CASE STUDY OF THE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS OF

THE MUNICIPALITY OF MABINI, BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES

By

Engr. Harthwell C. Capistrano

MSEM

Presented to

Dr. Ramon M. Docto

ESC 209: Protected Area Management
Graduate School
College of Sciences
Palawan State University
Puerto Princesa City

October 21, 2016

 Table of the Contents

I. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................3
I. BACKGROUND OF PROTECTED AREA........................................................................................5
II. EXISTING MANAGEMENT STYLE OF THE PAs..........................................................................8
III. ISSUES AND CONCERNS................................................................................................................9
IV. ACTION PLAN................................................................................................................................10
V. RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................................................10
VI. REFERENCES..................................................................................................................................10
I. INTRODUCTION

In South East Asia, Philippines is composed of 7,107 islands and is one of the worlds
centers of marine biodiversity and multitaxa marine endemism (Roberts et al. 2002). Largely
surrounded by great bodies of waters, marine ecosystem is flourishing with diverse aquatic life.
Industrialization in the country including increase of human population and migration, tourist
arrivals and a lot more threatened this ecosystem. In order to address the threat, Philippine
Government has declared these as protected areas.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Biodiversity

Management Bureau under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of
1992, as of 2012, there are 240 protected areas in the Philippines covering a total area of 35,700
square kilometers 11.9% of the Philippines total land area. The number will increase once E-
Nipas Act will become a law.

The Municipality of Mabini in Batangas Province, Philippines has a number of Marine

Protected Areas. These MPAs had been experiencing specific problems on equity, lack of
community and government will and participation, lack of capacity and confidence management
of the local committees and organizations, and financial difficulties.

This Case Study will look into how these were managed and how the local government
unit, including the local residents, nongovernment organizations and other stakeholders work to
improve these marine protected areas. Furthermore, we will look into factors that greatly
impacted how stakeholders cooperate for common interests to further protect these natural
resources and to prevent further damage and continual degradation.

The greatest challenge among stakeholders of these protected areas is how they can
sustain all the available resources for their benefit and for the next generation to come, avoiding
conflict of interests, and ensuring continual protection of these key areas.
II. BACKGROUND OF PROTECTED AREAs

Around three hours away from Metro Manila, Mabini is a first class municipality in the
province of Batangas with coordinates of 1343N 12054E. It is located on the Calumpan
Peninsula along the southwestern edge of Luzon, and is surrounded on both sides by two major
bays; Balayan Bay to the north and western side of the peninsula and Batangas Bay to the east.

Figure 1 Batangas Province Map

In 1991, through its municipal ordinance, Mabini Marine Reserve was established
covering the entire coastline of barangays Bagalangit and San Teodoro to a distance of 700
metres from the shore, and the creation of three marine sanctuaries located along the
 southwesterly facing tip of Mabini in the barangays of Bagalangit and San Teodoro; Cathedral
Rock (22.9 ha), Arthurs Rock (17.9 ha), and Twin Rocks (15.3 ha).

These three sanctuaries were declared no-fishing zones, although non-destructive fishing
methods were allowed in other parts of the area. Previously, diving and snorkeling were also
prohibited within the sanctuaries, but due to the importance of the dive industry, the restriction
was never enforced as strictly as the no-fishing regulations.

Each sanctuary has a dive resort on the coastline within its coastal boundaries and diving
is allowed within the MPAs provided that they pay a user fee. Funds collected will be to protect
and manage these protected areas.

The initial creation and management of Cathedral Rock and Arthurs Rock was influenced
heavily by their two dive resorts, Dive 700 and Arthurs Place respectively, although the initial
management of Twin Rocks was much more the responsibility of the local fishing village of
Balanoy.

Municipality of Mabini

Figure 2 Batangas Coastal Map

 In 1970s, fishermen in the municipality were able to catch more than 10kgs of fish per
day, however after 10 years, the situation has changed when commercial fishers encroached the
area with illegal and destructive fishing methods. Coral reefs in the area were heavily destroyed
and degraded as results of blast fishing and anchorage of commercial fishing boats.

Haribon Foundation, an NGO, came to Mabini and introduced the concept of MPA. This
was mainly for the marine ecosystem to recover, most especially for the fishing stocks to recoup
and grow. Fishing would only be allowed outside the designated boundary of the MPA.

Initially there were apprehensions from the local fishing community, because they felt
restricted towards the plan, however, after long series of awareness building and consultation, the
perception had changed. Twin Rocks was established as the first marine sanctuary in 1991.

Figure 3 The corals in Batangas Bay

 III. EXISTING MANAGEMENT STYLE OF THE PAs

In 2002, the Coastal Resource Management Board was

created to support the enforcement of marine sanctuary
policies, regulations and waste management programmes. This
was composed of eleven representatives from the local
government, NGOs, the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources Council, and dive resort owners; the chairman
position going to the municipal mayor.

The council is responsible for ensuring that the money

collected from the user fee will go directly to the conservation
of the municipal waters. In 2006 the CRMB created the Marine
Reserve Resource Executive Committee (MR-REC) composed
of the resorts, boatmen, landowners, community, and Figure 4 Mabini Municipal Hall

fisherfolk. According to the Municipal Environment and

Natural Resources Office (MENRO) the CRMB expects that the MR-REC will be the ones to
directly manage the MPAs.

The MENRO is the governmental department that acts as coordinator of the MPAs within
the bounds of their provincial jurisdiction, is responsible for monitoring of the MPAs within the
bounds of the ordinances they created, and helps organise the MRREC.

Another function is coordination with other municipalities who want to establish

sanctuaries. Also, since the unified diver fee system was introduced they are responsible for sale
of the dive passes to the various resorts and collection of the funds.

A major ICM project, ongoing today, was initiated in 1997 by WWF-Philippines, known
in the Philippines as Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas, who are now the main NGO working in
Mabini and also working with other coastal municipalities in Balayan Bay. In addition, the
peoples organisation Samahang Pangkaunlaran ng San Teodoro Inc. (SPSTI) is also involved in
management activities.
 IV. ISSUES AND CONCERNS

The reefs of the municipality have been negatively affected by a variety of human
impacts including overfishing, sedimentation, shoreline development, boat anchor and diver
damage, and illegal forms of fishing.

The main threats to the reefs were inadequate waste/sewage disposal and overfishing, and
the reefs still show signs of algal overgrowth in places, likely caused by both nutrient over-
enrichment and removal of herbivorous species of fish, and broken coral from dynamite blast
fishing, typhoons, and anchor damage.

The presence of the tourism industry has led to an increased risk to the reef caused by the
high volume of divers visiting the various dive sites. However, the tourism industry has played
an important part in promoting and assisting efforts to establish and manage the MPAs of
Mabini.

With tourism, especially dive tourism, frequently promoted worldwide as an

economically viable, and often preferable, means to shift the focus of coral reef exploitation from
an extractive to a non-extractive form of use, the conservation programmes that have been
implemented in Anilao over the years serve as the ideal location to investigate not only the
biological effects of MPAs, but also the complex dynamics and changes in stakeholder
perceptions and support for MPA programmes that occur when competing industries become
involved in coastal resource management.

Figure 5 Scenic view of one of the diving resorts in Mabini, Batangas

 V. ACTION PLAN

As Mabini embarked in a life-long journey of preserving the marine ecosystem in its

coastal area the following is the action plan to further strengthen its management to control and
mitigate the continuing threats to its biodiversity:

a. Strengthening of stakeholders cooperation and support towards the betterment of

these MPAs in their locality.
b. Enforcement procedures to comprehensively implement and acted upon, ensuring all
parties and stakeholders are following them, and to report any breaches so that fines
and penalties may be sanctioned.
c. Political involvement in a non-partisan way across LGUs and the locality, ensuring
partnership and collaboration.
d. Sourcing-out of financial support for sustainability of the MPAs projects and further
activities that could enhance their cause.
e. Diving Tourism Industry should take the lead in ensuring proper dissemination of
rules and regulations pertaining to dos and donts during diving, especially on waste
management.
f. Ensure scientific monitoring is in place to continue observing the programs of the
MPA especially in the rehabilitation of the corals and restocking of fishes.

Figure 6 Amazing beauty of the marine ecosystem that once was affected by dynamite fishing

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS
 The MPAs in Mabini seemed to be performing well in their rehabilitation from the grim
past of illegal fishing and other activities that damaged and degraded their natural resources.
Though it takes a lot of years to fully recover and restore their condition, the progress is at hand,
and the positive results are yielding.

Below are recommendations that could be of further help in ensuring MPAs in Mabini are
not only protected, but are self-sustaining towards achieving their goals:

a. To actively engage stakeholders in assessing their current needs and concerns, and to
identify gaps in order to address these.
b. Make sure that the local government unit of Mabini is committed in addressing the
needs of the locality, especially with regards to the MPAs and how they are being
taken care of.
c. To review the current policies and procedures with regards to environmental
protection, especially to the marine ecosystem, ensuring that they are properly
implemented, enforced and that everyone is following them.
d. To strengthen the role of the diving tourism industry in ensuring that divers and their
customers are fully aware about the programs of the MPAs and how they could take
part by protecting these areas, as well.

VII. REFERENCES

Alban, F., G. Appr, and J. Boncouer. 2006. Economic Analysis of Marine ProtectedAreas. A
Literature Review. EMPAFISH Project Booklet no. 3.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabini,_Batangas

Oracion, E.G. 2003. The dynamics of stakeholder participation in marine protected area
development: A case study in Batangas, Philippines, Silliman Journal 44 (1).

White, A.T., A. Maypa, S. Tesch, B. Stockwell, A. Meneses, E. White, and T.J. Mueller. 2005.
Summary Field Report: Coral Reef Monitoring Expedition to Mabini and Tingloy, Batangas,
Philippines, March 1927, 2005. Cvebu City: The Coastal Conservation and Education
Foundation, Inc. and the Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest (FISH) Project.