🌊 A Big Change for Siquijor’s Ocean: Bitaug Marine Protected Area Declared! 🌊
Imagine the blue seas of Siquijor—full of colorful fish, green seagrass, and strong corals. For years, people dreamed of protecting this treasure. After 18 long years of waiting, that dream finally came true.
The waters of Enrique Villanueva town in Siquijor are now officially called the Bitaug Marine Protected Area (MPA). This place is huge—149.46 hectares of ocean, making it the biggest protected ocean area in Siquijor. To give you an idea, it’s like protecting almost one-third of the whole island’s seas!
But this victory didn’t happen overnight. Since 2007, fishermen, leaders, and local groups kept pushing to save the sea. They held meetings, talked with government officials, and never gave up. Finally, their patience and hard work paid off.
💙 Why protect it?
Because Bitaug MPA is special. It has:
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Coral reefs that can survive climate change.
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Seagrass beds where baby fish grow.
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Lots of fish that people rely on for food and income.
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Sea creatures that make the ocean alive and colorful.
Now, no one can just catch fish or take sea creatures here—unless it’s for research to help protect the sea.
The local government will take care of the MPA together with the Bitaug Fisherfolk Association (BitFA), a group of fishermen who fought hard for this. Their leader, Othello Manos, proudly said:
“This is the beginning of what we’ve been dreaming of for 18 years. Now, we can finally protect our seas.”
💡 But here’s the twist: This protection is not just about rules. It’s also about opportunity. The MPA will allow snorkeling and diving tourism. The money earned will be shared between the government and the community, and much of it will go back into protecting the sea and helping the locals.
🌍 The success of Bitaug MPA is a big lesson for other towns: when people work together—government, communities, and leaders—they can protect nature and create a better future.
