PAGO, MFI Raise MPA Awareness Among Youth

To promote the importance of Marine Protected Areas, the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office in partnership with the Malampaya Foundation, Inc. conducted the Environmental Youth Action Camp which was  participated by 115 senior high school and college students coming from the different municipalities of the province. This activity has been regularly conducted by PAGO and MFI to educate and    strengthen the youth’s passion in the conservation and protection of coastal and marine habitat.

The Environmental Youth Action Camp was conducted in two batches on August 1-4 and August 8-11, 2023 at El Pueblo Rhizort, Calapan City. The three-day camp enriched the participants’ knowledge and awareness on coastal habitats and the several factors that pose threats to its existence. They were likewise toured on different habitat ecosystems such as beach forest and mangrove, seagrass and reef to give them better appreciation of its importance. Other topics that were discussed are Marine Protected Areas, Environmental and    Fishery Laws, Solid Waste Management, Conservation and Protection of the Tamaraw and its habitat, as well as topics on disaster risk    reduction and basic life support training.

The facilitating team were led by Ms. Marilyn M. Alcañices, Division Chief of PAGO’s Fisheries and Coastal Resource Management Division. Other facilitators are technical staff from PAGO and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, as well as representatives from MFI and the youth organization Kabataan Para sa Kalikasan.

Similarly, PAGO has also conducted Information, Education and   Communication (IEC) campaigns among elementary students to raise awareness on MPA protection. On March 22, 2023 IEC was conducted in four elementary schools in the municipality of Gloria namely, Balete Elementary School, Tambong Elementary School,  Agsalin Elementary School, and Sta. Theresa Elementary School.   Barangays Tambong, Agsalin, and Sta. Theresa has existing MPAs.