TWO municipalities and one city have been selected to represent Zamboanga Peninsula (Western Mindanao) in this year’s national Search for the Country’s Outstanding Coastal Community.
The three local government units (LGUs) included the towns of San Pablo and Dumalinao in Zamboanga del Sur that ranked first and third, respectively, and Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, which ranked second.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Director Isidro Velayo, Jr. said the three LGUs will compete against the selected areas from the other region for the national awards.
Velayo said the awarding is tentatively scheduled in December and to be held in Malacañang Palace with President Rodrigo Duterte as the guest of honor.
Velayo said the prizes at stake in the national search are P30 million for the grand winner, P18 million, second place, and P10 million, third place.
The prizes will come in the form of fisheries livelihood projects.
As the regional winners, Velayo said that San Pablo, Dapitan City, and Dumalinao have received prizes of P2 million, P1 million and P500,000, respectively.
He said the criteria to qualify in the Search for the Country’s Outstanding Coastal Community are no illegal fishing, observance of closed fishing season, establishment of marine protected areas, clean coastal water without domestic and industrial wastes, and effective mangrove protection and rehabilitation program.
He said the search is anchored on the theme: “Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan.”
The search is on its second this year since it was first launched in 2016. (SunStar Philippines)