Guv solves MCPI - B'Unido impasse, will revive Celebosole Growth Quad

REPRESENTATIVES of the Cebu-based Marine Colloids Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) and the Municipality of Bien Unido in Bohol will meet Wednesday to agree on payment terms for rent and taxes for an area within the Danajon Double Barrier Reef. The move forms part of a formula Gov. Erico Aumentado drew to rehabilitate, conserve and preserve the reef's resources even as he intends to bring to a higher level the development of Asia 's lone double barrier reef formation. The only two others in the world are the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and another in Nova Scotia. In a meeting yesterday at the Governor's Mansion in Tagbilaran City , Bien Unido Mayor Marianita Garcia said the local government unit (LGU) is now consolidating areas suitable to planting seaweeds. This after Aumentado last month distributed P125,000 each to Bien Unido's eight island barangays or an aggregate of P1 million to plant seaweeds locally known as gusô. Garcia said since despite repeated reminders MCPI has not been paying rent and taxes for the last two years on top of arrears for prior years, the LGU would like to take back part of the area it is developing.

The mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) at yesterday's meeting said they want to allocate the area in question to fishermen formerly using illegal methods as alternative livelihood. This even as Aumentado announced that he is allocating another P1 million next year for Bien Unido seaweed farmers. The governor wants to boost production in order to attract Shanghai, China-based investors to establish a carrageenan alkali chips processing plant in Bohol 's northern corridor. He confided that he has met the investors thrice after the July 22 Investment Forum here that was a highlight of the Bohol Day celebration and the Sandugo Festival.

The move also forms part of the development of the reef. Aumentado this week will invite Governors Jericho Petilla of Leyte, Rosette Lerias of Southern Leyte and Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu as well as the Central and Eastern Visayas presidential assistants and regional directors of the Departments of Agriculture (DA) and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He is into his second term as governor. Prior to that, he was congressman of Bohol 's 2nd District for three terms during which he convened the governors and key officials of the two regions for what was then known as the Leyte-Bohol-Southern Leyte (Lebosole) Growth Area.

When Cebu came in, it became the Celebosole Growth Quadrangle. “We have been overtaken by changes. Cebu and Leyte now have new governors. That is why I am calling this meeting so that the four provinces can pick up where they left off years back,” he said.

The Danajon reef is a rich fishing ground. Years of neglect, exploitation and abuse however threaten its very existence. Blast, trawl, cyanide and other forms of illegal fishing have caused the destruction of the seabed and the resultant dwindling catch, said Aumentado who joined a “new look” fishing crew in his hometown of Ubay at eight years old when he was orphaned by his father. Aside from Ubay, the towns of Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, Buenavista, Getafe , Talibon, Trinidad , Bien Unido and Pres. Garcia in Bohol abut the Danajon Bank. Having met the seaweed farmers of her town, Garcia also reported that MCPI allegedly takes the farmers' dried seaweeds but pays only after several days. The average buying price per kilo, dried, of the cottonii variety is P28 and the spinosum variety, P10.50.

Lawyer Maximo Ricohermoso, MCPI head admitted delayed payments but vehemently denied not having paid any farmer his due. Delays happen when the MCPI research and buying station in Danajon runs out of cash and cannot immediately replenish because of bad weather.

Abalone

Another possible alternative livelihood identified for farmers in the area is abalone culture. When the Garcia and the SB asked why the Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest (FISH) Project needs to go through a foundation and not direct to the people for its assistance, Rebecca Smith said the process is outlined in the guidelines set by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). She clarified however that this specific assistance is for technology transfer, that is, the conduct of a series of trainings.

FISH Project is tapping Datingbayan, a foundation MCPI established to fulfill its corporate responsibility, to conduct the trainings. Ricohermoso said they have the technology; the columns of the MCPI farmhouse is already a natural abalone seed bank. One abalone area already produces 150 kilograms of the shell a day. Aside from production, Ricohermoso assured FISH Project and the Bien Unido officials that MCPI will also provide market linkages for abalone. In re-activating the Celebosole, Aumentado is looking at cooperation in protecting and increasing the productivity of Danajon instead of pursuing delineation alone.

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