Mayette April 24th, 2009
A simple ceremony to symbolize CERD’s exit from Calbayog was held last April 20, 2009 in Handumanan Coop Conference Room, Calbayog, Samar. The program started with a recap of CERD’s 12 years of existence in Samar Sea with the formation of Tinambacan Fisherfolk Federation as a major output. This was followed by messages of support from partner local government officials and other groups to the fisherfolk federation who will, from now on, pursue the mission of contributing to the restoration of the coastal environment by themselves. CERD also gave assurance to the fisherfolk federation that consultations would still be possible as CERD still has presence in Northern Samar which is only an hour and a half away from Calbayog.
Highlights of the affair are the turn-over of documents and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement that stipulates each parties’ commitment and support of coastal resource management to be led by TFF. Certificates and Plaques of Appreciation were also handed to key personalities, groups and government officials who were constantly behind CERD and the fisherfolk federation in pursuing the protection and restoration of Samar Sea.
CERD’s 12 Years in Calbayog, Samar
CERD started after the phase out in Maqueda Bay in 1996. It was chosen because it serves as the gateway to Maqueda Bay, which is a major fishing ground in the country. Protecting Samar Sea would further enhance the resource management works in Maueda Bay, and would boost the productivity of the fishing ground.
CERD’s implementation of community-based coastal resource management program in Calbayog led to the following:
a) Coastal Community Organizing and Capability Building:
- Formed 13 people’s organizations with a total membership of 471, with legal personalities (registered with the Department of Labor and Employment)
- The 13 organizations are federated at the city level and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission
b) Sustainable Fisheries Development
- Facilitated the establishment of resource management tools:
- 2 has fish sanctuary in 1 barangay
- Coral Reef Network in 3 barangays covering 100 has
- Mangrove reforestation and management covering 8 has in 2 barangays
- Designated Area for Women covering 5 has in 1 barangay
- Reduced incidences of illegal fishing from 3-5 per day to 2-3 per week
c) Socio-Economic and Livelihood Development
- Fish catch increased from 2 kilos per trip to 5-7 kilos per trip
- Provided capital amounting to PhP 800,000 for diversification of livelihood
- Facilitated access to livelihood assistance from government agencies, e.g. Polvoron, Kropek, Rice Trading, etc.
- Developed technology in bottled sardines
- Facilitated vegetable and herbal gardening (1 communal and 37 households from 7 people’s organizations)
d) Advocacy and Linkaging
- Facilitated the inclusion of organizations in different government-mandated special bodies like Barangay Development Council (BDC), Fishery Aquatic Resource Management Council (FARMC), Local Council for Women, City Development Council, National Anti-Poverty Commission
- Facilitated active participation and leadership of POs in local and national networks like Bantay-Abuso Network (BAN), BUDYONG (a national formation of women’s groups), and Visayas Fisherfolk Council
- Facilitated approval of resolutions and ordinances related to Coastal Resource Management (CRM), e.g. City Fishery Ordinance, Fish Sanctuary, Coral Reef Network
- Facilitated activation of Bantay Dagat throughjoint aprpehensions
- Invited to share resource management experiences in Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference in 2005 in Australia
- CERD and Local Government Unit (LGU) became National Awardee which is a manifestation of strong partnership
e) Gender Fairness
- Recognition of women as fishers
- Active participation of women in organizations, holds key leadership positions
- Recognized capacity of women in resource management through the Designated Area for Women
- Barangay protection Order by the Barangay Council was maximized and helped build awareness of the community against violence against women (VAWC)
- Changes in family relations were noted, e.g. sharing of household responsibilities by men and women improved
In the light of CERD’s exit in Calbayog, some challenges were identified:
- How to sustain active participation of organization members in federation activities
- How to ensure continuous elimination of illegal and destructive fishing
- How to sustain participation of organizations in the local special bodies
- How to ensure continuous support of LGUs to the federation
- Climate Change which continues to threaten the coastal environment in spite of the resource management efforts
sally April 13th, 2009
Presented By:
Rosalina Lodripas –Tarrayo
Program Coordinator
CERD Mondragon Program
And
Barangay Donya Lucia Fisherfolks Association (BDLFA)
[ Janito Mahinay,Pablito De Guia & Filoteo Jimenez]
Preface ( Brief History)
Way back in 2001, the governance project was implemented through the FIRMED program where the focus was the recovery and enhancement of the coastal and marine resources in the municipality of Mondragon. Part of the program strategies was the resource management, monitoring of resource status in the Municipality of Mondragon and provision of livelihood to the fisher folks in the locality (four barangays).Through BDP-PRA (Barangay Development Planning - Participatory Rural Appraisal) and REA (Resource Ecological Assessment), primary problems and concerns of the fisherfolk were identified. The organized fisherfolk also realized they need sources of income while patrolling the seas. With the help of Helvetas, a partner donor of CERD, funds were loaned to the fisherfolk for their livelihood projects. The local government of Mondragon also provided counterpart funds. The first socio-economic livelihood projects implemented was the credit system, payao (fish aggregating device), piggery, fishing gear dispersal, sari-sari stores, etc. However until the governance project ended in 2004 payment of loans by the fisherfolk was very irregular.
Mid month of 2002-2005, the SCLF (Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund) granted fund support for FIRMED program. The program focused on resource management and linkage with LGU and partner organizations. This time the focus was more on capacity building of fisherfolk organizations rather than livelihood development.In spite of this, the program continued its effort in identifying possible livelihood alternative and technology that are not risky and expensive for Mondragon. This was done so that the fisherfolk can cope with lost income during amihan period.
During the last year-cycle I of the program implementation with SCLF, the program came up with a plan to test the water salinity of the shore in front of Barangay Dona Lucia. Based on the result, the water is high on salinity. The program team presented the result to the fisherfolk organization and it was decided that piloting and demonstration of solar salt project through co-management scheme by the organization and CERD would be undertaken. This was the time that the Organization particularly the Barangay Donya Lucia Fisher folks Association ( BDLFA),a fisher folks organization organized by the program and registered under DOLE Registration # RO800-03-08-RWA-698, committed to take the responsibility in piloting and co-managed demo project of solar salt in the area.
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Mayette December 7th, 2007
(Excerpt from the report submitted by Mae Carla Sharon Buico-Jasma)
Mahaba island had been a full-member of the Locally-Managed Marine Area (LMMA) network since 2000. For 6 years now, it had received trainings to capacitate the members of its local resource monitoring team. Such trainings were useful for the better understanding of the community in the real state of their resources.
The learning framework which was formulated by the network was initially used by the members as of this year along with the use of the database. Trainings for the data gathering of the socio-eco and biophysical data were undertaken. The members of the Resource Management Teams (RMT) were trained on the basic use of the computer for data encoding as well as the simple reading and analysis of the graphs generated from the encoded data.
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Mayette April 17th, 2007
I am more updated about Biri nowadays,because I have been regularly communicating to them about project proposals that I have submitted to donors for possible funding. The good news is, the proposal on Community-Based Mangrove Protection and Management was already approved and the contract was already signed. The project is now in its implementation phase. The proposal to construct a small building to serve as Botika sa Barangay was also submitted, and will have a (hopefully positive result) by July.
Mondragon, from the little information I have about them, is busy with their livelihoods projects, in particular Solar Salt Making and Bangus Floating Cage Culture. For the salt, they have forwarded here in Manila a sample of that will be sent to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for scrutiny. Samar Sea have also forwarded their sample salt.
Hinatuan is busy with the operation of the hatchery, as well as the organizational development process for the fisherfolk federation, Nagkakaisang Mangingisda ng Hinatuan (NAMAHIN, Organization of Small Fisherfolk in Hinatuan).
I hope the program areas will be encouraged to share more detailed information about what’s going on in their areas.