Children as advocates for marine resource protection – this is one strategy the local government units of the Camotes group of islands in Cebu are employing to insure that their coastal resource management programs will be sustained well into the future. More than a year ago, the Camotes LGUs started to get schoolchildren involved in information and education efforts, knowing they would be the most effective campaigners for the protection of their municipal waters.

The novel idea worked and has since been institutionalized. Two municipalities held Marine Environment Camps for the “little fish wardens,” as they have been called, for reorientation and strengthening of the budding organizations. On April 9-11, the town of Poro gathered 85 students from Grades 4 and 6, together with 12 of their teachers, for the marine camp at the Mangodlong Beach Resort. It was the turn of Tudela last April 19-21, where thirty Grade 5 and 6 students and five teachers from coastal elementary schools participated.

The children learned about the sea environment and the natural balance of aquatic life, the importance of coastal habitats and marine sanctuaries, protective laws and ordinances, and basic leadership concepts. It was not all work, as the kids also spent time playing parlor and beach games. Asked to think of a formal name for their group, the students from Poro came up with Puza Magbalantay sa Kalikopan (Children Guarding the Environment) or PUZA (local term in Poro for child).

“Karon lang ko nakahibalo nga ang corals diay hayop, abi nako sa una bato (I know now that corals are living things, before I thought they were just rocks),” shared
one of the students. The marine camps were a collaboration between the LGUs who organized the activities, Plan-Philippines who co-facilitated both camps, and the USAID-funded Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project which served as main facilitator and provided technical lectures.

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