Palawan News March 2019

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Palawan - Archived News
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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

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Undergroud River in Palawan
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Underground river in Pureto Princesa, Palawan
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Baracuda Lake, Coron, Palawan

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
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U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie A. Kenney and USAID/Philippines Environment Office Chief Daniel Moore witness the safe and sustainable collection of ornamental fish by certified Marine Aquarium Council collectors in Palawan

Busuanga airport development project breaks ground

By Faye Orellana (Reporter, INQUIRER.net/gsg)

MANILA, Philippines – Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Capt. Jim Sydiongco, together with local officials of Palawan, on Tuesday led he groundbreaking ceremony for the P953.4 million Francisco B. Reyes – Busuanga Airport development project.

The project is aimed at improve the airport’s facilities and allow it to handle larger aircraft.

“The airport development project involves the construction of a runway embankment and re-orientation of the airport’s runway,” CAAP said in a statement.

“A runway re-orientation was deemed necessary as both the approaches of the airport’s existing runway are facing the mountains,” it added.

The airport is the main gateway to the Calamian Group of Islands that compromises the islands of Busuanga, Coron and Culion, which are sought after tourist destinations.

Target completion of the airport development project is 2021.

Currently, the airport handles 16 domestic flights operated by Cebgo, PAL Express, Skyjet and Air Juan.

Thief caught on the act while preying on cop’s motorcycle

By Aaron Recuenco

Wrong target, wrong timing.

A 29-year old man’s attempt to steal money from motorcycle riders did not end the way he expected it to as he was caught by his two latest victims who turned out to be cops.

Supt. Socrates Faltado, spokesman of the MIMAROPA (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), said the arresting officers were able to recover the wallet of a rookie cop containing P800 from suspect Gerald Canong.

Faltado said Police Officer 1 Nuvy Remo was with PO3 Joel Sales to conduct a follow-up operation in Barangay Sicsican in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. They parked their motorcycles at around 7 a.m. near a business establishment.

But as they went back to their motorcycles, they saw a man who was busy opening the utility box of the bike owned by Remo.

Canong was reportedly too busy that he was not able to sense the arrival of the two cops. This led to his arrest.

Faltado said Canong was caught off guard as the two cops announced his arrest.

Appropriate criminal charges are now being readied against the suspect, according to Faltado.

Israeli energy firm eyes Palawan exploration

By Lenie Lectura

ISRAELI firm Ratio Petroleum Ltd. wants to partner with Philippine National Oil Company-Explo-ration Corp. (PNOC-EC) to jointly explore possible petroleum reserves in the east Palawan basin.

Ratio Petroleum was awarded Service Contract (SC) No. 76 covering Area 4 of Eastern Palawan, as part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) fifth Philippine Energy Contracting Round (PECR), launched in May 2014.

SC 76 spans 416,000 hectares across the east Palawan basin for potential oil and gas resources. The seven-year exploration project is expected to cost $34.35 million, which will be used for studies, data gathering and drilling activities over the initial seven-year contract period.

DOE Undersecretary Donato Marcos said Ratio Petroleum proposed to expand the area in which exploration activities will be conducted and enter into a farm-in agreement with PNOC-EC.

“They have expressed interest in nominating for the expansion of SC 76 to get a maximum area of 1.5 million hectares, farming in with PNOC-EC and also looking at joint nomination with EC. They have expressed serious interest,” said Marcos.

DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said representatives of Ration Petroleum are in the country to discuss their plans. “Ratio people are in town since Monday,” said Cusi last week.

There are currently 23 active petroleum service contracts in the Philippines with the following developers: Shell Philippines Exploration, Total E&P, PNOC-EC, Nido Petroleum, Philodrill, PXP Energy and Galoc Production Company.

The largest and most successful natural gas industrial project in Philippine history is the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project.

Ratio Petroleum was established in 1992 and has a number of large-scale operations at the Levant basin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Israel, as well as offshore operations in the Republic of Malta and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. 19 firms

Meanwhile, Marcos said the agency has received firm interests from nine firms to explore pre-determined areas for possible oil and gas reserve, while 10 firms have nominated their respective areas of interest under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP), a hybrid of PECR.

The DOE is aggressively pursuing the implementation of the PCECP so the country could establish a strong “Explore, Explore, Explore” program.

He did not identify the 19 interested firms.

Under the PCECP, there are two modes of application potential investors may pursue.

First, interested parties may wish to bid on the 14 Pre-Determined Areas identified by the DOE (one in Cagayan, three in East Palawan, three in Sulu Sea, two in Agusan-Davao, one in Cotabato and four in West Luzon). The application period is 180 days, and was officially opened last November 22.

Alternatively, the applicants could also nominate and publish other areas of interest. In this mode, applications could be submitted at any time of the year, and would be subjected to a 60-day challenge period.

All accepted applications shall be evaluated by the DOE Centralized Review and Evaluation Committee based on the criteria pursuant to Department Circular No. DC2017-12-0017.

Sandiganbayan junks Palawan governor's bid for reinvestigation of graft case

(Rappler.com)

The anti-graft court says Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez did not present any new evidence

MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan denied Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez's bid to have his graft case returned to the Office of the Ombudsman for a new investigation, saying there were no new evidence presented.

Alvarez had filed a motion seeking to set aside his indictment and suspend proceedings to review evidence in his case. However, a special division of 5 justices junked this on a 3-2 vote.

In a majority resolution penned by 2nd Division chairman and Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr, the Sandiganbayan said the Ombudsman's ruling had already considered Alvarez's arguments and found them lacking due to a failure to introduce new evidence.

The Ombudsman, added the anti-graft court, also noted the defense's failure to point to procedural violations or any error of law.

Aside from these, the Sandiganbayan ruled that since Alvarez filed a motion for reconsideration before the anti-graft court, he could no longer request for an Ombudsman reinvestigation.

"A motion for reconsideration and a motion for reinvestigation are alternative remedies...which may not be availed of successively. Otherwise stated, the availment of one remedy precludes the availment of the other," Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang said in her concurring opinion.

This was echoed by Associate Justice Maryann Corpus Mañalac, who added that Alvarez was able to present his side during the preliminary investigation.

"The denial of a motion for reconsideration filed by a respondent who actively participated during preliminary investigation, as in this case, is certainly not a valid ground in support of a motion for reinvestigation," she said.

Alvarez's case stemmed from alleged anomalies in a Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) bulk water supply project approved in 2004.

He was charged with COWD Board of Directors chairman Francisco Mendez; members Sarah Borja, Raymundo Java, and Sandy Bass Sr, and former Local Water Utilities Administration head Lorenzo Jamora.

Prosecutors at the time said the officials favored Rio Verde Water Consortium for the project as it was declared a qualified bidder even if it did not go through the bids and awards committee.

Alvarez denied he was part of Rio Verde Water Consortium and said he only had one share to his name.

Associate Justices Michael Frederick Musngi and Lorifel Pahimna dissented in the Sandiganbayan ruling.

Passenger vessel runs aground near Bisucay Island Cuyo, Palawan

By Faye Orellana (Reporter, INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — A passenger vessel carrying more than 100 people ran aground near Bisucay Island in Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard report showed on Sunday.

The PCG said that MV Milagrosa J-3 ran aground off Banda Point, Bisucay Island Cuyo, Palawan on Friday.

The said vessel, driven by Captain Nelson Ortaliz, left Cuyo Island bound for Iloilo City. However, due to a strong current, the vessel hit shallow waters around 11 p.m. of Friday.

Around 93 passengers and 15 crew members were aboard MV Milagrosa J-3 when the incident happened.

DOT welcomes US travel firms’ citation on Boracay and El Nido, Palawan as among best beaches in Asia

By Analou de Vera

The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Sunday welcomed the citation of a US travel firm on Boracay and El Nido, Palawan as among the best beaches in Asia.

In spite of its six-months closure last year, Boracay was named as ninth best beach in the region by TripAdvisor’s 2019 Traveler’s Choice Awards.

On the other hand, the Nacpan Beach and Las Cabanas Beach, both located in El Nido, Palawan were also included in the list, ranking 13th and 22nd respectively.

“We take it that this TripAdvisor citation of Boracay and El Nido, is indicative of the positive reactions to the reforms and new policies being implemented in an effort to inculcate a culture of sustainable tourism,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat.

“This bodes well with our campaign of highlighting the people’s genuine testaments and reactions to our destinations,” she added.

Boracay received over six thousand reviews with 62 percent ‘excellent’ rave reviews and 24 percent ‘very good’ rating, with some of the comments acknowledging the rehabilitation done in the island.

Meanwhile, as of February 27, a total of 320 accommodation establishments in the island accounting to 11,662 rooms are now accredited by the Boracay Interagency Task Force.

“The Inter-Agency Task Force is excited for the completion of the island’s rehabilitation; the second phase on April, and the third on December this year. It will further promote the better Boracay and see #MoreFunTogether,” said the tourism chief.

Ship runs aground near Bisucay Island in Palawan

By Dona Magsino (/KG, GMA News)

A ship ran aground near Bisucay Island in Palawan on Friday night.

According to a report on GMA News TV's Balitanghali Weekend on Sunday, the seacraft which departed from Cuyo Island ended up in shallow waters due to strong winds.

Around 100 passengers, including the crew, were safely rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard early Saturday. No one was reported hurt.

The ship has already been brought to the Cuyo Pier for inspection.

Phinma Petroleum withdraws 14% stake in Palawan prospect

By Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines — Phinma Petroleum and Geothermal Inc. (PPGI) has completed the withdrawal of its interest in a petroleum block in northwest Palawan after securing government approval.

The company told the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday that it relinquished its 14.063 percent participating interest in Service Contract (SC) 6 Block B in favor of its partners.

This was approved by the Department of Energy on Oct. 30, 2018, one year and eight months after the company notified the consortium of its plans to withdraw.

“The company believes that the remaining prospects in the block are either uneconomic or extremely high risk and, therefore, do not warrant further investments,” PPGI said.

However, the company retained its 2.475 percent carried interest in the block, which is a non-paying interest comparable to a royalty that shares in any production revenues.

This is “to ensure that the company will still benefit in the event of any commercial oil production in the area.”

Its other partners in the prospect include Philodrill Corp., Nido Petroleum Ltd., Oriental Petroleum & Minerals Corp., Forum Energy Philippines Corp. and Alcorn Petroleum & Minerals Corp.

SC 6 or the Cadlao prospect was discovered in the 1970s.

The field was flowing close to 1,000 barrels of light crude oil per day in 1991 when production was suspended to allow the transfer of its dedicated floating production facility to another field.

PPGI still owns 7.78 percent of SC 6 Block A. Last year, the consortium, which owns the prospect, proposed a work program to the DOE, which is composed of seismic interpretation and mapping and integration of quantitative inversion results that serve as input to preliminary well design and costs estimates.

Its partners include Pitkin Petroleum, Philodrill Corp., PetroEnergy Resources, Philex Petroleum, Forum Energy Philippines, Anglo-Philippine Holding and Alcorn Gold Resources.

PPGI previously relinquished its stake in an oil prospect. In May last year, PPGI also decided to give up its interest in Service Contract (SC) 51 in northern Leyte.

Following its withdrawal, the company will recognize a loss of P32.7 million for the write off of its share in the expenditures incurred to date under SC 51, which is equivalent to 22 percent of its total assets as of March 31, 2018.

Where To Next: North Palawan's Underwater Treasures That Are A Summer Sight To Behold!

By Mels Timan

With the sunny skies of late, one can’t help but to ruminate about summer plans. To stake your wanderlust, consider Northern Palawan’s Bacuit Bay. With more than 800 fish species, Bacuit Bay is a highly prized snorkeling paradise, offering a variety of marine habitats within proximity to each other.

Having been declared a protected area since the 1980s, Bacuit Bay is home to three of the four island-paradise destinations that carry the El Nido Resorts (ENR) brand, namely Miniloc, Pangulasian and Lagen, where a glorious underwater scenery offers a serene yet vibrant experience that must be experienced. The fourth island resort, Apulit, is in the neighboring municipality of Taytay, where marine life also abound. Here are some of the amazing marine life encounters one can experience in Bacuit Bay.

Encounter Miniloc’s Fish ‘University’. The sight of thousands of Bigeye Scad swimming in unison is a sight to behold. With undetectable communication, they move in astounding synchronization, a genetically programmed pattern of behavior that protects them from predators.

Swim with the Jacks. Because of the prevalence of Scad in the waters of Bacuit Bay, Giant Trevally a.k.a Jacks, locally known as Talakitok, frequent the waters of Miniloc Island. Mariglo Laririt, the island’s ENR Environmental Director shares that the Jacks who visit are observed to be breeders, a clear indication that the species have pinpointed the island’s reef as a safe haven for them and their young.

Get up close and personal with Sharks and Rays. Black-tip Reef Sharks and Blue-spotted Ribbontail Rays are among Pangulasian Island’s most important visitors. Because the premier island resort’s house reef is part of a channel leading to the open sea, these incredibly graceful creatures have become regular guests.

Find Nemo. Popularized by the Pixar animated film of the same name, the Clownfish is one of the many species that frolic in the numerous fish habitats found within Bacuit Bay, a short swim away from any of the El Nido Resorts in the area. Boasting of the one of the highest levels of marine biodiversity, the picturesque reefs serve as home to several other exquisite species as well, including the Blackspotted Pufferfish, Angel Fish, damselfish, Wrasses, and Butterfly Fish, to name a few.

Witness a turtle release. Bacuit Bay is an established sea turtle hatching site, where ENR environmental officers and staff frequently chance upon the golf-ball sized eggs of these sea creatures in Bacuit Bay’s many beaches. As very few of the nest population (one out of every 100 eggs laid) survive into adulthood, the eggs found are carefully gathered and reburied in protected areas where they can be shielded from monitor lizards, birds, and illegal poachers. Upon hatching, guests of the resorts are also often witness to the hundreds of turtle hatchlings scurrying from the beach to the ocean, usually at dusk.

DENR eyes cleanup of Palawan bay

By Rhodina Villanueva (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines — After Boracay and Manila Bay, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is planning to clean and improve the water quality in Bacuit Bay in El Nido, Palawan.

Henry Adornado, executive director of the DENR- Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), yesterday expressed confidence they could make the bay safe for swimming by May.

The Bacuit Bay has been placed under water quality management area (WQMA) by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu through Administrative Order No. 2016-08 issued on May 24, 2016.

The WQMA is an integrated water quality management system designed to protect and save bodies of water through the collaborative efforts of stakeholders and government agencies.

“Water quality management is one of the priorities of Secretary Cimatu. The declaration of Bacuit Bay as a WQMA was part of the administration’s thrust to achieve clean water for all. We look forward to having a sustained and collective action toward saving Bacuit Bay and the rest of our natural resources here in El Nido,” DENR Assistant Secretary Reynulfo Juan said during a recent forum in El Nido.

Last year, the DENR created Task Force El Nido to handle the cleanup of coastal areas and ensure implementation of environmental rules and regulations in the area.

This year, the DENR will establish a one-stop shop to assist concerned stakeholders in complying with government requirements and permits.

World cliff diving event to take place in El Nido

By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno (PNA)

MANILA — The Philippines gets to host the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series for the first time as the competition series goes to the now famous Miniloc Island in El Nido, Palawan.

The best cliff divers in the world will converge in the said island from April 12-13 in the first leg of the Cliff Diving World Series' 2019 season, its 11th overall.

Rhiannan Iffland of Australia opens her bid for a fourth consecutive world title in the women's division, while England's Gary Hunt looks to capture his eighth title in the men's division.

El Nido is one of three new additions to the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series host areas.

The World Series makes its next stop in another debuting city, Dublin in Ireland, on May 12, while another cliff diving tournament will happen on July 14 in Beirut, Lebanon.

Overall, seven cities will host this year's Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, capping the season in Bilbao on Sept. 14.

Unlike the usual diving events, the divers will have to plunge to the open water from 27 meters high, nearly thrice the maximum height of pool diving, while performing acrobatic skills in midair.

Endangered Napoleon wrasse spotted after half a decade in Palawan

By Em-Em S. Mandanas (ACB)

The Napoleon wrasse is a known gentle giant creature distinguished by interesting patterns on its scales. It has hump over the head like a Napoleon’s hat, which further protrudes as they age. No wonder it is one of the favorite fishes for divers to encounter across the world. Its meat is one of the most expensive luxury foods in the Southeast Asia.

The divers group Dive The World reported that the Napoleon wrasse is valued around USD 100 per kilogram in restaurants in Hong Kong. As the number of Napoleon wrasse decreases at a fast and alarming rate, its price inevitably increases. The fish is on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) 'Red List of Threatened Species', and is listed for protection on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Fortunately, the endangered Napoleon wrasse, including the ‘Dugong’ (which is classified by the IUCN as ‘vulnerable), have been spotted in Palawan, Philippines after half a decade of absence.

The return of the Napoleon wrasse

In Coron, Palawan, the Tagbanua Tribe and the fisherfolks community rejoiced after witnessing again the endangered Napoleon wrasse, the sea cow (dugong), more sea turtles and schooling fishes swimming in the waters of the Bulalacao Marine Protected Area (MPA). The year 2018 has been a successful milestone in the community folks’ efforts to restore their marine bidoversity, which was destroyed by enormous cyanide and dynamite fishing activities over the past decades.

Mr. Pacifico Beldia II, Marine Biodiversity Conservation Manager of Malampaya Foundation Incorporated (MFI), shares “We started to notice the remarkable recovery of fish stocks, especially the grazer species like parrotfishes, siganids, and acanthurids. These species groups tend the reefs to prevent algal overgrowth that smothers the live corals. We also started noticing the recovery of small pelagic fishes fusiliers and scads indicating the eradication of illegal fishing practices in both the No Take and Sustainable Use Zones. The succeeding years, we saw the endangered Napoleon wrasse in all of our permanent transect sites, and, this year, we saw the black tip shark in one of the No Take Zones, and a dugong in the seagrass bed just near the community wharf. Sea turtles sightings became more and more common as well.”

A comprehensive biophysical assessment in 2012 determined that 90 per cent of the surveyed reef areas in Bulalacao were overfished and showed signs of damage from blast fishing and other unsustainable fishing practices like the use of compressor or huka fishing.

Taking the lead in conservation efforts is the MFI, the social arm of the Malampaya joint venture partners Shell Philippines Exploration, Chevron Malampaya LLC and Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corp., supported by the Coron Municipal Agriculture Office, the National Commission on Indigenous People, and the Tribal Leaders and Indigenous Peoples’ Organization, all of whom intensively working against the persistent illegal and destructive fishing activities in the area.

In November 2014, the Bulalacao MPA was launched, which was graced by the tribal leaders of the Tagbanua tribe and the parish priest who led the blessing of the first boundary marker deployed in one of the No Take Zones. This is one of MFI’s priority biodiversity conservation projects emphasizing the importance of grassroots representation, participative approach in decision-making, social preparation and advocacy, research, habitat restoration and conservation, and the provision of conservation incentives in the form of livelihood projects and skills training scholarships.

“The process of formalizing the conservation covenant with the Tagbanua Tribe and fisherfolk sector of Brgy. Bulalacao took MFI and the Coron Local Government took two years. The various sectors made sure that all socio-cultural restrictions are satisfied while doing all the resource assessments,” said Beldia.

Emphasizing the significance of vertical and horizontal linkages in marine conservation initiatives, MFI engaged into joint activities such as rehabilitation of coral reefs and mangroves; species restocking; the construction of MPA guardhouses; training of community volunteers in enforcement as Bantay Dagat; training in supplementary livelihoods such as enviro-farming; and provision of the necessary supplies and equipment for such works. They also established collaborations with the academe such as with Western Philippines University in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The sorry state of the Bulalacao seas

“Limang taon ko rin ginagawa ‘yan. Araw-araw ‘yan, at pag iniwanan na namin yung isla, bugbog talaga siya. [I was doing that for five years. That was every day, and when we were done with an island, it was really destroyed.]," recalled Sabino Flores, the mild-mannered fisherman.

Over the past decades, the Bulalacao area was dominated by deadly fishing activities brought about by the sudden influx of irresponsible and unlawful foreign traders and fisherfolks. Cyanide and dynamite fishing, known as “bungbung” by the locals, were among the most destructive methods.

Formerly one of the known ‘ilegalistas’, Flores used to own four fishing boats. He was raking in Php150,000 every 15-day cycle, catching live reef food fish like coral trout (known locally as suno), as well as lobsters. This heartless illegal fishing,which prevailed over a long period of time, left the marine waters with tremendous damage indicating a serious threat to the livelihood of the community people. A one-hour fishing then would yield a 10-kilogram catch; but now it’s just two kilos for an all-day fishing. It became even harder for locals as outsiders came to the hardly surviving seas for their resources.

Inspiring courage and strength to restore Bulalacao’s marine biodiversity

Seeing the tremendous damage, Flores was bothered by his conscience, prompting him to help form the Bulalacao Fishermen Multipurpose Cooperative. He convinced his fellow fishermen to give up the bad habits and illegal methods of fishing that continuously destroy the marine ecosystem.

“Nabawasan nga ang kita, pero nawala sa konsensya mo yung nagpapakasarap ka, pero yung mga susunod sa iyo, wala nang matitikman. [I lost some income, but my conscience was freed from the guilt that there would be nothing left for the future generations to come]”

Eventually, he was elected as a barangay councilor in 1997; and in 2013, became the barangay chairman, levelling up the advocacy on biodiversity conservation in his community.

A most significant milestone during his term was the establishment of the Bulalacao Marine Protected Area (MPA) – 3,298 hectares of ocean divided into no-take zones and multiple use areas meant to safeguard the corals and fish stock around Bulalacao’s 13 sites. With the help of the MFI, which has been doing marine conservation work in the municipality since 2012, the people of Bulalacao witnessed the progress of the MPA from a barangay resolution to a municipal ordinance, until its approval in November 2014.

Rogelio Pavia, a member of Bantay Dagat, said “Siyempre, hangad natin na hindi mapariwara ang karagatan natin. Paano naman kung lahat kami ay gumagawa ng mali? Hindi naman tama sa mata ng Diyos at ng batas. Basta proud ako sa ginagawa ko; dito ako nagkatibay ng loob at humuhugot ng lakas, dahil may nagsusuporta sa amin.” [Of course we don’t want our ocean to go to waste. What would happen if we all did bad things? That wouldn’t be right in the eyes of God and the law. I am proud of what I do; this is where I draw courage and strength, because we are getting support.]

Pavia and other fishermen in the locality now serve as members of the Bantay Dagat of Bulalacao MPA, tasked with protecting it from illegal fishermen, and patrolling the perimeters of the area to secure its continuous recovery.

Juanito Adezas Jr., a boat operator for the Bulalacao-based Hikari Pearl Farm and a volunteer diver for MFI’s Marine Biodiversity Conservation Program, considers himself an eyewitness to the development that the MPA has brought to Bulalacao.

“Masaya ako dahil dumadami na ang isda, bumabalik na sa dati ang coral—nakikita ko ang pagbabago,” he says. “Wala nang magagawa yung mga ilegalista dahil may batas na, at gobyerno at barangay na ang kalaban nila.” (I’m happy because there are more fishes and the coral reefs are coming back—I can see the difference. The illegal fishers can’t do anything because there is a law now, and they’d be going against the government and the barangay.)

Pushing for a healthier marine life in the ASEAN region

Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, international biodiversity expert, marine conservation advocate, and Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), praised the participatory approach of the MFI in recovering the marine life in Bulalacao while strengthening the indigenous people and fisherfolks in the local community.

“We have to learn from this very valuable experience and encourage more collective efforts on local, national, regional, and global levels to conserve our marine biodiversity; promote responsible and sustainable use of resources and livelihood; save marine habitats; stop single-use plastics that harm our healthy waters; and continuously combat illegal and destructive activities,” Dr. Lim emphasized.

Dr. Lim noted that the economic benefits of ASEAN’s marine biodiversity are immense. It is estimated that the total potential sustainable annual economic net benefits per square kilometer of healthy coral reefs in the region ranges from USD 23,100 to USD 270,000 arising from fisheries, shoreline protection, tourism, recreation, and aesthetic values.

She said the continuous overexploitation of coastal and marine resources, habitat change, pollution, and climate change, among many other drivers of biodiversity loss, threaten the rich marine resources of the region.

“Studies revealed that in the Asia-Pacific region alone, a total of 11.1 billion plastic items such as shopping bags, fishing nets, diapers and tea-bags are entangled in coral reefs, which according to scientists of Journal Science, is likely to increase by 40 percent by 2025. Plastic pollution, aside from overfishing and climate change, puts our marine resources and habitats at faster and higher risk of deterioration,” Dr. Lim said.

Dr. Lim cited examples of good practices in marine conservation. Indonesia, one of the ASEAN Member States, enacted a ban on plastics to curb marine degradation in its seas with the aim to reduce the single-use plastics like styro-foams and shopping bags by 70 percent in the Bali area.

In Singapore, the National Parks Board and private sector partners are embarking on a big project to restore its coral reef ecosystems in the Small Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. The project is part of efforts to protect the coral reefs around Singapore and enhance marine biodiversity in the island's surrounding waters.

In the Philippines, Dr. Lim lauded the recent pronouncement of President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordering the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to take the lead in a massive clean-up campaign for Manila Bay.

WATCH: No closure for Panglao, El Nido yet, interagency task force says

By Rosette Adel (Philstar.com)

MANILA, Philippines — The interagency task force composed of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Tourism and Department of Interior and Local Government said it is not keen on closing Panglao, Bohol and El Nido, Palawan despite the warnings to resorts and hotels.

DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she and two other secretaries, DILG’s Eduardo Año and DENR’s Roy Cimatu, went to Panglao and El Nido last November to order the resorts to follow the easement laws in view of the rehabilitation for the islands.

Puyat said they gave the resort owners and management six months to comply with the easement and environmental laws before they can decide whether to close them for rehabilitation just like what they did in Boracay.

Aside from Panglao, Puyat disclosed they are also looking into rehabilitating Coron, Palawan and Siargao and other major tourist destinations such as provinces in the Cordillera region.

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