THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) based here opened yesterday the Philippine Environment Month celebration this June with the launching of pawikan nesting site in Magalawa Island in Palauig town, this province to raise public awareness and community support in the protection and conservation of marine resources.
Ariel Mendoza, head of CENRO Masinloc said that the coastline of the 42-hectare Magalawa Island has been an important nesting ground of marine turtles.
Magalawa Island is located within the more than 7,000-hectare Masinloc and Oyon Bay Protected Seascape and Landscape (MOBPLS).
"We have sighted Olive ridley and Green sea turtles nesting in the white sand of Magalawa since December of last year," said Mendoza.
And more than 400 hatchlings of these species have been released back to the sea of MOBPLS, he added.
In her mesage during the unveiling of pawikan nesting site billboard, DENR Undersecretary Annaliza Teh explained that climate resilient infrastructure should be an integral part of a marine protected area management plan to achieve environmental sustainability.
"Solar energy panels and rain water harvesting system are some of the important infrastructure that can help in attaining climate resiliency in protected area," she explained.
On the other hand, Felix Mendoza, field site team leader of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Sustainable Interventions fof Biodiversity, Oceans and Landscapes (SIBOL) project pointed out the important support and assistance that they have implemented to better manage the MOBPLS.
"Marine turtle conservation, mangrove and beach forests rehabilitation training course and community managed-savings and credit association are some of the capacity building support of the project to effectively protect the MOBPLS", he said.
MOBPLS is the first and only legislated marine protected are in Zambales and in Central Luzon under Republic Act 11032 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System (ENIPAS).
It is home to unique and diverse species including the hybrid mangrove species of Rhizophora x lamarckii, and the blue-spotted rabbit fish.
It is also home to important habitat such as the 1,500 ha coral reefs, 109 ha mangrove forests and vast seagrass beds.
This year's environment month theme "Only One Earth", underscores the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature, and the possibilities for shifting to a greener liefestyle through policy and individual choices.