The eight local government unit (LGU) members of the Illana Bay Regional Alliance in Region 9 (IBRA-9) signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last Dec. 13, signifying their renewed commitment to protect the bay waters that they share. Doing the honors in the signing ceremony were the mayors of Tukuran, Tabina, Dinas, Labangan, Tungawan, Dimataling and San Pablo; and the city of Pagadian. The provincial governor of Zamboanga del Sur also signed the MOA.

IBRA-9 and its members are being assisted by USAID’s Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project, implemented with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other partners.

Of the current chief executives of LGU members of the alliance, only the mayor of San Pablo is a holdover of the original IBRA-9. The new local chief executives felt the need for a reorientation and a recommitment to the objectives of the council.

“We decided to have a new MOA as a first step to revitalize the alliance,” said Mayor Rolando Dolauta of San Pablo. “To keep the alliance attuned to the needs of the times, we added more committees. These included a committee each for conflict resolution, livelihood component, research and monitoring and evaluation.”

Part of the strengthening is the inclusion of alliance priorities in the executive and legislative agenda of each LGU, to ensure that necessary budget is allocated for alliance-related activities.

In a related development, the municipality of Pitogo, also in Zamboanga del Sur, expressed its interest in joining the alliance. The council members agreed to assist Pitogo in its coastal resource management efforts.

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