Salonga Center goes green
September 12, 2008

The Jovito Salonga Center for Law and Development with the joint initiative of the Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM) has launched its project, Environmental Governance 2 (EcoGov2).

“EcoGov2 is about establishing a network of marine protected areas (MPA) in the southern part Negros Oriental. Four municipalities with marine protected areas are involved in the project, namely, Dauin, Zamboanguita, Siaton, and Basay”, Project Leader Portia Joy Kleiven said.

“If a marine protected area network is established, enforcement becomes easier, the LGU’s can share the expenses, it becomes more economical, and the management and enforcement in the MPA’s becomes more efficient because the municipalities can monitor each other”, Kleiven added.

According to the Indefinite Quantity Contract of EcoGov2, the Coastal Resources Management (CRM) sector of the project also seeks to reduce illegal and destructive fishing and at the same time regulate fishing effort through the improvement of coastal management practices and the strengthening of marine sanctuaries.

“More than just legal enforcement aspect, there is also the biological aspect. For example if there are larva in one MPA, then the larva can also drift into the other protected areas and breed and hatch there”, said Kleiven.

The team is currently conducting a series of seminars, lectures, trainings and planning and writing workshops which started last April to help the local government units formulate, refine, and review their CRM plans. They are also teaching the local community on how to survey the fish and corrals.

“The ultimate goal is for the MPAs to be established so that the communities can do it on their own without our assistance. We would also like them to formulate a memorandum of agreement with each other so that they can give each other mutual support and help each other in the research, monitoring, and legal enforcement of their MPAs”, said Kleiven.

“Other than the environmental and legal aspect, we are also assisting the LGUs formulate a fiscal/financial plan to help them formulate the budget of their CRM plan”, said Mikhail Lee Maxino, Director of the Salonga Center.

EcoGov2 has also undertaken assistance from resource persons outside of the Salonga Center and SUACKREM. Last June 25, Ms. Camille Alilaen, a high school student of the Antonian College Preparatory High School in San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. doing her internship work in Dumaguete City, spoke before barangay captains, councilmen and the local community of Basay on her perspectives of what a community is and why it is important.

Meanwhile, last August 13-15, Police Inspector Rogelio Pineda Jr., spoke during a workshop in Siaton on Coastal Law Enforcement; teaching the local community on criminal and administrative procedure in making arrests, patrolling, surveillance and intelligence. He also discussed the handling of evidence, case preparation, and other legal issues such as constitutional rights and jurisdictional issues. The workshop ended with the creation of a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding creating a single network of inter-LGU coastal enforcement adopting an integrated, multi-sectoral approach to coastal law enforcement.

EcoGov2 is funded by the United States Agency for International Development. (By Donna Amethyst R. Bernardo, with reports from Marie Rochelle Bacay)