactment of the consolidated alternative mining bills pending in the House of Representatives."

Meanwhile, Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona pushed for House Bill 4815 that seeks to declare Romblon as a mining no-go zone.

Meanwhile, the CBCP said Romblon's struggle against mining started in 2006 when 8,000 people held a protest against mining operations in Sibuyan.

Activist Armin Marin was killed allegedly by an employee of Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corp. a year after the protest.

In 2011, the CBCP said some 12,000 people protested against Ivanhoe Philippines’ application to explore about 14,000 hectares of land on the island.

The firm owned by Ivanhoe Canada withdrew the application last September 30.





Discover the blue hole of Romblon

by philstar.com/


MANILA, Philippines - Tonight, join resident veterinarian Doc Nielsen Donato and Kiko Rustia (photo) for another adventure on GMA 7’s Born To Be Wild.

Last week, Doc Nielsen’s team headed to Camarines Sur to catch Philippine cobras for venom extraction, which will be used for the production of anti-venom by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). Doc Nielsen and a team of extractors collected five cobras on their first day. But not a milliliter of venom was extracted and a cobra suddenly spits venom in front of the team.

Meanwhile, Kiko continues to discover the blue hole of Romblon. On Day One, he and his team were welcomed by unfriendly waves and the first dive had to be aborted. But this did not stop the team from pursuing its goal — to confirm if indeed a blue hole exists in the Province of Romblon.

Their second day was greeted by calmer waters and good diving weather. Kiko and the team plunge into the opportunity. Underwater, the team reaches a big and deep opening on the ocean floor. Have they reached the mouth of the blue hole?

Find out in Born To Be Wild tonight after Saksi.





Philippines' first anti-mining monument unveiled in Romblon province

by mindanaoexaminer.com


MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 15, 2012) - Filipino environmental advocates on Tuesday unveiled Romblon’s anti-mining memorial to commemorate the biggest protest against mining fought by the Church, Local Government Leaders and its people.

Organizers said the memorial will remind the people of their effort to strongly face and counter the entry of large scale mining firms in Romblon.

"Today we commemorate the unity of our people to uphold the dignity of life and environment. As a person and public servant, I continue to adhere to the principles of genuine sustainable development, which will not sacrifice the capacity of future Romblonanons to survive. We maintain that local government units have the autonomy to defend the general welfare; at the end it is our people who will be left and will suffer. Metallic mining has no room in the province, and to follow the priority industries of President Benigno Aquino - we should focus on agriculture, tourism and infrastructure," said Gov. Eduardo Firmalo.

Romblon’s struggle started in 2006 when some 8,000 people gathered to protest against mining in Sibuyan where anti-mining activist Armin Marin was killed the following year by an employee of Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corporation.

In 2011, more than 12,000 people gathered in Tablas Island to protest against another big Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Philippines Inc. which applied for a permit to explore approximately 14,000 hectares of land but decided to withdraw in September 30 that same year due to people’s and local government’s opposition.

“We hope that the proposed mining policy reform order of President Aquino will uphold the decision of my constituents, recognize and further respect the mandate of the local government officials to defend the general welfare, health and security of all and the future generations to come,” Firmalo said.

Msgr. Nonato Ernie Fetalino, administrator of the Diocese of Romblon and adviser of Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (REFAM), said that "for nine months we have united all our voices and efforts but it is a lifetime commitment to defend the integrity of creation. We look at our environment as significant source of life and we are called to maintain the balance of ecosystem, we are stewards and we are not called to abuse it. It is our spiritual duty to defend the dignity of life."

Ivanhoe’s main reason for pulling out from Tablas Island was the lack of support from local officials and unresponsive communities, it said in its letter to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Meanwhile, Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona is currently pushing for House Bill 4815 that will declare Romblon as a mining "no-go" zone.

"This is the voice of our people not to allow mining in the province. This biggest legacy we can leave for the province—to make our province a better place to live in with a balance and healthful ecology. We hope the House Bill 4815 will soon be passed as a law," Madrona said.

Bishop Ronelio Fabriquer, of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, and Chairman of REFAM, said: "We shall continue to stand up for God and our country's patrimony. The Mining Act of 1995 has been the root-cause of division among communities and continuously degrading the environment. We cannot permit this to happen in the province. We call for the scrapping of the Mining Act of 1995 and urgent enactment of the consolidated alternative mining bills pending in the House of Representatives."





Solons Confident On Bills' Passage

by RIO ROSE RIBAYA



MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers expressed belief on Saturday that despite the demanding hours imposed on them by the ongoing impeachment trial of Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona, they will still be able to pass measures in advanced stages of legislation.

House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. said he believes that the members of Senate will still be able to find time extra time in studying and eventually approving bills that are pending in the bicameral conference committee with lawmakers from the Lower House.

"We are confident of passing priority bills," Belmonte said.

Belmonte issued the statement after several lawmakers expressed apprehensions that the impeachment of Corona could prevent senators from doing their basic legislative function.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, chairman of a House panel that endorsed the Anti-Discrimination bill, explained that the measure along with others that were recently transmitted to bicameral conference committee is as important as the impeachment of Corona.

"Impeachment is as important as the Anti-Discrimination bill. I'm praying that the legislative process for the other bills will not stop just because of the impeachment," Baguilat said.

"I should be happy for any window in Senate's schedule which would allow us to approve the Anti-Discrimination bill in the bicameral committee," he added.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro “Teddy” Casino, one of the authors of the Local Music Industry Incentives Act, admitted that he is less hopeful now of a bicameral approval of this bill.

“You can say that we are on the edge of our seat considering that our bill still has no Senate counterpart. We target to have this passed by March. Otherwise, our bill will become collateral damage of the ongoing impeachment if it doesn’t end in next month,” Casino lamented.

“It’s only practical that we have to lobby harder to get this approved in bicameral conference. In fact, we already set a meeting with the (Senate) finance committee to prioritize this because if this doesn’t get approved by June, senators will be distracted with election preparations for 2013,” he said.

In the legislative process, any bill that failed to be ratified during a particular Congress needs to be refiled and undergo the same stages in the succeeding Congress.

AGHAM party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones, author of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Modernization Act, expressed frustration with the impeachment trial against Corona for taking most of the Senate’s time.

Palmones expressed worry that his bill – which seeks to modernize PAGASA and address the needs of its experts for better typhoon and disaster warning system – would have to restart undergoing legislative process in the next 16th Congress if the Senate will not finish the impeachment as soon as possible.

“Having the President declare this bill as urgent will not help us to turn it into a law since the impeachment of Corona will surely take most of Senate’s time,” Palmones said.

Meanwhile, the principal author of the House approved-anti-mining bill is not losing his faith on the Senate to continuously keep its legislative mill grinding amid the Corona impeachment trial.

Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus F. Madrona said there is still hope for House Bill 4815 to be passed by the 15th Congress amid the upper chamber’s tight schedule on the impeachment proceedings.

“I am still hopeful. Senator (Francis) ‘Chiz’ Escudero agreed to have committee report prepared. We are following up,” he said in a text message to the Manila Bulletin.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, earlier threw his all-out support to HB 4815 which seeks to declare Romblon as a “mining free zone.”

Madrona said the measure, which was transmitted to the upper chamber on August 10, 2011, is scheduled for plenary discussions at the Senate.

“It will be taken up yet in plenary by the Senate. They meet in the morning for sessions,” he said, dispelling claims that his Senate counterparts have lost their focus on passing important bills. (With a report from Charissa M. Luci)





Higher power bills in cost scheme

by E. N. J. David



HE PROPOSED scheme to spread the burden of shouldering rising power costs in off-grid areas is expected to result in higher bills for consumers in general, an official said yesterday.

"Rates in off-grid areas have been piling up and if the generation adjustments are just part of their electricity rates their rates will be higher than P5 [per kilowatt-hour (kWh)]," Energy Undersecretary Josefina Patricia M. Asirit said in a press briefing.

"What was reviewed in the last board review committee of Napocor (National Power Corp.) is to look into the application of Napocor so that it is not just the generation rate adjustment and currency adjustments for Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) but as a universal charge that will be applied to more consumers and is spread," she added.

The scheme will ease the burden of SPUG customers who are unable to connect to the main grid. These customers currently pay a generation rate of P6-P7/kWh.

In December, Napocor filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to recover P3.121 billion by raising charges in SPUG areas by an average of P2/kWh.

If approved, bills of SPUG customers will rise by as much as P8.9842/kWh.

Consumers in general pay a universal charge for missionary electrification (UCME) -- a subsidy for SPUG areas -- of P0.11/kWh.

The UCME is used to pay fuel suppliers for the diesel-fired generators in off-grid areas.

The proposed additional SPUG charge is expected to provide Napocor with P4.299 billion to fund power supply in off-grid areas.

Ms. Asirit did not provide a period to increase the UCME as the Napocor’s board is still discussing the issue.

SPUG areas are in Mindoro, Batangas, Marinduque, Quezon, Palawan, Catanduanes, Albay, Romblon, Batanes, Cagayan, Aurora, Apayao, Kalinga, Isabela, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Cebu, Siquijor, Antique, Iloilo, Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Basilan, Sulu, Dinagat, Sulatan Kudarat, Davao, Surigao del Norte, Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi.

Napocor manages and operates 157 power utilities in off-grid areas with a combined capacity of 200 megawatts.





Marine Life Decline Costs $3.5B

by MELODY M. AGUIBA


MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines must now aggressively arrest marine degradation so as to sustain $3.5 billion economic value annually, or it will spend for a more costly restoration of degraded biological reef while losing its benefits.

The country derives an economic benefit of $1.35 billion from fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection in coral reefs; $84 million from fishery and wood harvest in mangroves; $1.25 billion from municipal and commercial fisheries; and $830 million from aquaculture.

This is based on White and Cruz Trinidad 1998 study as reported by Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Parks and Wildlife Bureau’s (DENR-PAWB) Theresa Mundita S. Lim in a briefing paper at the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) Land Ocean Connection Global Conference.

As fish catch has been consistently dropping since the 1980s arising from destructive human activities, a massive die-off of coral reefs will happen, much as how this is the trend globally.

“Over-zealous and destructive fishing practices are threatening both the diversity and abundance of fish populations that live in the reefs. Some of these practices are over-fishing, cyanide poisoning, and the use of dynamite, which permanently damage the reefs,” reported Lim.

Fish catch per unit of effort was noted to have consistently declined from 1980 at two metric tons (MT) per hectare for small pelagic fish to an estimated 1.8 MT per hectare in 1990, further down to one MT per hectare in 1995, and finally to a lower 0.5 MT per hectare in 2000.

Correspondingly, mangrove area in the country has been declining from 288,000 hectares in 1970 to 175,000 hectares in 1980, 140,000 hectare in 1998, and 138,000 hectares in 1993.

Given this direction, it is projected that there will be less than 100,000 hectares of mangrove forests left by 2030 if the decline continues.

The Philippines is one of nine countries with high to very high exposure to coral reef threats, according to the World Resource Institute. And it has low to medium adaptive capacity to counter such threats.

The establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) is seen to help arrest marine degradation. It is also less costly.

While the cost of restoring a damaged biological reef is between $2,000 to $13,000 per hectare, the cost of managing a 40-hectare MPA is placed at only P40,000 or just P1,000 per hectare.

“The cost of restoring a damaged coral reef is high compared to the rather affordable cost of effectively managing an MPA,” according to the DENR.

MPAs are areas where fish catching is banned and limitation on entry is imposed.

Amid marine destruction, DENR claims government has already issued Executive Order (EO) 533 which adopts integrated coastal management (ICM) as a strategy in sustaining marine and coastal resources. ICM is being instituted in Cagayan, Zambales, Quezon, Romblon, Masbate, Iloilo, Cebu and Siquijor Zamboanga, and Davao.

But despite the presence of laws, the intensified involvement of local government units should be harnessed for a more effective marine conservation.

“Local initiative and involvement is the most effective method for the protection of coral reef and other ecosystems,” according to Lim.

With this, the Fisheries Code should be implemented where LGUs are mandated to allot at least 15 percent of their municipal waters for fish sanctuaries.

The Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) is also carrying out the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS). This includes support to zoning of Manila Bay, one of Philippines most important but critically damaged coastal resource.

DENR reported that the ICM has so far rehabilitated 2,129 hectares of understocked natural mangrove forests and established new plantation on 856 hectares.

But there is a need to carry out more rehabilitation. DENR has initially identified 2,000 hectares for rehabilitation under the Upland Development Program and another 7,500 hectares under the DENR’s General Plan of Action which supports integrated watershed management.

The government is also formulating a management plan for a total of 21,434-hectare coral reef area and 10,351-hectare seagrass beds, DENR reported.

Integrated into an MPA management plan are 30 MPAs nationwide including the Tubbataha and Apo reefs. There is also coral transplantation including coral farming in Marigondon in Mactan Island and Camotes Island around Cebu, Bolinao, Pangasinan and Duka Bay, Misamis Oriental.

These rehabilitation programs involve preventing destructive fishing, pollution, and sedimentation.

In a coral reef conservation, villagers are educated on the importance of coral reefs, community-managed fish sanctuaries (no fishing zone), and community-benefiting ecotourism activities are established.

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