DENR to endorse Romblon’s inclusion in $62.3-M coastal management project

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza vowed to “strongly endorse” the inclusion of Romblon in the Asian Development Bank-funded, $62.3-million Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project (ICRMP) to help the province recover from the destruction of recent typhoon “Frank.”

Atienza believes that placing Romblon under the ICRMP would hasten the province’s economic recovery since the program could help in rehabilitating its coastal and marine resources.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional office reported that Frank devastated portions of Romblon’s mangrove and fishing areas in Cajidiocan and Magdiwang towns on Sibuyan Island, as well as in Odiongan, Ferrol, Looc, Sta. Fe, Alcantara, San Agustin and San Andres towns on Tablas Island.

“I would not be surprised if the body would come out unanimously for an endorsement for Romblon and, in turn, would also receive a favorable response from the ADB given the importance of the province’s coastal and marine resources on which most of its poor residents depend,” said Atienza, noting that the province is one of the country’s 20 poorest.

Atienza, who heads the ICRMP steering committee, said they are set to meet tomorrow to deliberate on the proposal to include Romblon in the ICRMP and seek an endorsement from the group.

Other national agencies represented in the committee are the Department of Agriculture, National Economic Development Authority, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Budget and Management.

So far, a total of 68 coastal municipalities in the provinces of Cagayan, Zambales, Masbate, Siquijor and Davao Oriental are covered by the project, as endorsed by the ICRMP steering committee to the ADB.

According to the DENR, the ICRMP, which would run until 2012, seeks to improve the management of coastal and marine resources by integrating and coordinating efforts at the national, regional and local levels.

The project gives priority to coastal areas considered important to marine biodiversity, and with high incidence of poverty.

Under the project, these coastal areas are provided with motorboats, handheld two-way radios, digital cameras, and underwater diving gear to enable them to monitor illegal fishing activities, the DENR said. 

The communities are also equipped with modern mapping tools like portable and desktop computers, printers, scanners and handheld global positioning systems to boost effective management of coastal and marine resources, it added.