Coron, Palawan — The municipality of Coron’s largest marine protected area (MPA) to date was launched on July 26, 2016 by partners who worked tirelessly to meet social and legal requirements for the establishment of locally-managed protected areas.

Located in Barangay Marcilla and within an ancestral domain, the marine protected area bears a total area of 7,284.47 hectares and has designated mangrove sustainable use zones, marine sanctuaries, seagrass management zones, hook-and-line fishing area and mariculture zones.

The MPA was finally legislated through municipal resolution 48 series of 2016 on March 21,2016, following the conservation agreement signing of Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) with the barangay and its stakeholders.

Partners present during the launch were Former Vice mayor Jim Pe, Coron municipal councillor Yuri Palanca-Committee on Agriculture, Office of Municipal Agriculture-Coron, Municipal Planning Devt Office,Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Maritime Police, Bgy Marcilla officials,Bgy Marcilla Tagbanua Association,Indigenous Cultural Community of Bgy Marcilla, Marcilla Seaweeds Growers Association, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Coron and MFI.

Marcilla Tagbanua tribal chieftain Celemente Cuizon addresses attendees.
Multisector partners celebrate the launch of Coron’s largest MPA.
An MPA marker and floater is symbolically held by key partners
in the formation of the protected area.
The Marcilla MPA billboard holding essential information to educate the community.