TACLOBAN CITY—Fish sanctuaries in Eastern Samar destroyed by Supertyphoon Yolanda in November 2013 will soon get funding for the rehabilitation, almost four years after storm hit the province.
The Philippine Rural Development Project’s (PRDP) Advisory Board in Eastern Visayas recently approved for funding support proposals to rehabilitate fish sanctuaries in some identified Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of that coast. The Board’s approval was, however, subject to subsequent compliance by the proponents of certain requirements, particularly on ensuring availability of their financial equity.
The RPAB provides guidance, reviews and approves subprojects for funding under the PRDP. The exact amount of funding support for the project has yet to be determined.
DA Regional Field Office-8 Executive Director U-Nichols A. Manalo said the funds will give relief to local officials and fishing communities in several towns along Guiuan coast whose marine-sanctuary projects remains damaged due to lack of funds to rehabilitate them.
“Funds shall be taken from the Global Environmental Facility [GEF], part of the package under the PRDP. It is intended for the protection of coastal and marine resource base in preidentified priority areas by preserving biodiversity and promoting fisheries resource management,” Manalo said.
The GEF is backed by a financial grant from the World Bank in the amount of $7 million, or almost P350 million.
Among the Eastern Samar towns that will benefit from the funds include Guiuan, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Salcedo and Lawaan, all of which were included within the so-called Yolanda corridor.
“Region 8 is one of the few regions prioritized to be supported under the GEF,” Manalo said. “We need to fully maximize this opportunity to promote sustainable MPAs, which will benefit primarily our fishing communities along that coast.”
Ulysses Triambulo, a specialist at the PRDP National Project Coordination Office, said the GEF support is aimed at preserving biodiversity and strengthening the coastal and marine resources of the areas covered by the project through enhanced institutional and planning capacities of local government units and communities, provision of support to MPAs and sharing of knowledge and practices.
Concesa Abuda, a fishery technician from Guiuan, said it is important for fishermen to reestablish marine sanctuaries in different municipalities because catch within the bay has already dwindled due to destructive fishing practices in the area.
“We aim at intensifying our marine resources conservation effort,” Abuda said. “When fish sanctuaries were established, along with certain local initiatives on marine protection, we have noticed significant improvements, most important of which is the increased fish catch, from fishing done only nearby.”
Abuda said the destructive fishing practices done before brought severe damage to the corals, resulting to dwindled fish catch and forcing small local fishermen to fish too far from the shoreline. She said this makes fishing a costly and risky livelihood source for small fishermen.
“The support we will be getting from the PRDP GEF will surely go a long way in terms of preserving our marine resources, and uplifting the living condition of our fishing people. Also, it will help boost our locality’s tourism potential,” she said.