ii - 1 - irdf · brgy. cogon, where funds were ... what is the seal of good local governance and...

1July 2015 Bantay-Bayan

* with support from the European Union

Newsletter of IRDF’s Participatory Governance Project

Volume II Issue 1 July 2015

People’s Council now active in Bulan;Sanggunian Panlungsod hearings on

Sorsogon City People’s Council started

Participatory governance, including planning, budgeting,implementation, monitoring and evaluation, fiscal managementand audit, local legislation.

Transparency in action.In essence, include the people in the processes of local

government, so that the outcomes would be more responsive tothe needs expressed by the people themselves.

So who are the people?The ones who will represent the general populace are the

representatives of the different sectoral organizations, whoelected among themselves who will represent them (see charton pages 8-9).

These sectoral representatives will form the Council, andwill represent their sector in Sanggunian hearings.

Understanding the importance of such an initiative, Bulan,through Honorable Councilor Teodoro M. Dogillo, sponsoredthe draft Ordinance and was able to have it passed in the

Sangguniang Bayan.Sorsogon City, on the other hand, is following suit.City Councilor Emmanuel Diolata, Chair of the Commit-

tee on Cooperatives, has also seen the importance of peopleparticipation and effective co-governance.

Councilor Diolata has already set two meetings to discussthe issues and get the sentiments of the civil society organiza-tions (CSOs), with the help of City Legal Officer Atty. JobertLaceda.

The invited CSOs naturally welcomed the idea that haslong been their desire.

CSOs however, are pragmatic.While there are moves by the LGUs

to increase transparency inasmuch as this... continue to page 11

Mayor Marnellie B. Robles during the launch for the Kapamahala People’s Council, the first not only in Bulan but also in the

Integrated RuralDevelopment Foundation

2 Bantay-Bayan July 2015


Editorial

TTTTT

Taking Good Governanceto the Level of Communities

ransparency. Accountability. Co-governance.Big words... especially for people who have been used to patronage politics; to

being grateful for small “graces” to the point of “utang na loob” that is so difficult - ifnot impossible - to repay, even when these should have been provided as regularpublic service that is freely given as a matter of course; to being dependent on pow-ers-that-be for womb-to-tomb needs; to being subservient to leaders who exact theirpolitical soul to the full.

That kind of mindset is quite evident in the countryside, and Sorsogon is no exemption.Our people in the countryside are marginalized in so many ways. That has to change.This is why we are so interested in the developments on co-governance that Bulan has initiated,

and to which Sorsogon City is following suit. In the next issue, we hope to report that Sorsogon Provincehas also established the Provincial People’s Council, considering that the draft ordinance is in the processof public consultation prior to the submission of this governance measure for third and final reading.

What does all these mean for our provincemates?For one, we realize that it takes a special kind of leader who is willing to release even part of his

/ her powers so that people in marginalized sectors of society can have more gains and have a biggervoice in how their affairs are to be managed. It would not be easy for our political leaders especially, tobe more transparent about how the budget should be prepared; which, where, and how projects are tobe implemented; and to be held even more accountable than usual because more of the constituency areaware of where public funds are going.

But it is not the local governments alone that should be more open to public scrutiny. Theongoing monitoring of the Bottom-Up Budgeting projects reveal that national government agencieshave likewise not been quite that clear about their releases and project funds.

Allowing our civil society organizations to be more active in public and community affairs willsurely be a difficult process. But like in human births, it is primarily the birthing process that hurts the

most; the growing up and maturing period will show that a more informed, more in-volved community will ultimately redound to the public good and to everyone’s betterwelfare.




Determinationand Diligence = Dam

Because of persistence, a small scale irrigation project (SSIP) ordiversion dam was finally awarded on May 26, 2015, to serve the irri-gation needs of at least 37 (29 male, 8 female) farmers in Sitio Mapili,Rangas, Juban.

Josefina Deri and Nilo Celino, staff of the Integrated Rural Devel-opment Foundation (IRDF) in Juban ang the BIGKIS (partner farmers’people’s organization of IRDF) Rangas Chapter through its PresidentCorazon Gonzaga, worked together for more than two years, just mak-ing sure that the documents were in order and following-up with theconcerned agencies (PAMANA and the Department of Agriculture).

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Gonzaga was grateful that the dreamthat they had has now been realized. She said that although the damwill not be able to serve more farmers, they are still thankful for theproject, and hoped that it will be extended later.

The SSIP cost P2.4 million, with 400 meters length, and will beserving a 27.39 hectare area that was previously rain-fed only.

The diversion dam was one of two PAMANA projects awarded toJuban.

The other project was the improved Sorsogon Provincial Nursery inBrgy. Cogon, where funds were allocated for site development / land-scaping, fencing of the nursery, fencing and landscaping of the botani-cal garden, lighting, net house for cutflowers, repair of the administra-tion and laboratory buildings and the water system, and for the increasein the planting materials for distribution.

It is expected that with the repair of the Provincial Nursery, betterquality of planting materials, with a higher recovery rate, will beachieved.

The Farm Superintendent is Tirso N. Doloiras.In their speeches, PAMANA Luzon-Visayas Area Manager Paul

Escober, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist Assistant Provincial Ag-riculturist Dr. Ma. Teresa Destura, DA RO5 PAMANA Focal PersonFlorentino Ubalde, Jr., Col. Cesar Idio of 903 Brigade, and MunicipalAdministrator Leonilo Militante, asked that the recipients value, main-tain and take good of the projects so that the farmers will be helped,and poverty - the root cause of insurgency - can be addressed. ThePAMANA website http://pamana.net/pamana states that PAMANA isthe government’s program that extends development interventions toisolated, hard-to-reach, and conflict-affected communities, ensuringthat they are not left behind.

One of its objectives is to increase livelihood and job opportunitiesin conflict-affected and vulnerable communities.

PAMANA stands for PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn or peace-ful and bountiful communities. It is under the Office of the PresidentialAdviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

The OPAPP spearheads the implementation of PAMANA in coop-eration with concerned government agencies, lo-cal government units, and civil society groups. #

Photos by Mark Jayson Mirana, PIA Sorsogon

... continue to page 4

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

People’s Council now active in Bulan; SanggunianPanlungsod hearings on Sorsogon City People’sCouncil started ..................................................... 1

Editorial ................................................................ 2

Determination and Diligence = Dam ..................... 3

Major Impact Projects........................................... 5

What Is the Seal of Good Local Governance and whyis it Important? ..................................................... 6

The Kapamahala People’s Council of Bulan.......... 7

EU Projects in the Philippines ............................ 10

The Fisheries Summit Speakers and Their Topics............................................................................... 12

Leashed Mud Crabs: Interesting Livelihood Con-cept ....................................................................... 15

Fisheries stakeholders raise concerns about Sorsogonwaters .................................................................. 16

Editorial BoardArze G. GlipoEditor-in-Chief

Glenn I. YmataProject Manager

Lillian Alice D. LopezWriter

Philippine Information AgencyPhotos

PROJECT FUNDED BY THEEUROPEAN UNION

Bantay-Bayan is a publi-cation of the Integrated RuralDevelopment Foundation(IRDF) for the Participatory

Governance Project that has been produced withthe financial assistance of the European Union.

The Project, launched on February 19, 2013,seeks to empower the citizenry through participa-tory governance and thereby achieve transpar-ency, and is implemented in the six project areasof Sorsogon City, Casiguran, Pilar, Matnog, Irosinand Bulan.

The contents of this publication and the viewsexpressed herein are solely the responsibility of theIntegrated Rural Development Foundation.




(Left to Right) 903rd Brigade Commander Col. Cesar Idio, Juban Councilor Russel Valeza, OPAg Asst. Provincial Agriculturist Dr.Ma. Teresa Destura, BIGKIS representatives Corazon Gonzaga and Alex Grajo, Municipal Administrator Leonilo Militante, PAMANALuzon-Visayas Area Manager Paul Escober, DA RO5 PAMANA Focal Person Florentino Ubalde, Jr.

This project would not have been realizedwithout the persistent efforts of the BigkisJuban Chapter and the willingness ofgovernment to partner with them.



What Is The Seal of Good Local Governanceand Why Is It Important?

In 2010, then Department of the Interior andLocal Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredointroduced the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH)which tracked the performance of Local GovernmentUnits (LGUs) in internal housekeeping specifically inthe areas of local legislation, development planning,resource generation, and resource allocation.

Information was obtained, among others,through anecdotal and official reports from the Com-mission on Audit (COA).

Awards were given to those who passed theSGH, that was implemented up to 2013.

In 2014 onwards, the SGH was upgraded tothe Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) -Pagkilala sa katapatan at kahusayan ng pamahalaanglokal - and has 6 basic elements - 3 Core Elements 1)Good Financial Housekeeping; 2) Disaster Prepared-ness; 3) Social Protection;

and 3 Essential Elements: 4) Peace and Or-der; 5) Environmental Management; and 6) Business-friendliness and Competitiveness.

In their website http://www.gov.ph/gover-nance, SGLG is described as conferment of a Seal toLGUs that adheres to performance criteria on any ofthe following areas: good financial housekeeping, di-saster preparedness, social protection for the basicsector, business-friendliness and competitiveness, en-vironmental management, and law and order and pub-lic safety.

To qualify for the award that is given annuallyin October, the LGU must meet the requirements forthe core elements, and at least one of the essential ele-ments or the 3+1 Principle.

The award includes Performance ChallengeFund (PCF) incentives which are cash awards for theimplementation of projects of choice of the LGU, ac-cess to the program windows of the national govern-

ment agencies (such as the implemen-tation of BUB projects), continuing ca-pacity development especially in areaswhere the LGU is weak, and access to

loans, since LGUs cannot apply for loans from otherfunding entities if the DILG does not give the Certifi-cation.

In other words, if the LGU does not qualify forthe SGLG, it cannot accces those mentioned.

Part of what is tracked by the DILG as compli-ance to the SGLG, is Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB),where the civil society organizations (CSOs) are givenan opportunity to participate in governance, since it haslong been a cry of the marginalized and other sectorsof society, that they be involved in planning and imple-mentation.

In BUB, the CSOs are invited to join the plan-ning sessions for the identification and shortlisting ofprojects deemed important for their sector (known asthe local poverty reduction plan or LPRAP).

From the BUB menu of each agency, the CSOsidentify the government agency that will be the sourceof fund, the LGU comes up with the counterpart, thedocuments submitted to the agency, and later on, if alldocuments are in order, the funds are released.

Monitoring and evaluation are done by the Lo-cal Poverty Reduction Action Team (LPRAT) whosemembers were voted upon and come from importantand marginalized sectors of society.

In Sorsogon, only four LGUs were awardedthe 2014 SGLG: the provincial government, and themunicipalities of Barcelona, Pilar, and Bulan. #



The Kapamahala People’s Council of BulanWhat is the KAPAMAHALA People’s Council?

The KAPAMAHALA People’s Council (KPC) aims tohave civil society participate in local governance by involvingrepresentatives not only in dialogues with key local officials,but also in the local development process, ensure transparencyin government administration and decision-making andencourage people’s feedback, comments, and suggestions/recommendations for improved accountability of the localgovernment.

The KPC was initiated in Bulan through theTransparency, Accountability, and Participation in LocalGovernance (TAP Gov) Ordinance authored by Hon. TeodoroM. Dogillo, but is patterned after the successful and continuingNaga City People’s Council that then Mayor Jesse Robredostarted for transparency, accountability, and good governance.Its principles were migrated to the Department of the Interiorand Local Government (DILG) when Secretary Robredo becamethe DILG head, as the basis for the Seal of Good Housekeeping/ Governance that is now the standard by which LGUs work.What are the principles by which it stands?* Meaningful participation in local governance can be achieved

by providing institutional support to civil society and en-abling them to build capacities;

* Transparency in government decision-making and adminis-tration requires openness of information on matters involv-ing government affairs that in turn effectively enforces ac-countability of public officers;

* Accountability in administration and creative use of infor-mation by the citizenry hold local governments accountableand will generate broad-based support that will ensure thesuccess and sustainability of government programs andprojects;

* Broad-based support to and stakeholdership of governmentprograms and projects are generated if the people are in-cluded not only in the identification and selection but also inthe conceptualization, implementation, monitoring andevaluation of these programs and projects;

* The will of the people can best be determined if they orga-nize themselves to address their sectoral and common con-cerns.

In what aspects of local governance will KPC be involved?a. planningb. budgetingc. implementationd. local legislatione. monitoring and evaluationf. fiscal management and auditg. pre-qualification, bid, award, and procurement pro-

cessesh. hiring and firing of personnel

Who are the members of the KPC?Official and alternate representatives of all civil society

organizations (people’s organizations, non-government orga-nizations, cooperatives, associations, aggrupations) legally con-stituted, operating within and duly accredited by the LGU.

The representatives will be from, but not limited to,the following sectors:

1. farmers2. fishers3. urban / rural poor and informal settlers4. rural / informal workers5. women6. youth and children7. elderly or senior citizens8. cooperatives9. local chamber of commerce10. small entrepreneurs (social / community-based /

household-based enterprises11. persons with disability (PWDs)12. others as may be defined and agreed upon by the

KPCWhat is the agenda that the KPC will adopt?

There shall be a comprehensive civil society develop-ment agenda called Integrated Sectoral DevelopmentAgenda (ISDA) to be formulated each year which shall serveas the basis for engagement and participation of the civilsociety with the LGU. The preparation of the ISDA shallcommence during the last quarter of each year on the monthof October.

An ad hoc committee called Sectoral DevelopmentAgenda Coordinating Committee (SDACC) shall spearheadthe preparation of the ISDA. The SDACC shall be com-posed of the sectors / groups comprising the KPC. Its mem-bers shall be selected by election during the KPC GeneralAssembly held annually every first Saturday of February.

The Heads of the Working Committees of the KPC shallserve as the Technical Working Group tasked to consolidatethe development agenda of each sector / group and cause thepreparation of ISDA for approval during the General Assem-bly.What are the powers, duties, and responsibilities of theKPC?a. The KPC shall serve as the highest policy-making body of

all CSOs operating within the LGUb. Formulate its own citizen’s charter, constitution and by-

laws that will govern the KPC including the manner ofdecision-making and implementing and monitoring of itsdecisions;

c. Organize and modify KPC’s organizational structure bycreating / abolishing appropriate management structure,standing and working committees, ad hoc committees ortask forces and / or special teams as well as in the identi-fication of its respective functions to effectively carry outits duties and responsibilities;

d. Facilitate and ensure the developmentof the Integrated Sector Development




Agenda (ISDA) divided into long-term, mid-term and an-nual local development plans at the barangay and municipal/ city levels;

e. Ensure the integration and adoption of the ISDA into theComprehensive LGU Development Plan and Annual Invest-ment Plan;

f. Facilitate the nomination and selection process of CSO rep-resentatives-members to LGU Local Special Bodies, taskforces, ad hoc or special committees as well as to committeesof the Sanggunian;

g. Oversee participation of CSO members in the local develop-ment process and exercise measures to correct or improvecivil society participation in local governance;

h. Develop and recommend policies and mechanisms for im-proved transparency and accountability of the LGU andimplement whenever deemed necessary and appropriate;

i. Initiate the consultation process within the civil society onthe local policies and administrative issuances prior to its

approval by the concerned authority, body,or office;j. Serve as medium or channel for theexchange of communication, expression ofconcerns, raising of issues, and feedbacking

between the people and the LGU;k. Constitute an independent assessment committee tasked to

conduct performance audit on programs and projects of theLGU. The committee report shall be forwarded to the fol-lowing: Mayor’s Office, Sanggunian through the SanggunianSecretary, the LGU office / department concerned or subjectof assessment; the DILG Office in that LGU, and the localand / or regional office of the Civil Service Commission formatters relating to civil service / LGU employee / personnel,AND / OR the local and / or regional office of the Commis-sion on Audit and Department of Budget and Management(on matters relating to budget / funding) AND / OR the re-gional office of the National Economic and Development Au-thority and the concerned national agency / department (onmatters relating to programs and projects funded by the saidentity)

l. Take measures in response to issues, concerns, or any mat-ters raised by the LGU in relation to civil society participa-tion for the effective and efficient delivery of public servicesby the LGU;

m.Identify capacity building needs of its member CSOs andfacilitate the implementation of the same in prompt and mostappropriate manner;

n. Mediate in any disputes between concerned CSO membersand act as final arbiter to resolve the same in favor of andwithout prejudice to the interests of the concerned CSO mem-

Kapamahala ... from page 7



bers;o. Provide assisstance to the CSOs in the process of accrediation

by the LGU.Who are the officers of the KPC?

The organizational chart lists all the officers of the KPCand KMB.

All officers and members or representatives to the LGUSpecial Bodies and Committees shall have a term of ONE (1)YEAR coinciding with the fiscal year of the LGU.How will the KPC be operationalized?

The LGU shall see to it that all CSO representatives ormembers to local special bodies, task forces, special commit-

tees, are issued with all necessary appointment letters or docu-ments that make their representation or membership official byway of a Sanggunian Resolution, Sanggunian Ordinance, Ex-ecutive Order, Office Memorandum, Office Order, or any ap-propriate type of local issuances, stipulating therein the roles,functions, duties, responsibilities, privi-leges, and applicable remuneration of theCSO representatives or members.




Governance, democracy, human rights and sup-port for economic and institutional reformsCitizen Action Network for LGU Accountability & Perfor-

manceCitizens’ Participation in Monitoring of LGU Performance

and Development Planning for Poverty ReductionCollective Action to Promote Non-violent Protective Society

for ChildrenCommunity-based Approach in Combatting Child Labor in

Hazardous Industries in Plantations and MiningCommunity Education, Advocacy and Social Mobilization to

Eliminate Child Labour (CEASE-CL) in Negros Occi-dental

Empowered Participatory Governance towards Progress inNorth Cotabato Communities (EPG-Progress)

Global Action on Cybercrime (GLACY)Institutionalizing Social Contracts for Transparent and Ac-

countable Governance and Effective Population Healthand Environment Service Delivery

Interrelations between public policies, migration and devel-opment of partner countries: case studies and policy rec-ommendations

Joint migration and development initiative - strengtheningthe contribution of migration to development by rein-forcing its local dimension

Partnerships for Integrity and Job Creation - Local Govern-ments and Civil Society Cooperate for Integrity andTransparent, Effective Small Business Registration andPromotion Procedures

Promoting Transparency and Accountability of Local Gov-ernments through Active CSO Participation in Develop-ment Processes

Revenue Enhancement by Strengthening and Optimising theUtilisation of Resources and CSO Engagement in LocalGovernance (ResourceGov)

Strengthening labour migration management capacities inBangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines forreplication in other Colombo Process Member States

Strengthening Social Accountability Mechanisms in LocalGovernance in Antique

Use of Evidence-based Approach to Human Rights Documen-tation and Monitoring for the Protection of Human RightsDefenders and their families, and in the fight againstImpunity

Trade and regional integrationDialogue on international best practice insupport of Philippine reform policies (such

as procurement and Intellectual Property Rights)EU-Philippines Trade Related Technical Assistance

Programme 3Increasing the Uptake of High Efficiency Motors (HEMs)

and Drive Systems in Philippine IndustriesOrganisation of Events: Supporting Philippines reform: a

private sector view on international best practice, Dia-logue on benefits of liberalisation of Investment andServices and enhancing competition

Support to Europen Business in the South East Asian mar-kets - Philippines Component (SEBSEAM-P)

Human developmentHealth Sector Policy Support Programme - Phase IIIncreasing Use of Effective Contraception Methods by Ur-

ban Poor in Metro ManilaMaternal and Young Child Nutrition Security in Asia (FSTP

AAP 2010)

The environment and the sustainable manage-ment of natural resourcesBuilding the Governance Structure and Strengthening Inter-

LGU Collaborative Conservation and Resource Man-agement Initiatives in Mt, Mantalingahan ProtectedLandscape

Emerging Champions for Biodiversity Conservation andImproved Ecosystem Services

Improving Forest Governance and Sustainable Upland De-velopment through Climate Change Mitigation Financ-ing Strategies in Southern Palawan

Lead Paint Elimination ProjectSWITCH Policy Support Component- National Programme

for the Philippines

Conflict preventionBuilding Peace in Mindanao through Public Participation

in GovernanceEmpowering Communities and Local Government Units in

Implementing Inclusive Development Programs in thePhilippines

EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence InitiativeJoint EU-UNODC Initiative for Supporting Southeast Asian

Countries to Counter TerrorismJustice for All: Enhancing Accessibility, Fighting ImpunityMindanao Trust Fund - Reconstruction & Development

Programme - Contribution Agreement with the WorldBank

Mindanao Trust Fund - Reconstruction and DevelopmentProgramme

Mine Action Support to the Peace Process in Mindanao

EU Projects in the Philippines




Supporting Mindanao peace process through enhancing ca-pacity of peace structures, Early Warning Early Re-sponse (EWER) mechanisms and local conflict preven-tion actors

Supporting the Transition to Bangsamoro: Strengthening In-stitutions for Peace and Human Rights

Multi-sectorsAddressing Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health and Nutri-

tion Needs of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indig-enous People (ICC/IP) and other Disadvantaged Com-munities in Mindanao

Mindanao Trust Fund-Reconstruction and DevelopmentProgramme V

Support to Local Government Units for more effective andaccountable PFM

http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/philippines/projects/list_of_projects/projects_en.htm

EU ... from page 10

They shall be provided a copy of all reports, documenta-tion, communication letters, or any type of pertinent documentof the special bodies or committees, even without making a re-quest.

They shall be allowed to witness at any stage of the pro-cess or cycle, the meetings, functions, and the conduct or imple-mentation of all the LGU programs, projects, and activities.

They shall also be allowed to express their opinions, raisetheir concerns, and be given the right to vote during decision-making process of any body or committee where the CSO hasrepresentation or membership.

The LGU shall provide space and designate a temporaryoffice where the KPC can hold its official business until such

Kapamahala ... from page 9time when a permanent office is provided, with appropriateequipment and adequate office supplies for the proper mainte-nance of the office, and in order for the KPC to perform itsduties and functions.

The LGU shall authorize an annual appropriation of noless than ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P100,000.00)to be used by the KPC for its programs and projects as well asfor the maintenance, operation, and other expenses, providedthat the said appropriation has a clear and detailed informationon the allocation of the said fund.

The disposition of the annual budget of the KPC shall besubject to existing rules of the LGU consistent with other rulesgoverning finance as issued by the COA and DBM and otherapplicable laws. #

Fisheries ... from page 14


the municipalities of Casiguran, Juban, Magallanes, and Castillaand the East and West Districts of Sorsogon City.

For purposes of the Summit, these fishing grounds werereduced to three, with Table 1 showing the data on aquaculture.

From the data, it would appear that the Pacific Coast areais more productive and Sorsogon Bay more overfishedconsidering the much bigger number of fisherfolk.

However, matching the total data with the aquaculture areaof the fishing grounds, the MASBUTIPA area actually has higherproduction of 4.651 metric tons per hectare (the Pacific Coasthas 282 kg/ha and Sorsogon Bay has 427 kg/ha) and 43.42 MTof capture fisheries catch (Pacific – 3.48 MT/ha; Sorsogon Bay– 4.73 MT/ha.).

In terms of number of fisherfolk/ha. MASBUTIPA has 45,Pacific has 2, Sorsogon Bay has 7.

In the workshop conducted on the 2nd day of the Summit,overall, the fisherfolk of Sorsogon are asking for acomprehensive fishery development plan because of theperceived concern on overfishing and insufficiency / depletionof marine resources.

Specifically, Table 2 on page 13 shows the following issuesand concerns raised.

One of the main issues centered on the boundaries: thereare no clear boundaries or markers, coordinates are erroneousor not registered with the National Mapping and ResourceInformation Authority (NAMRIA), which result to the intrusionof commercial fishing vessels or those from other municipalities.

While acknowledging the need for closer coordination withcontiguous municipalities, the fisherfolk also state that theIntegrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ManagementCouncils (IFARMCs) are inactive; these are supposed to overseethe concerns of municipalities sharing bodies of water. Thiswas primarily attributed to the absence of a commonadministrative setup such as budget allocation for the IFARMC(which, according to them, should be shared among the localgovernment units), and a secretariat.

Under Law Enforcement, there appears to be a lack ofunderstanding and information on the policies, no unifiedordinance, and non-enforcement of local ordinances. They alsoask that the Amended Fisheries Code (RA 10654) be explainedmore.

Sorsogon Bay further cited the inactive Sorsogon BayManagement Council / IFARMC.

The SBMC was created in 2008 by then President GloriaM. Arroyo by virtue of Executive Order No. 750 and wassupposed to have a P1 million budget but it never came intobeing. One reason was the conflict with Republic Act 8550 orthe Fisheries Code of 1998 which mandates the creation of theIFARMCs for adjoining waters.

LGU enforcement teams have alsobeen said to be inactive due to lack of



The Fisheries Summit Speakersand their Topics

Status of Fisheries in the Province of Sorsogon by RobertoD. Fortes Supervising Aquaculturist, Fisheries Division, Office of theProvincial Agriculturist

Rehabilitation and Management of Marine Resourcesin Sorsogon, and BFAR5 Practices and Accomplishment2015 on Fishery Law Enforcement For the Province ofSorsogon by Nonie P. Enolva BFAR 5 Chief, Marine FisheriesResource Management Section

PRO5 Identified Best Practices in Fisheries LawEnforcement by PSupt. Jonathan O. Panganiban, Acting Chief,Regional Operations and Plans Division

Community-based Coastal Resource Management byArsenio N. Tanchuling, National Sectoral Committee Chair on Fisheriesand Aquatic Resources, Philippine Council for Agriculture andFisheries

Environmental Laws on Fisheries by David A. Abogado, Jr.Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal (SALIGAN)

Sustainable Livelihoods for Poor Fisherfolks in Sorsogonby Leonardo B. Rosario, Consultant, Integrated Rural DevelopmentFoundation

Women in Fisheries by PSSupt. Angela Q. Rejano, PNP DeputyProvincial Director, Sorsogon PPO

Experiences in Fisheries Livelihood in the Municipality ofJuban by Municipal Agriculture Officer Marietta G. Bayoca

Below: Some of the participants to the Fisheries Summit



Table 2


resources and training includingconnivance with violators.

There is lowfisherfolk communityparticipation due to lackof empowerment.

The BantayDagat teams areinactive and regularpatrolling is seldomdone because of lack offinancial support,supplies, and insurance

to the fish wardens; theterm of office is co-

terminuswitht h elocalchiefexe-

cutive hence there is no continuity, and in the case of Pilar, theconfiscated fishing gear were actually used by the Bantay Dagatteam themselves.

As regards the rehabilitation and management of marineresources, there are many critical factors. One of these are thesanctuaries: while there are 11 Fish Sanctuaries covering 1,646hectares, but fisherfolk report that these are mismanaged anddegraded. In Bulan, there is intrusion in the sanctuary andthere is an illegal establishment of “bunuan” in the sanctuaryitself, since there is a lack of deputized Bantay Dagat there.

Spawning grounds are not protected; while there has beenexpressed need for open and closed seasons for specific marine

resources because these are getting smalleror disappearing, this is not yet in practice.

Coastal and marine resources andmangroves are in poor condition, and in


Sorsogon Bay, there is coastal pollution and siltation as well asconversion of mangrove areas to fishponds.

Cited causes of depletion of marine resources are the illegalfishing practices – cyanide, dynamite fishing; use of fine meshnets and active gears; and destructive gathering methods.

Environmental clearances are not perceived to be existent;there needs to be a clarification of the roles of the DENR andBFAR in relation to abandoned and illegally operating fishponds;and in Sorsogon Bay, the Peter Paul Philippines Corporation’sliquid waste and other sources of pollutants are seen asenvironmental issues.

In terms of livelihood options, while the Pacific coast groupstates that there are plenty of funding sources, the MASBUTIPAgroup cites lack of capital and the Sorsogon Bay group indicateslack of access to postharvest, processing, and lending facilities.

For technology, the Pacific group says it is available butthe MASBUTIPA group states that there is a lack of fishprocessing technology.

As far as infrastructure is concerned, the Pacific groupsays that there is medium level of infrastructure development;the MASBUTIPA groups asks for the establishment of fishlanding in Donsol; while Sorsogon Bay wants a common buyingstation for fishery products.

In reference to market, the Pacific group says it is sufficientand available but the MASBUTIPA group says that it iscontrolled by local traders who dictate the price yet cannot absorbthe production during the peak season.

For fisherfolk registration, full coverage has not yet beendone; LGUs do not have a uniform interpretation of who arethe women fisherfolk are; and there is a lack of social protectionbenefit for the fisherfolk.

Due to these varied issues, there is a need to continue thediscussions on the level of adjoining municipalities, which ispart of the next steps that the fisheries stakeholders will pursue.

Some 200 fishermen, Fisheries and Aquatic ResourcesManagement Councils (FARMCs), Agriculture and Fisheries

Top left: One of the slides of the presentation on Rehabilitationand Management of Marine Resources. Lower Left: Hon. BoardMember Arze Glipo as she discusses the overview of the Summit.Top: BFAR PFO Gil Ramos while explaining fishery issues.



Leashed Mud Crabs:Interesting Livelihood

Concept

A project in Northern Samar: mudcrabs are either tied tostakes or to a pole inside the fishpond



Councils (AFCs), civil society organizations working withfisherfolks (Lingap para sa Kalusugan ng Sambayanan orLIKAS, Sorsogon Social Action Foundation Inc., Coastal Core,Integrated Rural Development Foundation. Alyansa kan Parasirasa Sorsogon or ALPAS), and government agencies – the Bureauof Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Committeeson Agriculture and Fisheries and Environment and NaturalResources of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the Office of theProvincial Agriculturist, its Fisheries Section, the localgovernment units through its Municipal / City AgricultureOffices, Provincial / Municipal / City Environment and NaturalResources Offices, the Department of Environment and NaturalResouces, the Philippine National Police, the Provincial HealthOffice, the Department of Trade and Industry, attended the 2-day Summit.

The Fisheries Summit – that the fisherfolk would like toinstitutionalize as a continuing venue for the monitoring andevaluation of the provincial fisheries concerns – was realized dueto the following persons / entities: the Provincial Governmentthrough Governor Raul R. Lee and Provincial AdministratorRobert ‘Bobet’ A. Lee Rodrigueza, the Office of the ProvincialAgriculturist through Officer-in-Charge Provincial AgriculturistDr. Ma. Teresa V. Destura and Fisheries Section Head Robert D.Fortes, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic ResourcesRegional Director Dennis V. del Socorro and Provincial FisheriesOfficer Gil B. Ramos.

The mayors of the local government units likewisesupported the Summit by sending their Municipal / CityAgriculture Officers and staff, Municipal / City Environmentand Natural Resources Officers, Municipal / City FARMCs,Municipal / City AFCs and people’s organizations on fisheries.

The Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries of theSangguniang Panlalawigan headed by Board Member Arze G.Glipo promised that the Committee will strongly push throughthe legislative concerns identified during the Fisheries Summitand will initiate the meeting of the OPAg-Fisheries and BFARto identify roles and responsibilities to pursue the solutions toaddress these issues. #


The future of our seaslie in our hands.



Fisheries stakeholders raiseconcerns about Sorsogon waters

Overfished.That is the one-word description for the state of Sorsogon

waters as seen by the stakeholders themselves during the 1st

Provincial Fisheries Summit held on July 29-30, 2015 at theAudio Visual Hall of the Sorsogon State College Sorsogon CityCampus.

The province of Sorsogon has a coastline of 553.3kilometers around 13 municipalities and 1 city, with only thetown of Irosin as landlocked. It is bounded by 5 fishing grounds:the Pacific Ocean and Albay Gulf (Pacific Coast) covering thetowns of Prieto Diaz, Gubat, Barcelona, Bulusan, Sta.Magdalena, Matnog and part of Bacon District of Sorsogon City;the Burias Pass and Ticao Pass covering the municipalities ofPilar, Donsol, and Bulan; and Sorsogon Bay which includes

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