- ESSC Home page
Building partnerships to improve resource management and local livelihoods in Matarinao Bay, E.Samar PDF Print
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Matarinao Bay Management Council, Eastern SamarThe Matarinao Bay Management Council (MBMC) is a partnership among the four municipalities that have jurisdiction over Matarinao Bay: Hernani, General Macarthur, Quinapondan and Salcedo, in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines.
In 1999, the three municipalities (Gen. MacArthur, Quinapondan and Salcedo) with authority over majority of the bay came together due to increasing concerns about the environmental condition of its coastal resources. With the partnership of the Associates for Rural Development-Governance and Local Democracy Project (ARD-GOLD/USAID), the three municipalities agreed to formulate a coastal resource management plan. As a result of this initiative, the Matarinao Bay Strategic Action Plan (SAP) was adopted and a Memorandum of Understanding signed, committing the three municipalities to work to adopt a more coherent and integrated approach to the management of the bay.

The initial focus of the partnership was Matarinao Bay, a semi-enclosed 7,500-hectare expanse of water, around 40 meters in depth and with a coastline of more than 40 kilometers. The coastal fringe is characterized by extensive multi-species mangrove stands along its length and surrounding four of its seven major islands, fronted by large reef-flat foreshores. Fringing reef is prevalent along its length and surrounds all islands within the bay.

Four major and many more smaller rivers flow into the bay from a number of catchment areas characterized by denuded primary rainforest, extensive secondary and tertiary growth areas in the upland areas, and poor quality agricultural land in low lying coastal areas.

The ultimate objective of the SAP was to support empowered communities and the relevant local government units, to manage the coastal resources and areas within Matarinao Bay, resources upon which many depend for livelihood and industry. Based on this over-arching premise, the SAP is further guided by five principal goals:

  • To conserve, protect, and develop Matarinao Bay in such a sustainable manner that would not impair its capacity to provide more benefits for the coming generation
  • To establish visible institutions involving popular community and stakeholder participation in integrated coastal resource management
  • To provide and promote sustainable livelihood opportunities to improve the socio-economic conditions of the local people
  • To identify and promote investments promising local tourism potentials within the bay area, and
  • To conserve and protect the genetic diversity, fragile coastal habitats, and the ecological support systems of Matarinao Bay (ARD-GOLD/USAID, 2000)

It was expected that the SAP would help guide the formation of coordinated coastal resource management (CRM) policies and ordinances that would be applied to the bay as a whole and that would transcend individual municipal boundaries. Only a few small-scale initiatives were undertaken however, and due to limited technical and financial resources, the project soon became inoperative.

In 2004, all four Municipalities with jurisdiction over the bay decided to re-energize and strengthen their efforts to work together to develop and implement a CRM program. Interest from the local government units and support from NGO partners allowed the MBMC actively progress with their plans.

In December 2005 the MBMC agreed to extend its jurisdiction to all municipal waters. This added extensive pacific coastal areas both north and south of the Bay extending to 15 kilometers offshore. This also increased the number of barangays involved with the coastal resource management activities. Originally, only 19 barangays were included; now, 34 barangays are involved in coastal resource management activities with the Matarinao Bay Management Council.

Click here to view the full report, for map Click here.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 March 2011 )