Education pushed to preserve, protect environment, marine life

DAUIS, BOHOL, Philippines  - The environmental group RARE and Mayor Leoncio Evasco of Maribojoc town have batted for an unrelenting education and advocacy campaign for environmental preservation and protection, particularly marine and coastal areas.

Also being pushed was the shifting of social and behavioral patterns of stakeholders toward environmental preservation for sustainability and food security.

These were the concerns aired during a press conference recently this week by Evasco and RARE officials, led by their chief executive officer and president Brett Jenks, held at Lawis Park, beside the centuries-old church of this town.

RARE is a "U. S. based conservation organization that works globally to equip people in the world's most threatened natural areas with the tools and motivation they need to care for their natural resources."

The group, with the participation of local counterparts, including those assisting the preservation of Mabaw Reef within the city's coastal area led by Venal Edquilag, visited another pilot marine protected area (MPA) of Hambongan sanctuary in Inabanga town and the Mabaw Reef.

RARE has applied social marketing strategy and capacity-building to local folk to change their behavior that would help reduce, if not eradicate, harmful ways in fishing, such as dynamite, which destroy the spawning grounds of marine life.

RARE said it is currently working with local conservation leaders representing communities in 12 towns around the country, and supporting grassroots campaigns to reduce over-fishing that would improve the livelihood of coastal residents.

Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim, for his part, said he had taken steps in protecting whatever is left of the Mabaw Reef marine sanctuary, by creating a technical working group, chaired by City Councilor Doni Piquero, for the reef's protection and conservation.

Recently, an awareness drive was launched "designed to further increase the awareness of people for Mabaw Reef as a no-take zone and to encourage all Tagbilaranons, especially those in the coastal areas, to support the maintenance and enhancement of the reef's condition." (FREEMAN)