Selinog Island, Dapitan City Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities
Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities Copyright © 2005 Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Program (LGSP)
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This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities SELINOG ISLAND, DAPITAN CITY
Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Program (LGSP) Documentation of LGU Exemplary Practices
Replicable Practice
SOLAR SALT MAKING AS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOOD FOR IMPOVERISHED COASTAL COMMUNITIES
SELINOG ISLAND, DAPITAN CITY (2ND CLASS CITY)
CONTENTS
Summary 2
Project Description: A community-based economic enterprise 2 for coastal communities Project History: 3 Addressing the requirements of marine conservation Results: Success for SIDFA and Selinog 4
Key Implementation Steps 6
Analysis and Lessons Learned: 10
Annex:
Annex A – Salt Making Steps Followed by SIDFA
November 2005 1 Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities SELINOG ISLAND, DAPITAN CITY
SUMMARY
In May 2001, Selinog Island, one of 50 barangays of Dapitan City in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, implemented a solar salt making project, an inexpensive and simple technology of extracting salt from seawater. Championed by Dapitan City Mayor Cedrick Ruiz with assistance from the Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Studies (SUACKREM), the project was a community-based economic enterprise that aimed to provide an alternative source of income for island residents in an effort to sustain marine resource conservation efforts in the island.
Since the project is a community-based economic enterprise, a fisherfolk organization called SIDFA or Selinog Island-Dapitan Fisherfolk Association manages and operates the solar salt making project.
Over time, the project has been successful in providing additional income to SIDFA and Selinog residents. It has also helped conserve marine resources around the island by building the commitments of local advocates in community-based coastal resource management and the capacities of barangay government officials in pursuing local economic development enterprises.
Project Description: A community-based economic enterprise for coastal communities
Basic Profile: Dapitan City Selinog Island, one of 50 barangays of Dapitan City, is a flat coralline island about Location: Northern tip of Zamboanga del Norte and north western 22 km northeast from the city mainland in coast of the Island of the province of Zamboanga del Norte. The Mindanao Land Area: 39,053 island has a land area of 78 hectares (ha), Population: 72,619 and is surrounded by a 40-ha coral reef and Ave. HH size: 5 members Income class: Second Class a 30-ha sandy area. IRA: Php 207.61M Local Revenues: Php 223.41M No. of barangays: 50 In 2004, the island had 168 households or Land use: Residential: 429,584 has, 944 individuals, mostly living off on fishing Commercial: 124,970 has, Agricultural: 29,0555,526 and farming with little access to other forms has of livelihood. Household incomes of Major industries/ Economic activities: Farming, fishing, processing residents in the Island have always been trading and government low, with families having little access to employment basic services such as fresh water and education.
However, incomes have decreased even more with the reduction of fish stocks after years of unsustainable fishing practices by local residents. In an effort to address diminishing levels of marine resources in the island, the city government in 1998 implemented a coastal resource management program, through the help of
November 2005 2 Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities SELINOG ISLAND, DAPITAN CITY
SUAKREM, which established a marine reserve in the Island and pushed for environmental protection laws in the Island (see related story under History). However, this further limited fishing activities in the island and made it worse for residents. The worsening condition of local residents made it clear to the city government that there was a need to alleviate economic conditions in the island through broad-scale enterprise development.
The Solar Salt Making Project of Selinog Island was thus initiated in May 2001 as a community-based economic enterprise that would provide alternative income for coastal fisherfolks whose livelihood were being negatively affected by the establishment of the marine reserve. The project aimed to compensate for the loss of fishing space.
Project objectives
Specifically, the Selinog Salt-Making Project aimed to:
• Provide an alternative income for coastal fisher folks whose livelihood was affected negatively by the establishment of the marine reserve • Mobilize community support for the marine reserve project and other conservation efforts in the island • Contribute to diversifying the local economy which had been highly dependent on fishing and subsistence agriculture
Project History: Addressing the requirements of marine conservation
One of the major components of former Dapitan City Mayor Cedrick O. Ruiz’ s vision for the coastal barangays of Dapitan City in 1998 was the implementation of a community based coastal resource management (CBCRM) project. In order to operationalize his vision, the former mayor invited Dr. Angel C. Alcala, Director of the Silliman University-Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM) in 1999 to become the city’s CRM consultant. With the assistance of SUAKCREM, various activities to preserve and conserve marine resources in the coastal communities of Dapitan were initiated.
SUAKCREM initially conducted ecological studies in Dapitan City. The results of the studies prompted the city government to declare part of Selinog Island as a marine reserve through a city ordinance. The Marine reserve was established in the northeast part of the island covering an area of 53,075 sq. m. A parallel effort by the national government, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, declared Selinog Island as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) law. Island residents, however, had little appreciation of this because the declaration was not supported by any community consultation or participation. Local residents believed that the
November 2005 3 Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities SELINOG ISLAND, DAPITAN CITY
establishment of the “no take” marine reserve in Selinog Island only meant a reduction of fishing area, and consequently, a decrease in their income.
In order to initiate greater community participation in the island for CRM, SUAKCREM facilitated the formation of three sectoral associations in 1999, namely:
• Selinog Island-Dapitan Fisherfolk Association (SIDFA): composed of fishers • Selinog Island-Dapitan Women’s Association (SIDWA): composed of wives and women • Selinog Island-Dapitan Youth Association (SIDYA): composed of youth volunteers
A Management Core Group that would spearhead CRM efforts in the island was later formed. This was composed of 14 leaders from the barangay government and the three associations. The three associations were provided education campaigns on the benefits of protecting and maintaining a marine reserve. With SUAKCREM providing technical assistance, the three associations were also tasked to protect the marine reserve.
The LGU also provided the legal framework for the marine sanctuary, helping in the implementation of its rules and regulations by providing services of coastguard and police whenever necessary. The city government also officially recognized the three people’s organization by issuing a certificate of registration and identifying marine reserve guards among them who were given monthly salaries (3000PhP), which went directly to the association’s coffers.
As CRM activities were being implemented in Selinog, local residents became concerned that they needed other income-generating projects to compensate for the loss of fishing opportunities because of the establishment of the marine sanctuary. This motivated SIDFA to think of producing salt in the island. The fisherfolks in Selinog offered this idea to SUAKCREM for consideration and consequent work resulted in the implementation of a solar salt making project in the island.
Results: Success for SIDFA and Selinog
After more than three years of implementation, the salt-making project has managed to provide an alternative source of income for residents. It has also assisted in diversifying the local economy and gathering community support for marine conservation and protection efforts in the island.
November 2005 4 Solar Salt Making as a Viable Alternative Livelihood for Impoverished Coastal Communities SELINOG ISLAND, DAPITAN CITY
These are some of the project’s specific gains:
Generated revenues for SIDFA
The City Agriculture Office (CAO) of Dapitan City reported that in December 2002, the salt making project gave SIDFA an income of PhP20,862. This amount was used as a revolving fund for the operation of the project for the succeeding year, and was also used to purchase materials to upgrade facilities. Income in 2003 was also used as revolving fund for 2004 as the community continued to construct additional salt beds and reservoir (talasikan). By 2005, SIDFA did not need to use funds as revolving funds but was able to deposit it as income in the bank, with the Barangay Captain and Barangay Treasurer as signatories.