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07/01/2009- Two marine protected areas (MPA) in the Philippines whose establishment and enforcement are being supported by The Philippine Environmental Governance Project (EcoGov) were chosen as the top two outstanding MPAs in the Philippines at the 2009 “Para el MAR”, the MPA Awards and Recognition Event held at the 2 nd Conference of Coastal Municipalities in Cebu City. The conference was held on June 28-30, 2009. Pilar Municipal Marine Park (PMMP) in Pilar town within the Camotes group of islands in Cebu was awarded first place and Tambunan MPA of Tabina Municipality, Zamboanga del Sur followed in second place. Ambao Fish Sanctuary and Marine Reserve in Hinundayan, Southern Leyte was awarded third place in a contest of seventy (70) nominations which started last year. Only 12 of the nominees were selected as finalists.
Three other EcoGov-assisted MPAs were included among the twelve finalists: the Bangaan MPA in Tungawan Muncipality, Zamboanga Sibugay Province, the Bibilik MPA, in Dumalinao Muncipality, and Talisay MPA in Tabina Muncipality, both of which are part of Illana Bay in Zamboanga del Sur Province. The MPA recognition event is a program of the MPA Support Network (MSN), a consortium of about 20 various agencies and organizations concerned with complementing local initiatives in MPA management. A panel of evaluators composed of individuals with extensive experience in MPA management, research and marine science assessed the finalists’ MPA management strategies and their effectiveness as gauged against ecological and socio-economic impact. Qualification of the 12 shortlisted finalists considered nominee-area size, set at a minimum of 20 hectares, strong involvement of the community in its management, effective enforcement, degree of local government-community co-management and the participation of other stakeholders. Pilar Mayor Jesus Fernandez, Jr. says, “It is a matter of political will [of marine sanctuary management and enforcement] and thinking about food availability for our future grandchildren.” Fernandez advises his fellow local chief executives to give full support to their marine sanctuaries, especially with respect to “strict implementation” of the Fisheries Code. The PMMP, with a total area of 179 hectares, was established in 2005. The marine sanctuary core zone covers 17.93 hectares and its buffer zone 11.8 hectares. Coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves and sandy bottom ecosystems are found within the park’s marine reserve area. Through assistance provided by the EcoGov, the PMMP is presently being managed by a multi-sectoral park management board. Sound management and decisive action at the PMMP has brought a notable increase in fish catch among fisherfolk which use artisanal methods. The same marked increase in the abundance of fishery resources has been observed since the establishment of the Tambunan MPA in 2003. The area comprises 103 hectares of protected area, hosts mackerel and various tuna species, as well as needlefish, mollusks and crustaceans. The five (5) EcoGov-assisted MPAs are being monitored and enforced by a team of fish wardens, locally known as the Bantay Dagat. The Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
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