Philippines As the Centre of the Centre of Global Marine Biodiversity

A.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.Introduction

Philippines as the centre of the centre of global marine biodiversity

Scientists refer to the 7,107 islands that make up the Philippines as the “center of the center” of global marine biodiversity. Its waters are home to whales, dolphins, 50 species of sea horses and over 2,000 species fish, including the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. Marine resources are also critical to the food security and livelihoods of Filipinos, as fish provide over 50% of their protein and support the livelihoods of millions of fishers and fish-related industries throughout the country. The Philippines is located in the Coral Triangle, a vast region in Southeast Asia made up of 18,500 islands and 647 million hectares of ocean. It is often referred to as the “nursery of the seas” because of the more than 500 species of coral and hundreds of thousands of hectares of sea grass and coastal mangrove forests that shelter and sustain a level of marine diversity unmatched anywhere on the planet.

Species and Habitat under Complex Threats

Today, however the global center of marine biodiversity is under extreme pressure. Over 40% of the reef and mangroves in the region have disappeared in the last40 years. Near-shore overfishing is a serious threat to these natural resources, and reversing the effects will require a significant change in human behavior. Less than five percent of the Philippines’ coral reef ecosystems are still in pristine health, and in some fishing grounds, biomass is less than 10% of what it was 50 years ago. Most near-shore fishing is conducted by subsistence fishers in coastal communities although illegal intrusions by commercial fishers into municipal waters are cause for concern.

A Campaign to Transform the Context

Developing local approaches to addressing the threat of overfishing is increasingly recognized as vital to long-term economic and environmental sustainability in the region. The vision behind this plan, and the current cohort of 12 campaign developed under the Rare Pride Program in the Philippines, is to facilitate true community buy and ownership of the local Marine Protected Areas building on the tools developed in 20 years of experience in MPA management in the Philippines and combining it with the Rare Pride Methodology for social marketing. Through this strategy the objective is to get the local fishers population as well as the wider community in the Barangays surrounding the MPA to take ownership in and understand the benefit of no-take-areas and support essential management activities such as enforcement and governance of the MPA.

Cohort Theory of change: a strategy for change

In order to eliminate the principle threat of overfishing and destructive fishing the governance and enforcement infrastructures of the no-take-zone (NTZ) at 12 sites in the Philippines will be strengthened via a proven self-assessment and planning tool, the Participatory Coastal Resources Assessment tool (PCRA). Key target audiences (local fishers and gleaners; the local community, the MPA enforcement team and local LGU officials) will be informed of the benefits of the No Take Zone (NTZ), the rules of the sanctuary, and the processes for becoming more engaged in the MPA management committee. Fishers and gleaners will come to believe in MPA as a tool for food security, and will support new reporting structures for arrests and prosecution of intruders. The conservation results will include increased perceived fish catch, increases in fish numbers and species richness, increase in invertebrates, and increase in coral reef health.

2.UsonBuangPongcoBonga Campaign Theory of Change

Theory of Change:

K + A + IC + BR BC TR CR

Theory of Change narrative:

Theory of Change narrative: In order to reduce the threat of increased incidence of intrusion and fishing inside the MPA NTZ, the target audiences comprised of fishers &costal residents from Uson, Buang and PongoBongawill (primary TA), and organized groups and key LGU employees (secondary/BR groups the campaign will work with) from will be made aware of the benefits of having an NTZ as well as the rules and regulations with regard to the NTZ.

The behavior change will become evident when the MPA rules are actively enforced leading to an increase in arrests and prosecutions of intruders into the MPA. Also, the fishers are encouraged to voluntarily comply with MPA rules. This will result in reduced fishing in the MPA and increased sustainable fishing gears such as hook and line.

In the end, the campaign’s impact will be measured by significant changes (knowledge, attitudes and behavior), increased coral reef health, increased fish numbers/biomass/species richness, increased invertebrate numbers /species richness and fishers’, andincreased perceived fish catch.

The campaign will be successful if the live hard coral cover and fish density increase by 10 percent by July 2012 (compared to baseline from May 2011).Shifts from negative attitudes that sees MPAs as a restriction on their livelihood and fishing shift to perception of the MPA as a food security “bank of the sea” that brings benefits to the whole community and future generations in the form of dividends of increased fish catch around the MPA.

3.Site summary

(This section corresponds to the site summary created during the first University Phase. Please revise it, noting that a few minor changes have been made to the information required, and insert it here)

Project Name

Project Name / UsonBuangPongcoBonga Fish Sanctuary and Marine Reserve
Project Data Effective Date / 2011-06-12

Project Scope and Vision

Scope/Site Name / Bgy. Uson
Scope/Site Description / A 46.25-hectare “No Take Zone” in Bacacay, Albay established and supported by the Local Government Unit in keeping with its being a DENR declared a Priority Marine Protection Area for its being a migratory path of whalesharks,tuna, reef fishes, and other marine species.
Vision Statement Text / A model learning site that showcases the many different benefits of having a balanced coastal and marine ecosystem that is well-managed by its stakeholders with institutionalized and functioning systems.

Biodiversity Features

Biodiversity Area / Amount of hectares in site / Municipal waters: 165,000 has; coastline: 143 km; 45.63 NTZ; land area of Municipality 616 has; area of MPA: 11,220 has; fishery reserve: 453.25 has
Biodiversity Background /

An overview of the area’s biodiversity, including ecosystem types and an estimate for species richness for as many groups as possible (refer to data from similar sites where need be).
List any recent research on the site’s biodiversity (provide full references for all work in last decade).
Provide a list of vegetation types, including the main types of woodland, grassland and similar communities, and cultivated land, indicating whether any are of particular conservation interest.
Provide a list of introduced species. Where possible, include English, local, and scientific nomenclature, and indicate whether the species is causing any problems and to what extent.
Provide information on other species of special interest (perhaps they are taxonomically unique in some way, are valuable for medical or other purposes), potential flagship species, etc.

Biodiversity Features

An overview of the area’s biodiversity, including ecosystem types and an estimate for species richness for as many groups as possible (refer to data from similar sites where need be).
List any recent research on the site’s biodiversity (provide full references for all work in last decade).
Provide a list of vegetation types, including the main types of woodland, grassland and similar communities, and cultivated land, indicating whether any are of particular conservation interest.
Provide a list of introduced species. Where possible, include English, local, and scientific nomenclature, and indicate whether the species is causing any problems and to what extent.
Provide information on other species of special interest (perhaps they are taxonomically unique in some way, are valuable for medical or other purposes), potential flagship species, etc.

/ 1.Reef: 3 sites 38.8 % live coral cover having acropora and non-acropora spp., presence of Halimeda spp. (algae); tridacna; seagrass and mangroves (no status assessment
2. Fish census 9/25/01 by BFAR
Benthic lifeform assessment 9/25/01 by BFAR
3. Mangrove spp dominated by Bakauanspp (Rhizoporaapiculata; coconut, pandanspp locally called karagomoy
4. no noted introduced spp.
Labridaefamily are present in good quantity. Reef fishes also present. They are important in aquarium fish trade
Protected Area Categories / What is the status of the protected area? What are the main threats to the area? / Declared FSMR Municipal Ordinance No. 107 s. 2002
Legal Status / Information about the various legal statutes and regulations relevant to your site and the wildlife that live there. / Priority Marine Resources Conservation (having been part of Albay Gulf) as declared by DENR in 1997 for reef fishes, whaleshark, tuna, elasmobranchs
Legislative Context / List all the formal legal instruments which relate to your site (“soft” and “hard”): International Conventions your country has signed on to, special international designations it might boast (e.g., a World Heritage Site, Man and Biosphere Reserve), any relevant national and local conservation-related legislation, and deeds of public/private ownership of your site. As you do so, give them a score from 1-5 according to how effective you think they presently are (with 1=not effective and 5=very effective). /

Ramsar, IUCN, CBD, Coral triangle
RA 8550-Fisheries Code of the Philippines
Albay Provincial Environment Code of 2002
Ordinance No. 107 s 2002 by LGU Bacacay

Physical Description / Description of the site; is it mountainous, forested, coral reef, etc. Topographical information of the site. Climatic information of the site. / Rolling and undulating terrain, Type II climate Rainy season from October to January and dry season from February to September. Average temperature is 22 degrees Celsius on rainy wet and 27.07 degrees Celsius on wet season.
Biological Description / Biological description of the site that has not been discussed elsewhere and that you want to have in your reports. / Nine islets: Bogias, Pagliswican, Umagob, Masaginsin, Tumarab, Langaton, and two islands in Namanday and CAGRARAY where the MPA is located.
There are five mangrove species identified and existing in the municipality. A total of 136.55 ha is devoted to aquaculture ponds. Seagrass patches located in Uson and Tambilagao area. Algae and seaweeds also present in Uson. Green algae locally known as lato are found in Nahapunan, Bariw and Damacan, all of Sula Channel. Eucheuma culture known as gulaman can be grown in Namanday, Tambilagao, Cagbulacao, Busdac and Buang.
Socio-Economic Information / Description of the economy at the site. Make a list of all the living and non-living resources that are presently being extracted from your site. Where possible, give some measure of the value of these products in local currency (per item, kilo, bundle, etc.). As a way of putting these numbers into a meaningful context, indicate how much a laborer would normally be paid by the hour or for a day’s work. / Fishery dependent population based on LGU existing data (2010). Mat weaving is an alternative source of income. Average mat production is two mats per day per person at 100 pesos per mat sold in the City of Tabaco. A laborer is paid some 250 pesos for a day’s work. Deep sea fishers on the average get 10 kilos per fishing effort, shallow water fishers get two kilos per fishing effort.
Historical Description / Brief overview of the history of the site. Do other countries contest it? Has it been logged? When was it made into a protected area? Was the site once part of a colony? / It was founded in 1649. It was made into Protected Area in 2002. It was not logged, original vegetation remains. No huge trees since upland is dependent on rain. Not farmed either.
Cultural Description / Description of the main cultural groups at or near the site. What religions are practiced? Are the people a minority group within the country? Are there any cultural traditions that you need to know in order to be able to work in the site, for example, special holidays, or beliefs about how the site should be treated? / Native Bicolanos who speak Bicol inhabit the area. Majority is Roman Catholic. Feast Day is every August 16th.
Access Information / Description of how to access the site (by boat only? By car using what roads, etc). Give times when access is harder or easier due to things like rainy season or winters. / Access is only by boat. Difficult to access during northeast monsoon. From Tabaco City there is daily trip to Uson at 12.00 noon. The boat leaves the next day for Tabaco City Port located in Bgy. San Roque.
Visitation Information / Details on what someone should know in order to visit the site, for example where they should originate their trip, or who might rent them a boat. / They must start trip from Legazpi City. They then must take a bus to Tabaco City then form Tabaco City take a tricycle to Bgy San Roque where the port to Uson is located. Chartered trips may be arranged with Mike Basallote
CurrentLand Uses / Information about land tenure and land use at the site. / Predominantly agricultural; Alienable and disposable with patches of timberland along the villages outside the site e.g. Salvacion
Management Resources / Description of the management structure, resources, organizations, roles, and any other information relevant to management of the site. / The Local Government Unit of Bacacay at the Municipal level assumes over-all management on the FSMR. The Mayor is directly supported by the Mun. Adricultural Officer-PioCaneso who has oversight function on the FSMR Management Council. The Management Council is supported by four functional units: Fishery Law Enforcement Team, Surveillance Team; Sanctuary Maintenance; and Monitoring and Evaluation. The latter is manned by LGU, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other government entities like the DENR.

IUCN Red-list Species

Red-List Species / Enter the common and scientific names of any species at your site that are listed by IUCN Red Data list and give a brief explanation of why they are listed and what their current status is. / Tridacna sp.- giant clam ( Critically endangered due to overharvesting)
Cheloniamydas-Green sea turtles ( Endangered due to habitat destruction; entangled in fish nets and hunted for meat)
Rhincodontypus- whaleshark (Endangered due to strandings)
Tuna spp.- threatened due to overharvesting or overfishing

Other Notable Species

Other Notable Species / Common and scientific names of other important species at your site such as endemic species, keystone species, commercial species. / Wrasse fish (“Mameng” in Filipino and“Bukhawon”in the MPA village (subject to validation as to what particular species hence, no scientific name yet)
Pandan spp. Endemic to the site used for mat weaving

Location and Topography

Project Latitude / The latitude of your project site using numbers between -90 degrees and 90 degrees. / 13°13’-13° 22’
Project Longitude / The longitude of your project site using numbers between -180 degrees and 180 degrees. / 123°42’-123°57’
Country/Countries / The country/countries of your site. / PHILIPPINES
States/Provinces / The name(s) of the states and/or provinces where your site is located. / ALBAY
Municipalities / The name(s) of the municipally/municipalitieswhere your site is located. / BACACAY
Legislative Districts / The name(s) of the legislative districts where your site is located. / FIRST DISTRICT OF ALBAY
Location Details / A textual narrative about the location. / Bacacay occupies the eastern slope of Mayon Volcano, in Southeast of LUZON ISLANDS, PHILIPPINES descending to the lowlands facing the Pacific Ocean. The town lies on the eastern part of the Province of Albay and includes the island of Cagraray I, it is bounded on the north by Tabaco Bay on the south by the Municipality of Sto. Domingo and Albay Gulf; on the East by Lagonoy Gulf and on the West by the Municipality of Malilipot.
Site Map Reference / Paste a GoogleMaps URL into this box ( by locating your site on Google Maps, then click “Link” to have the map of your site referenced. /
Comments / Any additional information about your site’s location that has not been included above, but you think you will need to be included in your site summary. / Average fish catch per fishing effort of motorized outrigger boat: 10 kilos
Average fish catch per fishing effort of non-motorized boat: 2 kilos

Human Stakeholders

Human Stakeholder Population Size / Total number of people who live within the target site. / 3,036 individuals, 535 Households but total population of Albay Gulf fishers:343,269 in 2007 from SUMACORE, Inc.
Social Context / Additional information on population, including demographic, geographic, etc. / Albay Gulf: declared Priority Site for Marine Conservation by DENR in 1997.

Stakeholder Matrix (Project Team)

Given Name / Surname / Resource ID / Organization / Position / Roles / Email / Phone
Given name / Surname / Initials or nickname / Name of the organization this person works for / Job title or work description (i.e. fisher, stakeholder) / Team member, project leader, stakeholder, project advisor, etc. / Email address / Cell and office phone numbers
Eduardo / Castelo / Ed / MFARMC / Chair / Stakeholder / 09128939583
Pio / Caneso / Pio / Mun. Agric. Office / Mun. Agriculturist / Project advisor / 052-5583243
Danny / Barotilla / Danny / LGU-Pongco-Bonga / Bgy. Capt. / stakeholder
Gina / Bustamante / Gina / Buang / Buang / stakeholder
Manuel / Basallote / Manny / LGU-Uson / -do- / Team member / 09198686860
Maria Lourdes / Achero / Malou / MAO-LGU Bacacay / Agric. Technician / 09166962307
Joselin Marcus / Fragada / RED Marc / DENR V / RED- Regional Executive Director / Supervisor / / 052-4820691
Felix / Mendoza / Felix / DENR PAWCZMS V / Regional Technical Director / -do- / / 09175094970
Mafe / Reganit / Pot / -do- / Science Res. Assistant / TWG DENR member
Arnel / Boholst / Arnel / LGU Bacacay / President, MFAMMC Bicol Region / Advisor
Fr. Efren / Bantog / Fr. Efren / SOLT-Bgy. Cabasan / Parish Priest
Myrna / Baylon / Mina / DENR PAWCZMS / Sr. EMS / TWG-DENR member / 053-4820269

Organization Matrix

Name / Role(s) / Given Name / Surname / Email / Phone
Name of organization that may be involved or integral to the success of the Pride campaign / Role that this organization might play in the Pride campaign / Primary contact’s given name / Primary contact’s surname / Email address / Cell and office phone numbers
AKO Bicol Partylist / Legislation, lobbying in Congress
Source of supplemental funds for Barrier Removal Strategies / Atty. Rodel
Atty. Pido
Christopher / Batocabe
Garbin
Co / / c/o Rey Kallos
09324359666
LGU-Provincial Government of Albay / Source of fund; legislation support and tourism promotion / Gov. Joey / Salceda /
[email protected] / (052) 481 2555.  (052) 480 3444
Diocese of Legazpi / Barrier Removal Strategy (Mat making and Grameen banking) / Rev. Fr. Ramon “Fr. Monching” / Segubiense / / Phone:+63 52 8205302 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
+63 52 820-5302end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Telefax: +63 52 481-2384

Audience