Cebu to benefit from ADB loan for coastal resources

The province of Cebu is among the priority marine diversity corridors and ecosystems to benefit from the US$62.32 million fund to address the degradation of marine and coastal resources.

According to a press release, the said amount is an Asian Development Bank assisted loan project by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to develop a national program on coastal and marine resources management.

Other priority provinces are Cagayan, Davao Oriental, Masbate, Siquijor and Zambales.

According to DENR, fish yield had declined in the following areas and as well as other parts of the Philippines due to several factors. Habitat destruction and conversion was identified as one concern as mangrove areas give way to other land use.

According to Simeon Rosel of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, mangroves play a great role in the food chain as well as in the preservation of quality air.

Rosel was DENR-7’s representative in yesterday’s mangrove planting activity of for the 33rd Founding Anniversary of Trans Asia Lines officers and staffs in the coastal barangay of Colon in the industrial town of Naga.

The mangrove’s leaves, Rosel said, upon falling down to the waters will be shredded as food by shrimps and crabs as well as the small fishes termed as detritus.

These small fishes will become food for the bigger fishes and other marine animals which will in turn becomes food to man.

Rosel explained to the employees of the shipping industry that the roots of the mangroves also serve as meeting, mating and some even breeding places of fishes.

However mangroves were noted to have declined at a faster rate of 2,000 hectares annually.

It was learned that from about 4,5000 0square kilometers in 1918, mangrove forests have decreased to just 1,380 square kilometers in 1990’s.

Coastal poverty was aggravated by decreasing fish catch which in turn affect the income of the fisherfolk.

Under the integrated coastal management program coastal resources in the identified provinces will be assessed first for the formulation of a local database to be incorporated into the national database.

The project targets about 7,000 hectares nationwide for mangrove management improvement and 2,000 hectares for reforestation.

DENR, according to Rosel said, welcomes private entities to participate in the repair of coastal resources through mangrove plantation even before the actual implementation of the government program.

The barangay of Colon was identified by CENRO as one of the areas for rehabilitation and then adopted by Trans-Asia.

Trans-Asia president Arthur Kenneth Sy said, their business operates in the waters so it is expected their concern will also be for its protection. — Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP