Local government units in Zamboanga del Sur are showing that years of training in good environmental governance are now bearing fruit. They have taken the initiative in the campaign for broader support for the protection of their coastal resources, even employing creative methods to get the local population more involved and committed.

Three of the towns are doing it by using big special events to promote their coastal resource management (CRM) programs, which are being implemented with technical assistance from USAID’s Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Last June 24, the municipality of Tabina celebrated their traditional Sakayanon Festival with the 3rd annual CRM Day which marks the adoption of the town’s 10-year Coastal Resource Management Plan.

On tap were CRM-related activities that included a quiz bee, a poster and slogan contest, photo exhibits, showing of underwater videos of their marine protected areas (MPAs), and a demonstration of MPA management and enforcement methods by Tabina divers.

In his remarks, Mayor Romulo Lumo said, “The sea is our last frontier, let us give something back to our source of life.” Vice-Mayor Poloyapoy added that, “this celebration will help the people of Tabina internalize coastal resource management; this is important because CRM is our way of life.”

High point of the day was the launch of the new patrol boat that will augment the town’s law enforcement capability. Tabina’s active Municipal Fishery Law Enforcement Team (MFLET) was able to apprehend ten illegal fishing violators from April to May this year, including a commercial fishing boat caught inside the buffer zone of the MPA in Bgy. Tambunan.

The neighboring town of Dimataling likewise celebrated CRM Day, its first, last June 15. It was part of the week long celebration of “Araw ng Dimataling.” The town’s technical working group (TWG) got the community members to participate in activities centered on coastal resource protection. These included tree planting along the shoreline, mangrove reforestation, and the installation of marker buoys in the Bacayawan marine protected area.

Capping the activities was the awarding of Plaques of Recognition to the Best Fishery Law Enforcers in the municipality. Dimataling’s MFLET has been waging a relentless campaign against illegal fishing that has resulted in 61 apprehensions from March to May this year. In a particularly “busy” day last June, 12 commercial fishing boats were caught fishing near the town’s marine sanctuary, including one owned by an official from a neighboring town.

The municipality of Labangan was particularly innovative, using their CRM Day as a vehicle to raise funds for the maintenance of the newly established marine protected area (MPA) in Barangay Combo, a predominantly Muslim community. Labangan’s CRM-TWG organized a “Swim-for-a-Cause” activity where residents and visitors were made to pay P50 for the “privilege” of swimming in support of the campaign. Non-swimmers were encouraged to donate any amount they were willing to contribute.

More than P20,000 was generated for the 20-hectare MPA. The money will go to the purchase of additional marker buoys, food supplies and gasoline needed by the bantay dagat members and law enforcement team made up of Philippine Army soldiers and civilian volunteers. “This is our first time to have a big event such as this,” enthused barangay captain Monie Mamasalagat. He added that Bgy Combo has “come a long way from the war-stricken area that it used to be.”

The novel approach to CRM advocacy taken by the three Zamboanga del Sur towns is making their people more appreciative of the continuing work of coastal protection and management. Their active involvement will make the LGUs’ job a little easier. They can now dream of better days in the coastal communities.

top...