Puerto Princesa, Palawan—MFI's conservation site and partner community Bulalacao in Coron, Palawan was awarded Best Locally-Managed MPA second time in a row at the Palawan provincial government's recent PEARL Awards on September 20, 2022, during the 2nd Palawan MPA Summit. Bulalacao MPA was the recipient of the same award in 2020.
MFI's partnership with Bulalacao started in 2012 and together launched the 3,468-hectare Bulalacao MPA in 2014, winning various RACE (Recognition Awards for Calamianes’ Ecosystem) Awards from 2017 to 2021 such as Best IP-Managed MPA, Best Initiative MPA, Best Law Enforcement MPA and Best-Managed MPA.
The Bulalacao MPA demonstrated remarkable biological recoveries in abundance of commercially-important fish species, hard coral cover growth and return of endangered species such as the Napoleon Wrasse and black-tip shark.
The partnership involves working closely with the Coron local government, the Tagbanua council of Bulalacao, Barangay local govt, the Coron offices of the following agencies: Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
