By PR | 11:10 PM September 06, 2024
The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) will close Puntud Island, formerly Virgin Island, starting September 9, 2024, following the coral vandalism incident in the Estaca snorkeling area.
The pronouncement was released during a special meeting of the board held on September 6, Friday, at the Panda Tea Garden Suites, as they discussed other matters surrounding Panglao Island Protected Seascape (PIPS).
These also followed after Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado strongly backed recommendations from the joint assessment report of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Bohol Provincial Environment and Management Office (BPEMO), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro) of Panglao.
“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 said on Monday, September 2, in a meeting at the Capitol.
The bold move aims to protect the island’s fragile marine ecosystem, which is part of the PIPS, and prevent further damage, including the surrounding waters for its rehabilitation.
The temporary closure will cover six months of assessment and extend to one year or until further notice once the area has recovered, a major initiative of marine conservation considering Bohol as the first and only Unesco Global Geopark in the country.
However, PIPS PAMB’s order exempts water-based activities, including gleaning, boat passage heading to Balicasag Island, and the fish cage operations of the Danao United Fishermen’s Association (Duf).
In a letter sent by Aumentado to the board, the Governor also recommended adopting a resolution, including fund allocation from environmental user’s fees to procure buoys and related materials to cordon off the area.
These will add to the assessment recommendations that include 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.
These were alongside the exploration of alternative snorkeling locations, re-installation of mooring buoys, strict policy enforcement on the use of accredited local guides, meeting with dive shop owners and operators, conducting IEC campaigns on the importance of corals, and conduct of investigation and case filing against the violator/s.
The board also recommended the establishment of a one entry and one exit point for docking boats, as well as the provision of shed areas for local government collectors, with their uniforms and IDs for easy identification.
Furthermore, the board tackled the alleged unauthorized or illegal collection of fees under PIPS, which includes entrance fees, and resource user’s fees composed of docking fees, snorkeling fees, and diving fees.
It was later clarified that these collections were legal and strongly aligned with PIPS’ adoption of DENR Administrative Order 2016-24 by PAMB’s Resolution No. 3 of 2019.
Other matters tackled were the concerns from Panglao vendors and the illegal foreign and local boat operators of water activities, with a strong emphasis on accreditation of agencies through Green Fins.
Green Fins is a certification program for dive and snorkel operators that promotes sustainable marine tourism led by the Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme.
Moreover, Gelena Asis-Dimpas, the Chief Tourism Operations Officer of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 7, presented a review on Marine Wildlife Interactions in tourism, applying the context to the current issue faced involving PIPS.
Dimpas identified recommendations such as mapping and documentation of any water-related activities in Panglao and reviewing the visitor’s activity design with stakeholders and operators to identify the gaps.
She also suggested ID Visitor Touchpoints by revisiting the implementation of the Panglao Tourism Master Plan as an opportunity for proactive intervention.
With DOT’s recommendations, involved agencies and stakeholders will convene on September 26 and 27 for a seminar workshop to review the design activities conducted within PIPS, leveling off agencies’ various operational proposals. (PIMO/JSS)
