DLSU studes to do workshop with Bantayan fisherfolk

CEBU, Philippines - To teach people the importance of management of marine protected area and its impact, students from De LaSalle University-Manila, in cooperation with the local Batas Kalikasan (The Law of Nature) Foundation, will hold a capacity building workshop on Marine Protected Area (MPA) Management for coastal communities in Bantayan Island.

The two-day workshop/training, which will start tomorrow, aims to strengthen the management skills of the local communities who are in charge of protecting their respective MPAs.

The activity will be held at a camp in Sta. Fe beach. It will be hosted by three Organizational Communication students of DLSU, working together with the said foundation, which pilots marine conservation projects in the Visayas.

“Currently, they have been able to build 13 successful MPA in key areas within the Visayas Region, but there are still raising concerns that the foundation still wants to address in ensuring the sustainability of these built MPAs, and this is the need to strengthen the management skills of the local communities who are in charge of protecting their respective MPAs,” the group said.

The beneficiary communities would be Barangays Sillion, Tamiao Diego, Rebusit, Kabac and Baod.

The workshop encompasses seminars on climate change, MPA issues, and action planning. It will also include workshops on alternative livelihood, solid waste management, sustainable tourism, and leadership training. (FREEMAN)