“Kung ano ang kaya ng lalake, kaya rin ng babae (If men can, so can women)”, said Mary Jane Acosta member of Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Barangay Tinitian during the community dialogue on May 24 for the World Bank’s sixth Implementation Support Mission to the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) South Luzon Cluster.

For Acosta and other women members, no type of work is too hard to accomplish for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) marine protected area (MPA) rehabilitation and microenterprise (MEP) subprojects in Roxas, Palawan.

During the said dialogue, Hanane Ahmed, World Bank Economist commended the large number of women participating in the GEF subprojects in the municipality of Roxas namely, SMMT Green Grouper Culture Project in Brgy. Tinititan, Grouper Culture in Floating Net Cage in Brgy. San Miguel, Community Based Green Grouper Livelihood Support Project, and Live Green Grouper Production in Brgy. Caramay. She noted that the municipality of Roxas has the highest women involvement in the GEF sites of the cluster compared with the other areas that the World Bank team visited for the past two years. In total, the four subprojects have 81 active female members.

Gilda Parangue, member of the Barangay San Miguel Fisherfolk Association (BSMFA), also shared that their involvement in the subprojects is empowering particularly to the women members. “Kaming po mga babae ay gumagawa rin ng lambat. Tumutulong kami sa mga gawain kahit sa paggawa ng fish cage. Kami po ang nagluluto, nagpapamerienda sa mga members. At kayang kaya rin po namin magbuhat ng kawayan tulad ng ginagawa ng mga kalalakihan (The female members help in making fish cages and fish nets. We also prepare meals for the members and help lessen tasks normally done by men like carrying bamboos)”, Parangue proudly presented their contributions to establish the floating fish cages for the grouper culture.

Moreover, Acosta sees their participation in the GEF subprojects not only as an additional source of income for her family but also as a learning experience especially in protecting the marine protected area. The PRDP South Luzon Project Support Office conducted technical training sessions for the proponent groups to equip them on grouper culture and enterprise operations.

Mary Ann Catalan, Chairperson of Barangay San Miguel and an active female member of the BSMFA also took the opportunity to voice-out their request for more technical training sessions to ensure subprojects’ success. In particular, they are eager to learn more on climate resiliency, water salinity, and disease treatment. “It is very important because this will evoke their [PGs] understanding and love for the project,” Catalan stated. The PRDP management and the LGU assured technical assistance will be provided to further capacitate the PGs.

Catalan also stated their willingness to help secure the MPAs from opportunists that might use illegal fishing methods. The PGs now practice buddy-buddy system in guarding the fish cages 24/7.

At the last day of the 6^th World Bank Mission, Frauke Jungbluth, World Bank Task Team Leader, lauded the achievements of the PRDP-GEF in the cluster. “I like to appreciate how far you came, because you struggled most. GEF was always handicapped by something. Considering that, you made huge progress,” she said.

The World Bank team visited four out of seven GEF subproject sites in the municipality for the sixth Mission. Each grouper culture subproject is expected to raise 3,600 fingerlings in their first year of operations then additional one module of cage with 1200 fingerlings during each succeeding year. ### (Rio Christine Bustamante, DA-PRDP South Luzon PSO InfoACE Unit)

Mary Jane Acosta, member of Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Barangay Tinitian, expresses her commitment to the SMMT Green Grouper Culture Project in their barangay. (Photo by Leira Vic Colongon)