DENR commits collection

For Puntod rehabilitation

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Sept 9 (PIA)—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has agreed with Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado to use some of its collected access fees to fund the rehabilitation and set up of mooring buoys and floaters to cordon off the identified areas for rehabilitation in the Panglao Island Protected Seascapes (PIPS).

This too, as the government environment department and its PIPS Management Board (PAMB) decided to indefinitely close Puntod Island and its Virgin Island sandbar from any human water activities, starting September 9.

Puntod island owns the area’s kilometric white sand bar that forms a lagoon nearly a kilometer in diameter and is a favorite destination for island hopping and snorkeling tourists.

By 2 PM on September 8, a team of reef rangers erected a billboard that announced the closure of the Island and its vicinity waters, from any human activities except gleaning and boat passage to Balicasag Island, as well as the fish cage operation of the Danao United Fishermen’s Association.

The closure goes indefinitely.

The closure of the island and its vicinity, came after the PAMB, along with local officials met to tackle viral posts on social media showing a snorkeling guide vandalizing the table corals in Estaca point near Virgin Island sand bar.

Dive master and marine environment advocate Danilo Menorias, who was among the reef assessment team assigned by the governor to inspect the coral damage said one table coral (acropora branching), approximately 11 meters by 3.71 meters, bore vandalism showing names written on them.

The letters in the corals measure 1 inch thick.

During the reef assessment which the governor directed, the team composed of DENR Community ENRO Tagbilaran, Municipal ENRO-Panglao, SB Councilor, Bohol Provincial Environment management Office, Panglao Association of Dive Operators (PADO), and a representative of the Office of the Governor also noted tourist boatmen indiscriminately dropping anchor on corals, in the absence of mooring buoys in the area.

The assessment team, seeing the damage, has also suggested temporary closure of the island to address the impact of water activities.

Aumentado, during the presentation by the reef inspection team said there is a need to install sinkers for mooring buoys, where motor bancas can just teeter their ropes instead of dropping anchors which can have devastating effects on the corals.

He also said there is also the need to cordon off the area where the damaged corals are, and designate permanent snorkeling areas.

DENR Bohol PENRO Jose Cleo Colis also proposed that local guides should train with the green divers so that they would be able to instruct and practice sustainable snorkeling practices that protect the environment.

The team also suggested putting up a 24-hour bantay dagat patrol in the area, upon knowing that the DENR has only two divers who accompany groups entering the protected area.

Between August 27 to August 29, the DENR PIPS reported 97 boats visiting the area, dropping off snorkelers and picnic groups.

The team also noted that some tour operators in Panglao simply obtain business permits and start to operate without taking care that their workers are familiar about educating tourists about sustainable and safe water.

Even the Philippine Coast Guard, which issues the boat clearances admit that with plenty of coast lines remaining uncovered, many illegal operators slip out to island hopping tours without licensed boat captains and accredited boatmen, without safety and communications equipment on board.

Gov Aumentado floated again the idea of common jump-off stations for all island hopping tour boats, so the authorities can have control and enforce those which are deemed enforceable by law. (RAHC/PIA_7/Bohol)

DENR REEF RANGERS who are assigned to safeguard the Panglao Island Protected Seascape including the Virgin Island sandbar officially erected the billboard closing the area and its vicinity waters from human activities until further notice, to allow the environment to recuperate, following a vandalism by a snorkeling guide, which destroyed corals here. (PIABohol)

PUNTOD AND ITS VIRGIN SANDBAR. A strip of sand bar that moves with the season in Puntod island creates nearly a kilometer wide lagoon that offers good snorkeling areas and safe picnics, but human activity in this protected area has degraded the environment that authorities decided to close the island for human activities, until further notice. (PIABohol)