Facts About the Philippine

Human and Coastal Resource

SituatSituationionionion

Fact No. 1: The Danajon Bank is an extremely high priority marine conservation area

The Danajon Bank is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines and in Asia. It is one of the most ecologically and economically important ecosystems in the country.

The reef is about 273 square kilometers which makes up one percent of the total area of the coral reefs in the Philippines. It is also considered the “center of the marine shore fish diversity" in the world and the most important source of marine biodiversity in the country.

Today, there is rapid degradation of the reef resources due to destructive fishing and increasing population pressure.

Fact No. 2: About 1M people live along Danajon Bank

About 1 M people live in the 17 municipalities in the four provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Bohol and Southern Leyte (CeLeBoSoLe) bordering the bay. The average population density in the Danajon vicinity is 445 persons per square kilometer compared to 286 for coastal Philippines and 255 for the whole country.

The population growth rate in the four provinces along the Bank varies: Cebu has 3%, Bohol with 2.9%, Southern Leyte, 2.7% and Leyte 1.1 %. The population is also described as young and has high population momentum particularly in Leyte where 40% of the population is 15 years of age or younger compared to the national average figure of 37%. With the current growth rate, the population will be expected to double in 23 years.

DANAJON BANK and VICINITY and ESTIMATED POPULATION (2005)

Shore Line Pop Density Pop Momentum Annual Pop Growth Pop Doubling Province Municipality # of Brgys Est Pop 2005 (km) 2005 (est) % Pop <15 years Rate (%,NSO 2000) Time (years) Bohol Tubigon 34 28 47, 733 632 35.78 2.9 24 Clarin 24 29 21, 323 340 Inabanga 50 62 48, 122 366 Buenavista 35 32 30, 684 351 Getafe 24 77 31, 707 318 Bien Unido 15 45 26, 211 585 Trinidad 20 8 30, 356 320 Ubay 44 61 70, 713 341 CP Garcia 23 76 24, 519 376 Talibon 25 86 64, 000 362 294 504 395, 368 378 Cebu Lapulapu 30 112 235, 524 3, 976 38.21 3.0 23 Cordova 13 21 36, 934 4, 136 43 133 272, 458 3, 997 Leyte Matalom 30 14 32, 599 226 39.4 1.1 62 Bato 32 4 35, 575 497 Hilongos 51 12 55, 521 288 Hindang 20 7 19, 952 223 *Merida 22 27, 324 287 155 37 170, 971 288 So. Leyte Maasin 70 25 75, 276 380 36.37 2.7 26 *Liloan 24 20, 984 218 *Hinunangan 40 26, 462 170 134 25 122, 722 273 TOTAL 626 699 961, 518 455* Ave density for rural municipalities (Bohol/Leyte/So Leyte) 330 National 37.01 2.4 30

FAST FACTS Fact No. 3: There is a growing threat to food security in the Danajon Vicinity

For many generations the people living along the Bay depended on its marine The Philippines’ marine and coastal resources for food, recreation and livelihood. The Bank is an environment ranks among the important marine biodiversity and a large breeding area for many species of 25 topmost “biodiversity fish, shellfish and crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimps. Eighty percent of hotspots” in the world their protein source comes from fish. The declining fish catch and the ------increasing population is causing food security crises, poverty and malnutrition in the population. Conflicts among resource users are also escalating and can 60% of the 84M Filipinos live pose threats to social stability. in the 18,417 km stretch of coastal zone ------Fact No. 4: The Integrated Population and Coastal Resource Management (IPOPCORM) approach is an opportunity to The Philippines population will double in less than 30 address food security/poverty in Danajon years

Other economic drivers and programs to address poverty have improved the ------poverty incidence indicators in the four provinces in Bohol, Cebu, Southern Young Population (45% under Leyte and Leyte. However, the present economic growth in the CeLeBoSoLe age 15) area can be negated by a galloping population and can overcome the economic gains. ------

Large family size (6-8) The IPOPCORM, a field based Population-Environment (P-E) project implemented in five of the 17 municipalities in the Danajon Bank has shown ------positive benefits to address the issues of food security and poverty. The project works with committed leaders, communities and youth to slow population High % households depend momentum and its environmental impacts. IPOPCORM’s combined P-E on fishing for subsistence interventions could be a strategic lever to promote food security but also as a ------practical approach to turn ecosystems and communities from deterioration to restoration and health. There is an opportunity for the IPOPCORM approach to Degraded coastal be adapted by the CeLeBoSoLe Growth Quadrangle serving as the environment and critical management structure to manage Danajon Bank's resources. fisheries habitat causing low catch and income ------Poverty and malnutrition among artisanal fishers

References: The Challenge: Population should be integrated into the Management Plan for Danajon Bank, Gov. Erico Aumentado, and June 2006 Target Area Profile, FISH Project 2004 Alterative Advocacy Project, PATH Foundation Philippines, Inc. 2006

PATH Foundation Philippines, Inc. 24/F Yuchengco Tower RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue Makati City 1200 Philippines www.pfpi.org