Conservation Efforts in the Mabini-Tingloy Region in Batangas

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the National Environment Protection Council spearheaded several attempts to create marine parks around Sombrero Island, Sepoc and Layag-Layag within the waters of Mabini and Tingloy. After these government-based initiatives proved unsuccessful, the Haribon Foundation initiated a community-based conservation project in 1990 along the shores of San Teodoro and Bagalangit barangays in Mabini. After this, a municipal ordinance was mandated in1991, 11-91, followed by a revision in 1993, 06-93. This ordinance instated the first fish sanctuaries in the area: Cathedral Rock, Arthurs Reef and Twin Rocks. The Sulu Fund for Marine Conservation Foundation Incorporated started a series of surveys at these sanctuaries and the surrounding reefs of Anilao dive area, starting from the mid-1990s to the most recent, as of the literature found on the subject, in 2001.
1997 saw the beginning of the involvement of the World Wildlife Fund – Philippines in the Mabini-Tingloy area. Under the umbrella of the Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas, they promoted the area as one of its key sites within the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region program. The Centre for Empowerment and Resource Development and the Sulu Fund for Marine Conservation Foundation also began its Mabini-Tingloy Coastal Area Development program in the same year. In 2000, WWF-Philippines initiated a resort’ non-government organization: The Friends of Balayan Bay, hoping to integrate stakeholders into their conservation efforts. This effort was swiftly followed by the signing of a memorandum of understanding, by various other stakeholders such as local businesses, oil companies operating in the area, shipping companies and previously integrated NGOs, for the preservation of the environment in the Mabini-Tingloy area.
The Mabini-Tingloy Marine Conservation Project was also launched in 2001. Its main objective was to facilitate commercial dive interest in Anilao in such a way that would be beneficial to all, especially the environment. Following this spate of conservation projects, WWF-Philippines, in conjunction with the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation and Coral Cay Conservation, began the Mabini-Tingloy Marine Biodiversity Conservation Project. This project’s objectives were listed as the following: to survey the reefs of Mabini-Tingloy and provide a dataset and habitat map of the study site. These would be used for the development of a management plan for the area. The Municipality of Mabini amended the 1993 ordinances it made to make Twin Rocks, Arthur’s Rocks and Cathedral Rock Marine Sanctuaries, ordaining that these become Marine Reserves instead. Also, the ordinance states that coastal resource management should now be provided as a basic service by the municipality.
These initiatives are all part of the umbrella of Integrated Coastal Management, a method of helping to manage and maintain coastal resources by aligning use with the protection of ecosystem productivity and viability. Integrated Coastal Management allows countries to maximize benefit from these marine resources while minimizing harm on coastal ecosystems. The Mabini-Tingloy Biodiversity Conservation Project is an example of this. Establishment of these has aided in the protection of many reefs in the Philippines such as: Apo Island off Negros Oriental, Danjugan Island in Negros Occidental and the Tubbataha atoll in the Sulu Sea. It is said that these projects were so successful due to prior scientific assessment before the setting of boundaries, as well as the implementation of significant long-term strategies and the proper management of these protected areas.