Water activities on Virgin Island suspended after coral damage

DESERTED The sandbar on Virgin Island in Panglao town is part of most tourists’ must-visit spots in Bohol province. On Tuesday afternoon, however, the area was deserted after it was declared off-limits due to a recent defacement of corals in its surrounding waters. —Leo Udtohan

PANGLAO, BOHOL, Philippines — The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) will no longer allow any water activities on Pungtod Island, popularly known as the Virgin Island, and its surrounding waters after its corals were defaced.

In an advisory, the PAMB said all water activities such as diving and snorkeling are prohibited in the area starting Sept. 9 to allow the corals to recover from the vandalism.

READ: DENR, Bohol execs probe vandalized coral reef in top dive spot

The temporary closure is initially set for six months but may be extended to a year, depending on the assessment by marine experts.

Exempted from the stoppage order are gleaning or the collection of marine organisms at low tide, boat rides going to Balicasag Island, and fish cage operations in an area used by the Danao United Fishermen’s Association.

Reef rangers of the Panglao Island Protected Seascape (PIPS) were deployed to the island to monitor the movements of people.

Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado backed PAMB’s move, saying it was aimed at protecting the island’s fragile marine ecosystem and preventing further damage.

“This is not an ordinary protected area. We need to close it to protect it from further danger,” he said.

Pungtod Island—known variously as Virgin Island, Isola di Francesco, Puntud, or Pontod—lies in the middle of a shallow area between Balicasag and Panglao islands. It is home to diverse marine life with plenty of colorful corals and unique marine species.

Last week, Panglao Mayor Edgardo “Boy” Arcay ordered the temporary closure of the Estaca snorkeling site on the island for diving and other activities, saying corals in the area were severely damaged. He cited the need for corals to regenerate and give the affected marine biodiversity a chance to regain its footing.

Protected area

The Estaca snorkeling site is a protected area being managed by the PAMB and run by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under the PIPS.

Since the Panglao diving sites are marine protected areas, local governments are mandated by law to help oversee their management under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 2018 as well as craft policies, plans and programs for the efficient management of the protected areas.

Vandalism of corals and destruction of coral reefs is a violation of the environmental laws of the Philippines.

A dive guide is being investigated for allegedly vandalizing the corals at Estaca during a dive tour with his guests.

The guide was identified through a viral video posted on YouTube by his Korean client after Aumentado announced that he was giving a P200,000 reward for any information that could help authorities trace and identify the people behind the underwater graffiti.

The guide, as shown in the video, inscribed the name of his client on a table coral and then made a thumbs-up sign.