SORSOGON CITY, SORSOGON – To do his part in rehabilitating the Bantigue Marine Reserve and Fish Sanctuary—Pilar, Sorsogon’s marine protected area (MPA), Domingo Jazareno, 59, decided to serve as a Bantay-Dagat (Sea Patrol).

“Dati noong wala pa ang Bantay Dagat at wala pa kaming ginagawa na pagprotekta, halos wala nang buhay ang corals doon sa amin. Dahil sa ilang taon ding sinira ng mga nagdidinamita halos lusaw na yung mga corals sa amin (When there was no sea patrol and we lack initiatives to protect the sea, our marine resources were extremely depleted. This was because of the illegal fishing activities),” he said.

The president of Samahang Mandaragat ng Brgy. Inapugan in Pilar, Sorsogon, Jazareno’s organization is among the recipients of the equipment for marine protected area (MPA) management and rehabilitation.

During a Ceremonial Turn-Over and Local-Based Memorandum of Agreement Signing, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) turned over equipment to support MPA monitoring activities in targeted Global Environment Facility (GEF) sites in the province. The Project distributed two solar panel lights, eight flashlights, 11 search lights, eight signboards, eight binoculars, four portable radio, seven megaphone, six underwater camera, 40 heavy duty life jackets, 40 raincoat, seven polyethylene rope, five measuring tape, six global positioning system (GPS), eight geotagging device, and four laptops to the Municipalities of Magallanes, Bulan, Matnog, and Pilar.

Likewise, the Project turned over two underwater camera, two measuring tape, 10 scuba diving gears, 16 scuba tanks, two GPS, one geotagging device, two laptops, and one compressor set with extra filter to the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Sorsogon.

“With the equipment being given to the recipients for the GEF sites particularly Pilar, Matnog, Bulan, and Magallanes, they may strengthen their sea protection,” Roberto Fortes, PPMIU-Sorsogon GEF Focal Person, said.

Mayor Augusto Manuel Ragragio of Magallanes said that the PRDP-GEF implementation in his municipality will enhance the preservation and conservation of marine resources and develop income-generating opportunities particularly for the project beneficiaries.

Elvira G. Pantone, Municipal Agriculturist of LGU-Matnog, added that the equipment for MPA management and rehabilitation, will inspire the MPA’s Bantay-Dagat and sanctuary guards.

The Project will also provide five small patrol boats, 28 plastic/fiberglass buoys/markers, 195 ball type buoys and 120 monitoring blocks to the four GEF sites, one fiber glass patrol boat to LGU-Pilar, and two floating guard houses to LGU-Magallanes and LGU-Bulan.

The PRDP-GEF MPA and microenterprise subprojects will be implemented in four targeted sites in Sorsogon including the P4.33 million-worth Community-Based Coastal Ecosystem Protection and Biodiversity Conservation in Matnog, Sorsogon, the P3.33 million-worth Magallanes Fish Sanctuary and Marine Reserve Rehabilitation in Magallanes, Sorsogon, the P3.18 million-worth Rehabilitation of Butag Bay Fish Sanctuary and Marine Reserve in Bulan, Sorsogon and the P4.75 million-worth Bantigue Marine Reserve and Fish Sanctuary Protection and Reservation in Pilar, Sorsogon.

Funds for these subprojects came from the P287 million-worth grant from the PRDP-Global Environment Facility (GEF), one of the World Bank Group’s trust-funded programs, that aims to contribute to biodiversity conservation and strengthen the coastal and marine resource base in the country. ###(Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-RAFIS V)