PHL designates Marine Protected Area in Siquijor

Coastal waters off the Siquijor municipality of Enrique Villanueva was recently designated as the Bitaug Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Covering 149.46 hectares of coastal waters, the Bitaug MPA is the largest in Siquijor, accounting for nearly a third of the island province’s total MPA coverage.

The MPA designation has been in the process since 2007, now achieved after participatory planning and consultations, community leadership, and support from different agencies.

The Bitaug MPA is home to climate-resilient coral reefs, seagrass meadows, commercially important fish stocks, and vibrant populations of sea creatures, which are not allowed to be caught except for research purposes.

The local government of Enrique Villanueva will co-manage the MPA together with the Bitaug Fisherfolk Association (BitFA), the primary advocates for the MPA designation.

“Hopefully, in time, we will truly take charge of managing and caring for our MPA. This is the beginning of what we’ve been dreaming of for almost 18 years,” BitFA president Othello Manos said.

“The initiative is a testament to the power of persistence, strong community leadership, and multi-sectoral collaboration, and now stands as a roadmap for the other coastal municipalities in the province,” he added. 

The Bitaug MPA will be governed by a management framework that includes revenue-sharing from eco-tourism activities like snorkeling and diving, ensuring conservation benefits are reinvested into local conservation and community development.