Developing integrated coastal management into a natural response: The story of Bohol

Integrated coastal management is gaining ground in the province of Bohol in Central Philippines. The key: strong leadership at all levels of government and civil society. By Stuart J. Green, Provincial Coordinator, CRMP Bohol;  Dolores Ariadne D. Diamante-Fabunan, Coastal Resource Management Specialist, CRMP;  Reigh P. Monreal , Information, Education and Communication Specialist, CRMP-Bohol; Thomas G. Bayer, Donor Portfolio Manager, CRMP

This article also appears in Tambuli No. 6, May 2000 . To download print version (PDF file) of the complete Tambuli issue, click here

he mere mention of Bohol conjures up images of pristine beaches and captivating dive sites, images that speak of adventures that make the island province a tropical haven for tourists. This is hardly surprising – Bohol has almost one-and-a-half times more coastal water area than land. Its one coastal city, Tagbilaran, also the capital, 29 coastal municipalities and 72 smaller islands are surrounded by approximately 643,000 ha of municipal waters, compared to an aggregate land area of only 412,000 ha.

Of a population of just over 1.1 million (NCSO 1995), there are some 100,000 who are dependent on the sea for their livelihood, making fishing second only to agriculture with respect to employment. Approximately one-third of the population resides in the 349 coastal villages (barangay) that stretch along the province’s 642 km coastline, which gives Bohol not only the largest stretch of coastal waters but also the longest coastline in Central Visayas (Courtney and Traub 1999)

Schoolchildren preparing to plant mangroves in Inabanga,
Bohol (Photo by CE Yao)

The Issues

Bohol’s natural wealth, however, has been subjected to a variety of undesirable practices and their consequences such as destructive fishing methods, overfishing, siltation and simple lack of management. The rapid degradation of precious and interdependent resources has resulted in an equally rapid reduction in their ability to produce food and other benefits that Boholanos have been enjoying for centuries.

Likewise, the low productivity of arable land, growing population and lack of alternative forms of income generation in other areas have forced many to look for greener pastures in the coastal zone. An open access regime, however, resulted in increasing numbers of people exploiting the remaining resources of Bohol’s coasts, encroaching upon the once rich mangrove areas and non-settlement land.

Fish catch, as well as quantity of other marine organisms caught or gleaned from the sea, have dropped to alarming levels in recent years along with size and species abundance. Older members of the fishing communities around Bohol remember the old days when a quick visit to the shoreline or trip to the sea would yield a rich variety of fish and shells.

In the 1970s, the tide began to change for the fisheries of Bohol. More and bigger boats introduced the use of fine-mesh nets. Highly efficient and destructive fishing gear rapidly became popular. These, along with the aforementioned factors, led to the present situation where an eight-hour fishing trip can no longer guarantee a decent subsistence for most of Bohol’s 100,000 fishers.

Today, an average daily catch of only 2-3 kg of fish seems to be the norm as evidenced by the results of participatory coastal resource assessments (PCRAs) held in 1998. Most fishers consider themselves lucky if they could maintain this level of catch in contrast to an average reported catch of approximately 20 kg per day in the 1960s (Green et al. 2000)

Figure 1. Map of northwestern Bohol learning area
with coastal habitats. Click to enlarge.

In the past, efforts at integrated coastal management (ICM) were disorganized and, most of the time, overlapping in focus.  Implementing agencies were inadequately prepared to plan and implement projects. Fisheries development projects tended toward dole-outs. In most cases, the purchase of more fishing boats helped only to compound and speed up coastal degradation. Food security, resource management and rehabilitation were hardly heard of. The involvement of the community members and their integration into the whole project cycle were not considered necessary. Fortunately, concerned institutions have finally realized that the sea’s bounty is finite and steps have begun to address the situation.

Stirrings of ICM

  Similar development projects were implemented after CVRP with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs) sprouting nationwide in the 1980s and onwards and with environmental awareness growing among local government units (LGUs). Lessons from these projects, however, did not immediately lead to the institutionalization of development strategies of evolving or established systems of key players, particularly the provincial government. The Coastal Resource Management Project (CRMP) is the latest undertaking working to effect sustainable development by implementing ICM in partnership with community members, resource users, LGUs, NGOs and others to address these problems and improve conditions in the coastal area.

For years, LGUs have been hounded by problems such as poor enforcement of existing regulations due to confusion over national and local laws, lack of properly trained personnel, political interference, lack of community awareness of relevant regulations and non-priority status for coastal law enforcement among law enforcement agencies, among others.

The advent of the Local Government Code (Republic Act 7160) in 1991, however, eased the LGUs into their new role, that of managing its municipal waters (adjacent coastal waters previously managed by the national government) in order to contextualize different uses upon the development of ICM, a concept not well known to local chief executives. In line with this, the CRMP also hopes to develop the concept of ICM as a basic service of local government.

The CRMP began its technical assistance to Bohol in mid-1997 with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the DENR and the concerned municipal LGUs. The MOA defined roles and assigned resources and budget for ICM activities throughout the life of the project. Major activities to be undertaken included mangrove management; enterprise development; information, education and communication (IEC); social mobilization; provincial institutionalization and training.

The initial thrust of the project was on activities conceptualized in partnership with the relevant LGUs. This led the LGUs to develop a sense of ownership over ICM, with CRMP serving as a facilitator. Over time, the project shifted to a more demand-driven process where the LGUs now request specific technical assistance services from CRMP. Many NGOs and national government agencies (NGAs) already had ongoing interventions within the learning area ranging from community-based research to implementation strategies and projects. The CRMP attempted to collaborate with all organizations within the learning area to better focus resources towards the ultimate goal of assisting the LGUs to better manage their coastal resources in order to benefit all stakeholders. In this light, CRMP offered strategic technical assistance, filling in the gaps to complete an initiative.

> The main issues that the project initially tried to address were illegal fishing; lack of opportunities on capacity-building in ICM; lack of resources allocated by the LGUs; and the lack of coordination among stakeholders. At present, with strong support from and assistance of the provincial government, the CRMP is now able to spread the lessons learned from the learning area to other municipalities.

Apart from strategic coastal planning, CRMP also assists municipalities in facilitating a variety of “best practices” within the learning area. These include the establishment of marine protected areas (Figure 2) and several community-based mariculture and ecotourism ventures, in addition to PCRA activities. The DENR has also collaborated through the Community-based Forestry Management Agreement (CBFMA) program by awarding large tracts of mangrove areas to communities for stewardship purposes (Figure 3).

Functional marine sanctuaries established within the Bohol learning area since 1996

Figure 3. Mangrove management areas under CBFMA in Bohol

The dynamic leadership of Rene L. Relampagos and Edgardo M. Chatto, Governor and Vice-Governor of the Province of Bohol, and the Provincial Board has given top priority to environmental concerns in the local province’s development agenda for Bohol. Together with all concerned sectors, the provincial government launched the Bohol Environment Summit in 1997. Over 400 representatives from the municipal and provincial LGUs, NGAs, NGOs, POs, the academe, the church and the private sector participated.

Major accomplishments of the summit were: a) the Bohol Covenant for Sustainable Development characterized by the province’s initiative to set up Bohol’s very own development agenda for the twenty-first century; b) the Bohol Environment Code which consolidated and institutionalized all the outputs of the Bohol summit; and c) the fact that it provided an avenue for the many stakeholders to be heard. The Code now serves as a model for all other provincial LGUs in the Philippines in the areas of environment and natural resource management.

A landmark mandate of the Bohol Environment Code is the creation of the BEMO under the direct supervision of the Governor. The BEMO shares responsibility with the municipal governments, the DENR and other NGAs for the effective protection, development, management, rehabilitation and conservation of the environment and natural resources of the province; the regulation and operation of licensees, lessees and permitees for the taking or use of natural resources; the implementation of LGU-driven coastal, forest, mineral, ecotourism and water resources management, including waste management and the control of water and air pollution; and the enforcement of environment and natural resources laws, rules and regulations.

Before the creation of the BEMO, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) rendered such services as planning and management, community organizing and stewardship, resource rehabilitation, policy development and law enforcement and information, education and communication to the municipal LGUs. With the establishment of the BEMO, the OPA now focuses on agribusiness and coastal livelihood development that are sub-components of ICM. Serving as a “one-stop shop” for environmental initiatives, the BEMO is expected to act as an umbrella organization, coordinating all ICM-related activities in Bohol.

To date, the BEMO, in coordination with the Voluntary Service Overseas, is developing the Bohol Natural Resources Database as an information management tool. This comprehensive database will include the municipal coastal database that CRMP is finalizing. As the database continues to create a more complete picture of Bohol, it becomes a better planning tool. Ultimately, the CRMP intends to institutionalize ICM in Bohol, the latter being able to offer the necessary technical assistance throughout the province through the BEMO.

During the launching of the Bohol Provincial Coastal Resource Management Task Force-sponsored “Our Seas, Our Life” exhibit in August 1999 at the Bohol Cultural Center, Gov. Relampagos, the DENR Regional Executive Director, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Director and the CRMP Chief of Party signed a Memorandum of Agreement defining the roles and functions of the four partners. The MOA included the allocation of resources and staff to counterpart those of the CRMP. A one-to-one staff matching policy between the CRMP and the BEMO is currently proving very effective in doubling ICM impacts across Bohol. The most recent output of this MOA is the creation of a sub-committee in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP or Provincial Council) that focuses solely on marine and coastal resources by virtue of SP Resolution No. 99-618. This will greatly accelerate the passing of suitable ordinances relating to ICM in the province. Additional staff have also been assigned to the BEMO to complement CRMP activities. This manifests the local government’s support for the environment as mandated in the Bohol Environment Code.

Likewise, the MOA implies that the CRMP, hand in hand with the CRM Section of the BEMO, can also begin to look beyond its Northwestern Bohol learning area. The CRMP, in full coordination with the BEMO, can now work with any coastal LGU of Bohol that would request technical assistance—a welcome move as far as the province is concerned.

Next Steps

There are many ICM endeavors going on in Bohol. The greatest challenge now is how to develop them into one holistic ICM program. With the BEMO in the lead, the LGUs can begin to focus and address main issues logically and systematically. A major activity towards this end will be participatory assessments and planning in the various municipalities where none have yet been conducted. Sharing relevant experiences will also be a priority. The municipalities of Northwestern Bohol are in a position to showcase their numerous ICM experiences and serve as models to the southeast. A stakeholders’ summit, focusing on coastal law enforcement and facilitated by the provincial government in coordination with the provincial CRM Task Force, is currently being held as a spin-off of the Bohol Environment Summit.

During the culminating activity, an MOU was drawn up and signed, creating three district-wide coastal law enforcement councils. During Governor Relampagos’ provincial “Coastal Law Enforcement Agenda” speech held on the same day, he agreed to donate one patrol boat to each of the three district-wide councils to begin law enforcement activities in earnest.

The provincial government of Bohol maintains an “open door policy” with regard to partnerships in an effort to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of ICM implementation. The BEMO and the CRMP are expanding their network of partners by linking with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Bohol Chapter. The Provincial Coastal Resource Management Task Force, under the direction of the DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, will continue to be the unified voice of the NGOs and NGAs especially since it has the legal mandate to coordinate all their activities in the coastal zone. 

Northwestern Bohol has shown us that strong leadership does make a difference. From the province down to the local chief executives and their municipal officials, together with the fisherfolk, fish wardens, NGOs, NGAs and the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils, have formed the critical mass that would continue wise management and development of Bohol’s coastal resources well into the future, a proof of which is the resulting increases in budget allocations for ICM activities  (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Changes in CRM budget allocation 1995-1999: Bohol learning area municipalities

References

Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO). 2000.  Pagdumala sa mga Kapanguhaan sa Kabaybayunan ug Kadagatan sa Bohol (Bohol ICM brochure). Bohol Environment Management Office. Provincial Capitol, Tagbilaran City, Philippines.

Courtney, C. and K.P. Traub. 1999.   Local Government Management of Coastal Resources: Defining the Outer Limits of Municipal Waters in the Philippines.  style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Desdemona'>Tambuli. No. 5. May.  pp. 14-18.

Department of Tourism (DOT). 1997.  Bohol Ecotourism Development Framework. Office of Product Research and Development, Philippines.

Green, S.J., R. P. Monreal, A.T. White and T.G. Bayer. (eds.). 2000. Coastal Environmental Profile of Northwestern Bohol. Coastal Resource Management Project.  Cebu City.

National Census and Statistics Office (NCSO). 1995. Population Census for the Province of Bohol. NCSO, Philippines.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). 1999. NEDA website: www.neda.gov.ph

Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).  1992. Bohol Provincial Profile.  Province of Bohol, Philippines.

Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).  1993a. Provincial Physical Framework Plan. Province of Bohol, Philippines.

Sangguniang Panlalawigan. 1998.  Provincial Ordinance No. 98-01  Series of 1988. An Ordinance Enacting the Environment Code of the Province of Bohol. Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Tagbilaran City, Philippines.

Segura-Ybañez, M. E. 1997. Sustainability of Community-based Resource Management in the Central Visayas Regional Project – I Sites after 1992. In: Community-based Resource Management – the Central Visayas Experience (1984-1992).  Regional Center for Community Based Resource Management, Central Visayas Regional Development Council, Cebu City, Philippines.

Uychiaoco, A.J., H.O. Arceo, S.J. Green and F.I. Castrence, Jr.  1997. Monitoring the Effects of Marine Sanctuaries in Lomboy, Calape and Cangmating, Sibulan. Coastal Resource Management Project, Cebu City and University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute, Quezon City, Philippines.

White, A.T. 1999. Essential Elements of a Good ICM Plan.  Coastal Resource Management Project. Cebu City.

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