TABLE OF CONTENTS MESSAGE - 1 i. Cultural and Historical sites ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - 3 ii. Religious Establishments iii. Tourism and Recreation LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND MAPS - 5 c. Settlement and Development Features LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS - 6 i. Agriculture and Fisheries ii. Forestry 1. FOREWORD - 11 iii. Commercial, Industrial, Shipping, and Ports a. What is the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy iv. Mining and Quarrying (BSDS)? v. Institutional and Residential Areas b. What is the basis of the BSDS? vi. Bataan School of Fisheries and Marine Academy of c. Why is the BSDS different? Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) d. Scope of the BSDS 5. ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BATAAN - 45 e. Formulation of the BSDS a. Strategic Role in Central Luzon and Manila Bay Area f. Adoption of the BSDS b. Development Trends 2. OVERVIEW - 19 6. ISSUES AND CONCERNS - 49 a. Geography a. Pollution from Land-Based Activities i. Location b. Habitat and Resource Degradation ii. Physical Setting c. Siltation and Sedimentation iii. Total Land Area d. Over-Fishing and Destructive Fishing iv. Climate e. Oil Spills and Sea-Based Sources of Pollution v. History f. Multiple Resource-Use Conflicts and Governance b. Coastal Character g. Transboundary Issues 3. THE PEOPLE OF BATAAN - 25 7. OUR RESPONSE - 67 a. Demography a. Our Vision b. Family Income and Expenditures b. Our Mission c. Labor and Employment c. Our Desired Changes and Outcomes d. Education 8. THE STRATEGIES - 71 e. Ethno-linguistic Groups and Indigenous People a. Inform f. Religion b. Mitigate 4. VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF BATAAN - 29 c. Protect and Preserve a. Natural Values d. Develop i. Protected Areas 9. EXECUTING THE BSDS - 95 - Bataan National Park a. Partnership Approach - Roosevelt Protected Landscape b. Institutional Mechanisms ii. Forests, Watershed, and Uplands iii. Coastal and Marine Ecosystems 10. MONITORING THE BSDS - 101 b. Socio-cultural, Tourism, and Recreational Values REFERENCES / PHOTO CREDITS - 103 1. FOREWORD What is the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy? What is the basis of the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy? The Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy (BSDS) embodies the The last three decades have seen the birth of a new object of inquiry – VISION and MISSION of the people of Bataan to chart a course for the the coastal zone. Environmental planners and scientists have identified this preservation of Bataan’s rich natural endowments. It is an optimistic strip of land and sea as a spatial area, which requires special study and statement by and for the people of Bataan to whom the province’s natural treatment. The focus on coastal zone and planning and management has resources, particularly the coastal environment, provide a source of livelihood, been brought about by two parallel developments – first, the changing transportation, recreation, a sense of beauty, culture, and history. orientation of human activities and second, an increasing awareness of environmental issues. The coastal zone may be defined in three ways: (a) The sustainable development strategy is a document covering the “ecologically,” as the land area influenced by the sea; (b) “politically” by environmental, economic, and social aspect of Bataan’s natural endowments some arbitrary distance inland from the high tide level; or (c) “socially” as the to which Bataeños ascribe different values and threats – real or perceived – area occupied by people dependent on the sea for livelihood. For any means, that impair those values. It is not easy to turn this knowledge and concern except setting an arbitrary distance, the exact extent of the coastal zone into concrete actions. It would take combined efforts of the local government defines rigorous definition due to the interconnectedness of ecosystem and – from provincial level to municipal and barangay levels – and the various human activities within this productive strip. sectors comprising the civil society, to work hand in hand in realizing this vision and mission. This would involve the changing of people’s behavior and The coastal zone is also a place where coastal communities exist. attitude, which is not a small task. The BSDS takes on this challenge by These are groups of people engaged in various sectoral activities. In tasking every level of society with the responsibility of managing our God- perspective, coastal communities have multiple sources of income and given natural resources from our forest, rivers, and overall coastal environment. though they live at the edge of the “bountiful sea,” they are ironically poor, live Dependence on a common resource will make it possible for us, in crowded places and mostly merchandized. However, they are resourceful stakeholders, to start realizing a common vision towards a sustainable when resources are degraded. They may lack monetary resources but they natural resources management. do find ways to survive. Co-existing with coastal communities are different sectors who are also engaged in other activities, which define the socio- As a whole, the BSDS constitutes broad statements of activities for economic composite realities within the coastal zone. These include economic long term (20 years) implementation of Bataan Integrated Coastal and commercial, religious, and political sectors, among others. Diverse Management Program. This would serve as a comprehensive environmental activities also create diverse perspectives on how to use and manage the management framework that would provide directions in achieving targeted resources within the coastal zone. outcomes and formulating a series of specific action plans and programs involving the participation of both government and non-government sectors. Understanding the complexity of the overall coastal system including The key in achieving the shared vision is the development of partnership people and their coastal environment is the basis in forming the vision for the among the stakeholders and synergy of effort of many different players with Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy. This would also facilitate the different skills and perspectives. At the end of the day, any action program work context with which all the stakeholders in Bataan’s environment can 11 within the coastal strategy framework, whether taken by an individual, a be involved. It is time that we “probe beneath the surface” and root the various community, or sector, represent a contribution to the fulfillment of the shared ills and possible solutions to sustainably manage, protect, and conserve the vision and mission for Bataan. coastal environment. Destruction of coastal resources has been increasing. Degradation of management (ICM) come in, including the formulation of an achievable and coral reefs, mangrove forest, estuaries, seagrass beds – these are caused implementable coastal strategy. In this process, the following are necessary by poverty-driven over-exploitation, destructive fishing methods, pollution, elements: wanton conversion, erosion, and other impacts of an ecologically unsound development process. As it is, very few coral reefs near populated areas can Partnerships. The Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy has been be considered healthy. Many mangrove forests are gone, giving way to developed by major stakeholder groups from the public and private sectors, brackish water fisheries and reclamation. Many estuaries have become local governments, provincial and regional government agencies, civil society sewers. These ecosystems are fast losing their biological and structural groups (NGO’s, PO’s, CBO’s and religious groups), fisherfolks and farmers diversity and, consequently, the abundance of life they should support. Further from Bataan. As such, these sectors would be working as partners in impacts from the land area come in the form of water pollution from cities, executing the coastal strategy. industries, and intensive farmlands. Human movements and activities further compound this, creating a form of crisis due to overexploitation and population. Sustainability. Basically, the coastal strategy aims to strengthen the Much of these crises are due to lack of proper management schemes over capacity and capability of the stakeholders to understand and overcome the use of resources, which brings about the common property dilemma – barriers to create “win-win” solutions and situations in achieving the shared WHO OWNS THE SEA? vision in addition to balancing the values among resource users and beneficiaries. This will trigger well-founded commitment and consensus Various viewpoints, contentions, and claims have been put forward which among stakeholders aside from participating actively in implementing action simply underscored the tremendous diversity of systems throughout the programs. world in determining who “owns” or who has the “rights to” coastal resources. For example, harvesting of fish stocks is often subject to competitive scramble Synergy. As stated earlier, the diversity of perspective among stakeholders in an open access system. There are very few tenurial system (if any) that in Bataan was taken into context and was used as a source of strength and governments recognize outside of national policies. It is difficult to determine dynamism which would be crucial in executing the Bataan Sustainable informal riles for resource use. Uncertainty of access rights or tenure of Development Strategy. Combining sectoral inputs to promote province-wide coastal resources has often left the poor fishing communities with very limited and region-wide interests,