By PR | 09:24 PM September 05, 2024
In a bold stance for conserving marine sanctuaries, the Capitol is firm on the closure of Virgin Island’s Estaca snorkeling area over coral vandalism.
During a meeting held on September 2 at the Capitol, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado expressed strong support for the indefinite closure of the site, which is part of Panglao Island Protected Seascape (PIPS).
“This is under E-NIPAS (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System). This is not an ordinary protected area then, we have to close (it), Aumentado strongly suggested.
“Pero bisan og i-close na nato, ipadayon nato to nga butangan og buoys aron aware ta nga anang lugara, (usa ka) critical area,” the Governor added, ensuring to prioritize environmental sustainability as aligned with his Strategic Governance Roadmap.
This harmonizes the main recommendation of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Bohol, headed by Cleo Colis, to close the area for further assessment and address the impact of the water activities.
The decision was rooted when sometime on July 1 this year, a table coral was anthropogenically vandalized with MOJAK as reported by Danilo Menorias, dive master of Panglao Association of Dive Operators (PADO).
After 60 days, on August 30, the unscrupulous act was followed and discovered with another 12 anthropogenic vandals, including characters such as SOYUN, KIM, 45, MIN, KAGO, P, HARO, LE, RG, KIM, and D.
On August 31, around 9:30 AM, the Panglao local government, through the Municipal Environment Management Office, Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office, and DENR – City Environment and Natural Resources, formed a team and conducted a coral assessment and investigation.
They discovered the vandalized table coral (Acropora sp.) which measures approximately 11 meters in circumference and 3.71 meters in diameter, with characters measuring about 1 inch wide and estimated 2-3mm thickness from its writing stroke.
Approximately 15-20 meters apart from the first table, another table of the same type, with a diameter of about 2.3 meters, was identified as vandalized with the lettering KIM.
“It’s capacity before any opportunity,” underscored Asteria Caberte, Provincial Administrator, referring to prioritizing the numbers of snorkeling guides and personnel, especially in doing any environmental-related tourism activities in the UNESCO Global Geopark Island province.
Provincial Board Member and Chairman of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Attorney Jamie Aumentado-Villamor strongly agreed with the recommendations.
“Adunay pay mga laing areas nga angay pod nila ma-discover nga dili pod protected area but then again i-regulate sa mga LGUs ang mga concerns, (ug) pwede sila i-divert didto,” Villamor said when asked if snorkeling activities will continue.
In their conversation with the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office and undersecretary of the Department of Tourism – Visayas, Villamor also assured that the offices have programs in place to assist any displaced workers affected by the closure of tourism-related activities.
Recommendations included are screening and orientation of local guides, adherence to the local snorkeling ordinance in Panglao, banning agencies without permits and accreditations, and 24-hour bantay-dagat securing the area.
Additional recommendations are the exploration of alternative snorkeling locations, re-installation of mooring buoys, strict policy enforcement on the need for accredited local guides, meeting with dive shop owners and operators, and conducting IEC campaigns on the importance of corals.
On September 4, Governor Aumentado announced in a Facebook post that he was offering a reward of P200,000 for information leading to the identification of individuals connected to the coral vandalism depicted in a viral video.
He later stated that the necessary information had been received and that a thorough investigation would be conducted. (PiMO/JSS)
