#pamanaka

[goharibon]

The popular coral reefs of Mabini, Batangas might have been vastly different today... 

From 1989 to 1995 communities worked to reduce illegal fishing as Haribon assisted in establishing the Twin Rocks Marine Sanctuary marine protected area or MPA. This was also made possible with the assistance of the local government of Mabini, NGOs and the academe. 

We recently visited Mang Johnny Veloso of the Twin Rocks MPA, holding the accolades they've kept as one of the best-managed MPAs in the country, protecting the waters we all enjoy. 

We must continue to strengthen MPAs and increase the area covered by protection to reach 30%, the proportion of marine protected areas that will sustain long-term marine biodiversity. 

[goharibon]

Who keeps our corals & seas protected?

A group of fisherfolk involved in protecting and managing 122 marine sanctuaries nationwide in the Philippines.

Pamana Ka members are fishers who volunteer to work as fish wardens, or guardians of municipal marine sanctuaries. In addition to the risks and the threat of imprisonment from often more powerful illegal fishers, fish wardens do not have salaries. Together, we have formed a force to counter the threats of commercial fishers, illegal fishing and others.

In 1998, a group of community-based sanctuary managers from some parts of the Visayas, gathered in Bohol to form an alliance through the efforts of Project Seahorse & the Haribon Foundation.

A year later, PAMANA KA SA PILIPINAS was organized and registered to the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippine Government.

PAMANA KA = Pambansang Alyansa Ng Mga Maliliit Na Mangingisda at Komunidad na Nangangalaga ng Karagatan at Sanktwaryo sa Pilipinas or National Alliance of Community-based Marine Protected Area Managers or PAMANA Ka (Heritage).

Celebrate 18 years of "behind the seas" work of PAMANA Ka Sa Pilipinas today, March 16.

PAMANA Ka Sa Pilipinas acknowledges the valuable support of its catalysts - the civil society organizations and the academe in its member sites in Luzon, Visayas, & Mindanao:

Luzon Tambuyog Development Center Bicol University Tabaco Campus UP CSWCD UP Marine Science Institute All barangay and municipal LGUs of each MPAs

Visayas ZSL Philippines & Project Seahorse Foundation LIPASECU DA-BFAR Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Visayas State University PhilDHRRA Silliman University Tambuyog Development Center Guiuan Development Foundation, Inc. All barangay and municipal LGUs of each MPAs

Mindanao Pipuli Foundation DA-BFAR DENR Green Mindanao Surigao Economic Development Foundation Inc. Center for Empowerment and Resource Development,Inc. (CERD) Mindanao State University Main Campus All barangay and municipal LGUs of each MPAs