La Union levels-up Marine Protected Area network

September 17, 2019 Provincial

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, La Union — Over 40 delegates from La Union joined the BALBASAN Marine Protected Area (MPA) benchmarking activity at the BatMAN MPA Network in the Province of Batangas, the home of the multi-awarded MPA and Bantay Dagat Network on August 19- 23, 2019.
The province’s delegation is composed of representatives from the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU); Local Government Units of Balaoan, Bacnotan and San Juan (BALBASAN); Department of Tourism; Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); the Academe; and the Science of Identity Foundation. Best practices and initiatives of the province, including different Twin Rocks MPA in San Teodoro; Arthur’s Rocks and Cathedral Rocks Fish Sanctuary in Anilao, Mabini; Carretonan-Quilitisan MPA in Calatagan; Malabrigo and Biga Fish Sanctuaries; and Refuges in Lobo were presented upon arrival and a courtesy call to Batangas governor Hermilando Mandanas.
The Batangas MPA and Bantay Dagat Network are sustained and strengthened through healthy competition, having its own Batangas Recognition Awards for Verde Outstanding Marine Protected Areas as way of giving incentives for outstanding MPAs.
La Union also has the cleanest, safest, and greenest program as a way of sustaining environmental management. MPA initiatives and best practices from Batangas provided the BALBASAN MPA network members insights and strategic direction setting.
Batangas Senior Environmental Management specialist Rochelle Amboya encouraged the BALBASAN network to be a part of Para El Mar, a biennial event that showcases and gives recognition to the country’s best performing MPAs, which BALBASAN MPA network accepted.
The bench-marking activity served as a valuable opportunity for the Technical Working Groups, key implementers and partners to learn through actual observation of some models of successful MPA networks and management
bodies.
BALBASAN, the first ever MPA Network in Region 1, was created through Memorandum of Agreement in 2017 among the DENR Regional Office No.1; the LGUs of Balaoan, Bacnotan and San Juan; and the PGLU.

Grace L. Libong, GPC-ENRU