Siquijor opens coastal resource center

THE Siquijor recently spearheaded the inauguration of the Provincial Coastal Resource Management (CRM) learning center in Larena town.

The event began with a blessing ceremony, followed by a ribbon-cutting by Gov. Orlando Fua, Jr. and Evangeline White, Board secretary and co-founder of the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation Inc. (CCEF).

The learning center was built on a lot donated from the province.

The joint project  of the Siquijor provincial government, CCEF and the Deutsche Gesellscaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit will serve as a venue for discussion on marine and coastal conservation efforts of the island of Siquijor.

The ceremony was also attended by Maria Mayor Rebecca Padayhag, Enrique Villanueva Mayor Melojean Orquillas and Provincial Board Members Arthur Chan and Arthur Pacatang.

Siquijor has been a partner of CCEF since 2002 when coastal resource management efforts were introduced to the island. Since then, blast fishing has gone down to zero and there have been no reported cases of illegal fishing in the waters surrounding the island.

Mrs. White said CCEF and her husband, CCEF president Dr. Alan White were very proud to work with the leaders of Siquijor in bringing marine conservation issues to the forefront.

She said Siquijor has been one of the strongest supporters of marine management as well as being the first island in the Philippines to create and implement a marine protected area network.