WWF helps conserve marine life in Morong
March 31, 2007 | 12:00am
The presence of the marine turtles nesting in Anvaya Cove, Ayala Land Premier’s leisure community development in Morong, Bataan, is a strong indication that the marine environment in this coastal municipality has remained healthy and unspoiled.
"The turtles will not breed and lay their eggs if their nesting area, which is also their birthplace where they return, has been disturbed," says Jose Ruel S. Bate, WWF-Philippines project manager of the Morong Anvaya Coastal Resource Ma-nagement Project.
The Morong Anvaya Coastal Resource Management Project (CRM) aims to study the impact of the land development on its surrounding communities. Anvaya, located within barangays Sabang and Mabayo in Morong, occupies 3.5 kilometers of Morong’s 35-kilomter coastline in the western part of the Bataan peninsula.
"We are currently in the process of data collection, which has three components," Bate explains, "the biological aspect, the ecological footprint, and GIS or mapping."
The biological aspect involves the assessment of the natural resources in the area  corals, mangroves, and fisheries. After the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the area was blanketed with thick layers of ash. And the large coral formations underwater were not spared. A majority of the beautiful corals perished. Fortunately, after more than a decade, the corals have regenerated and the rich variety of marine life has returned.
"We are studying not only the different kinds of fish but also their size and the abundance of the catch," Bate remarks. "We are also reviewing the effects of destructive or dynamite fishing practiced by some local fishermen." In contrast, Bate relates the initiative of some local fisher folks who have banded to form a cooperative whereby they sell their catch collectively and share in the proceeds.
In ecological footprinting, an assessment is made of the impact of the development on the land. "We look into the kind of activities involved, such as earthmoving, clearing of the land, creation of artificial lakes, and quarrying. We also look into municipal data  what are the ongoing projects and what are the sources of food for the people," Bate remarks. "For anything to be socially accepted, one must be sensitive to the needs of the people. The development activities may generate employment for construction workers or security personnel, for example. Efforts can also be made to increase the fish catch as source of food for the local communities."
GIS or Geographic Information System is useful not only for scientific investigation but also in resource management and development planning. "Through biodiversity mapping, classifications such as fishing grounds, coastal features, and development areas are identified," Bate explains. Data is identified according to location. The results of the study may be integrated with the programs of the municipality. "This may result in a zoning update where before, the entire area was open to multiple use."
Bate notes the people’s initiatives in the area such as the Bantay Pawikan community-based effort. Barangay Nagbalayong in Morong is the site of a pawikan conservation program, which was started in late 1999 by former poachers and turtle egg collectors who turned into marine turtle conservation advocates. In partnership with international funding agencies, they set up marine turtle hatcheries as well as educate and raise the awareness of the people in the area.
A coastal management plan, not only for Anvaya but also the nearby coastal communities in Morong, is expected to result from the study, which was made possible by a memorandum of agreement forged between Ayala Land and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). It is a concrete demonstration of Ayala Land’s corporate commitment to low impact and sustainable development, as well as its respect for the local communities and their natural environment.
"The turtles will not breed and lay their eggs if their nesting area, which is also their birthplace where they return, has been disturbed," says Jose Ruel S. Bate, WWF-Philippines project manager of the Morong Anvaya Coastal Resource Ma-nagement Project.
The Morong Anvaya Coastal Resource Management Project (CRM) aims to study the impact of the land development on its surrounding communities. Anvaya, located within barangays Sabang and Mabayo in Morong, occupies 3.5 kilometers of Morong’s 35-kilomter coastline in the western part of the Bataan peninsula.
"We are currently in the process of data collection, which has three components," Bate explains, "the biological aspect, the ecological footprint, and GIS or mapping."
The biological aspect involves the assessment of the natural resources in the area  corals, mangroves, and fisheries. After the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the area was blanketed with thick layers of ash. And the large coral formations underwater were not spared. A majority of the beautiful corals perished. Fortunately, after more than a decade, the corals have regenerated and the rich variety of marine life has returned.
"We are studying not only the different kinds of fish but also their size and the abundance of the catch," Bate remarks. "We are also reviewing the effects of destructive or dynamite fishing practiced by some local fishermen." In contrast, Bate relates the initiative of some local fisher folks who have banded to form a cooperative whereby they sell their catch collectively and share in the proceeds.
In ecological footprinting, an assessment is made of the impact of the development on the land. "We look into the kind of activities involved, such as earthmoving, clearing of the land, creation of artificial lakes, and quarrying. We also look into municipal data  what are the ongoing projects and what are the sources of food for the people," Bate remarks. "For anything to be socially accepted, one must be sensitive to the needs of the people. The development activities may generate employment for construction workers or security personnel, for example. Efforts can also be made to increase the fish catch as source of food for the local communities."
GIS or Geographic Information System is useful not only for scientific investigation but also in resource management and development planning. "Through biodiversity mapping, classifications such as fishing grounds, coastal features, and development areas are identified," Bate explains. Data is identified according to location. The results of the study may be integrated with the programs of the municipality. "This may result in a zoning update where before, the entire area was open to multiple use."
Bate notes the people’s initiatives in the area such as the Bantay Pawikan community-based effort. Barangay Nagbalayong in Morong is the site of a pawikan conservation program, which was started in late 1999 by former poachers and turtle egg collectors who turned into marine turtle conservation advocates. In partnership with international funding agencies, they set up marine turtle hatcheries as well as educate and raise the awareness of the people in the area.
A coastal management plan, not only for Anvaya but also the nearby coastal communities in Morong, is expected to result from the study, which was made possible by a memorandum of agreement forged between Ayala Land and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). It is a concrete demonstration of Ayala Land’s corporate commitment to low impact and sustainable development, as well as its respect for the local communities and their natural environment.
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