DENR marks May as ‘The Month of the Oceans’

San Fernando, Pampanga—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched recently the observance of the Month of the Oceans an occasion underscoring the richness of the Philippine seas and the vast opportunities that they can provide for the sustenance of life on earth. This year’s theme is "The Philippines, One Vast Sea of Opportunities."

Representatives from various government agencies, local government units and the private sector joined in the celebration, presenting a unified front in raising public awareness on the need to protect the oceans and coastal areas from destructive elements.

Regidor De Leon, executive director of DENR in Central Luzon, appealed for public support and cooperation in the protecting the oceans and coastal areas from destructive elements.

He emphasized the potential contribution of the Philippine waters to propel the socioeconomic development of Central Luzon and the entire country.

"Our oceans cover about 70 percent of this planet. We can only imagine the richness of our marine resources and the countless benefits they bring us if only we learn to manage them sustainably," he said.

Remigio Atabay, regional technical director for research, said the observance of the Month of the Oceans provides an effective avenue for establishing meaningful private-public sector partnership and firming up action plans for sustainably managing our marine resources.

Central Luzon has four coastal provinces, namely Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales and Aurora covering about 336 coastal barangay with a combined coastline of about 800 kilometers. Thousands of marginal and commercial fishermen and their families rely on these marine resources for livelihood.

De Leon said Central Luzon’s remaining mangrove forest protect our shorelines from strong winds and waves during typhoons, and serve as important spawning grounds and nurseries for fish, crabs, shrimps, and other marine life. Citing DENR records, he reported that the country’s mangrove forests has dwindled from a high of about 450,000 hectares in the early 1900s to only about 112,000 hectares today.

Mangrove forests produce more than half a ton of fish per hectare a year, or about 107, 610 metric tons on fish annually. Central Luzon’s remaining mangrove forest is placed at about 994 hectares producing an estimated 600 tons of fish annually.

DENR records show that the region’s biggest concentration of mangrove forest is in the province of Aurora with 223 hectares, followed by Pampanga with 215 hectares, and Zambales with 157 hectares. — Benny Enriquez