The Tangalan story Item Type article Authors Adan, R. I. Y. Download date 27/09/2021 07:53:59 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35074 aquafarm news • LGUs and aquaculture Now, it is not difficult to convince people The Tangalan story to participate in any LGU endeavor be­ cause they know they can benefit from it financially. “They just need a little push,” noted B y R IY Adan the M ayor. “It was accidental,” answered Tangalan barangay and even outsiders have seen the Mayor Jed Tirol when asked how the project flourish. They are now excited and Tangalan: the next eco-tourism Tangalan-SEAFDEC/AQD collaboration have began asking the mayor to start an­ destination started. Upon assumption of office on the other related project. Tangalan is being developed into an eco- first week of July 1998, the mayor received But Mayor Tirol is not your usual tourism destination. They have their cloth- a conference invitation from AQD. “please the people first” mayor. He be­ weaving industry, piña cloth, the Jawili “E ven w hen I w as still a vice m ayor, I lieves that these things should be studied waterfalls and of course, their beautiful already have an idea of what AQD is — I thoroughly. For him, a feasibility study is beaches. But the biggest attraction is the have attended some of its seminars for fish­ necessary if they want to obtain optimum three restaurants with floating fish cages pond operators. So when they presented a results. Zoning of all 15 barangays will be of grouper and red snapper. proposal to integrate Tangalan in a coastal conducted to identify location and number “If you want to order grouper — they resource management project, I was enthu­ of operators feasible to operate such get it live from the cage and cook it!” That siastic!” Tangalan gave a counterpart fund projects. way, a fresh supply of such fish is always of P10,000 and after sometime, the project “We are now reorganizing existing available to consumers. Tilapia is another bore very good results. Since then, a lot of fishermen organizations ... We want to in­ commodity these restaurants plan to offer things has taken place. volve the people in the project.” in the future. Tangalan requested AQD to survey Before, Tangalan people were prom­ next page and assess their coastal resources. It was ised alternative livelihood by several or­ found that heavy pressure was put on their ganizations. When no assistance came, seas — because the community was solely they were disappointed and lost confi­ dependent on fishing for their livelihood. dence. It was a good thing they saw posi­ AQD then helped them identify alternative tive results of the AQD-initiated project. livelihood projects. Floating cages for grouper culture was what AQD suggested. Pleased with the Mayor Jed Tirol of Tangalan: "Grouper cage results of the first run, Mayor Tirol initi­ culture (below) offers additional income to my ated a second run which is now on-going. constituents." He plans to expand the floating fish cages to include other species such as tilapia. “I see the economic potentials of the project. This offers additional income to my constituents...” Mayor Tirol is indeed very optimis­ tic. In fact, he has made a booking at AQD for 10,000 fingerlings of native tilapia. This, he said, will be dispersed to other non-coastal barangays. “If these people are provided with fishes at their own backyard, then they don't have to go to the seas to fish anymore — this way, we also lessen the pressure on our marine environment...” Community response The project site in Dapdap, Tangalan is open to the public. People from the SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XXI No. 6 December 1999 13 aquafarm news • LGUs and aquaculture Tangalan ... from p rev io u s p a ge The LIPASECU experience In support to this, production of na­ tive chicken as an alternative livelihood is considered. So aside from the fish, dressed or grilled chicken will also be available to picnickers. By M B S u r tand i E d aG a s a t a y a Other tourist destinations include the In the 1980s, coastal resource management Libertad, Pandan, Sebaste, and Culasi, in­ Pungtod Reef with its beautiful corals — (CRM) becam e accepted as an approach to cluding Culasi’s three islands Malalison, this is already a favorite diving site of secure continued productivity of coastal Batbatan and Maniguin, all bordering scuba divers. This reef was actually de­ ecosystems, including coral reefs, man­ Pandan Bay. clared as a marine sanctuary through a groves, and seagrass beds, primarily by LIPASECU’s formation was an off­ municipal ordinance in 1995. However, the non-government organizations (NGO) and shoot of the community-based CRM pro­ ordinance was not implemented earlier on. academic and research institutions. gram piloted by Antique Integrated Area "But this time," Mayor Tirol warns, "we Through CRM, several marine protected Development (ANIAD) in 1995 in Culasi. will apprehend people conducting illegal areas were established and maintained by ANIAD is a collaborative effort of local activities around the reef to preserve such organized communities. non-government organizations (NGO) and exquisite resource." In like manner, SEAFDEC/AQD, in government organizations (GO) where There is also the reforestation project 1991 started a CRM project in Malalison NGOs and GOs play equal roles as part­ by the Department of Environment and (also Mararison), an island off the west ners in development. It is jointly supported Natural Resources (DENR). DENR is coast of Panay. Without doubt, after sev­ by the governments of the Philippines and planning to convert its reforestation project eral years of maintaining protected areas, the Netherlands. into a “rescue center” where endangered testimonies of increased catch, and a per­ Today, LIPASECU has several species will be housed. ceivable economic progress in the island, projects. Among them are resource conser­ Moreover, a small mangrove area is nearby coastal municipalities off the island vation and rehabilitation, livelihood en­ planned for aquaculture production in the have followed the Malalison style. hancement, waste management, law en­ near future. One of such grouping is LIPASECU, forcement and sea patrol, institution build- an acronym for four coastal municipalities Tangalan on food security that face Malalison Island. LIPASECU Bay Joelito Mateo “I agree with President Estrada’s idea on Wide Management Council was organized exemplifies the self-sufficiency for food security,” Tirol in 1997 to protect and manage the Pandan young LGU said. That’s why they have come up with a Bay coastal and marine resources for con­ official He has mission and vision to make Tangalan self- tinued productivity for the benefit of the worked hard for the establish­ sufficient. They allocated budget for live­ resource users specifically the marginalized ment of the fish lihood and CRM among other things. fisherfolk. The four municipalities are sanctuary and Specific livelihood projects in relation would readily to food security include the upgrading of mention the native chicken for mass production, with benefits that are tourists and locals as target clientele. There now enjoyed by is also vegetable gardening and production his constituents of organic waste fertilizers through vermiculture. “You have a fertilizer for your veg­ The man etable garden, at the same time, you also behind the have worms as feeds for your chicken and mayor - Felipe catfish. There is really an endless possi­ Dimacutac bility. Nothing is wasted!” quipped Mayor Jr Tirol. This first-termer mayor is just hoping One of the marine sanctuaries visited was in Tibigbas, Libertad, Antique. It is 1 ha x 400 m x 15 that through his leadership, he will be able fathoms. Installed in 1 April 1999. it now boasts of a proliferation of shellfishes which the to convince people to join hands to make fisherfolks gather for family consumption and even for sale. Residents say that the sanctuary all these plans a reality. ### has two resident lionfishes 14 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XXI No. 6 December 1999.