Sustaining MPA stewardship through incentives:
The MPA Awards and Recognition

Twelve coastal municipalities were recognized for good governance in managing and sustaining marine protected areas (MPA) at the start of the 3-day 2^nd Conference of Coastal Municipalities of the Philippines last June 28. Chosen from 70 nominees across the country, the 12 municipalities went through a selection process that considered the size of the MPA (minimum of 20 ha), the presence of strong community involvement, effective enforcement, and the degree of cooperation between the local government, volunteers and local community.

The Pilar Municipal Marine Park in Pilar, Cebu, this year’s most outstanding MPA in the Philippines, is a model of multi-sectoral participation and stakeholder stewardship.

The search, called the MPA Awards and Recognition (MAR), is the second such event organized by the MPA Support Network (MSN). It aims to recognize good governance practices in MPA management in the country, and link the MPAs with potential partners who support the cause of marine protection and conservation.

MSN is a group of institutions and individuals that seeks to establish a national support network for MPAs by documenting best practices in MPA management and establishing standards and performance systems; leveraging technical and financial support for local MPA initiatives through private-public partnerships; and mainstreaming institutional arrangements that will help sustain management coordination at various local and national initiatives.

A considerable portion of work in coastal resource management (CRM) in the Philippines has been in MPAs. MPAs have proven to be an important entry point to the overall effort to sustain fisheries and achieve sustainable development objectives, providing models of best practices in coastal governance and a platform for scaling up protection and management, as well as opportunities for installing sustainability mechanisms. Previous studies on the effectiveness of MPAs in the Philippines noted that only about 15% of all MPA initiatives reached the desired level of management. Improvements in MPA have been observed in recent years, and incentives (in the form of enforcer benefits and recognition, for example) appear to be a key sustainability mechanism. The MAR is one way the MSN delivers such incentives and national recognition to deserving LGUs and MPA enforcers. Eventually, MSN hopes to institutionalize these incentives to help sustain efforts in MPA management and enhance the benefits of site management efforts.

This year’s most outstanding MPA award went to the Pilar Municipal Marine Park (PMMP) in Pilar, Cebu, a 179.20ha marine park that includes a 17.93ha core zone, 11.8ha buffer zone and 149.9ha marine reserve encompassing coral reef, seagrass, mangrove and sandy bottom ecosystems.

Established by municipal ordinance in 2005, the PMMP is part of Camotes Sea and has a fringing reef system that is located at 20ft depth and drops off at 50-100ft. It earned the judges’ nod for several notable management practices, including:

• Multi-sectoral participation: Representatives from the LGU, POs and NGOs comprise the PMMP Management Board specifically tasked to manage the Park;

• Institutional arrangements for specific management functions: The PMMP has an Enforcement Committee responsible for the overall enforcement of the Park, and a Monitoring and Evaluation Committee responsible for monitoring biophysical and socioeconomic parameters and overall project implementation;

• Approved management plan supported by a trust fund

• Mechanisms for fines and penalties to deter illegal actions within the core zone, buffer zone and marine reserve; and

• Incentive system for arresting officers: Fines and penalties collected from apprehended violators are shared between the LGU (75%) and arresting officers (25%).

Pilar Mayor Jesus Fernandez Jr. commended the PMMP’s 11 fish wardens who work round the clock to maintain the Park. “This award is for all of our fish wardens,” he said. The award came with a Php100,000 cash prize that the mayor said would be used to buy communication equipment for their fish wardens, who had been using their own cell phones to report illegal activities.

Runners-up were the Tambunan MPA in Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur, which came in 2^nd, and Ambao Fish Sanctuary and Marine Reserve in Hinundayan, Southern Leyte in 3^rd place.

Others in the top 12 were: Bani MPA, Masinloc, Zambales; Balingasay MPA, Bolinao, Pangasinan; Carretonan-Quilitisan MPA, Calatagan, Batangas; Daan-Lungson-Guiwang Marine Sanctuary, Alcoy, Cebu; Cahayagan Marine Fish Sanctuary, Carmen, Agusan del Norte; Bibilik MPA, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur; Talisay MPA, Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur; Bangaan Marine Sanctuary, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay; and Buluan Island Marine Sanctuary, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. (By MSN, with PNA)