The conservation of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef took the spotlight in the first Geopark Bootcamp held from June 26 until 28 at Puerto San Pedro, Bien Unido.
Participants were Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons from the ten municipalities near the reef area, including Calape, Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, Buenavista, Getafe, Talibon, Trinidad, Ubay, and Carlos P Garcia.
Students from Holy Name University and Bohol Island State University of Clarin, Candijay, and Bilar campus attended the three-day camp hosted at the Dive Camp Resort.
Participants took part in workshops, field studies, and interactive sessions led by experts in geology, marine biology, and conservation.
The Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office (BPEMO), in collaboration with the Coastal Conservation Education Foundation (CCEF), organized the event.
Jovencia Ganub, head of BPEMO, opened the event and highlighted Bohol as the first and only UNESCO Global Geopark Regenerative Island Province in the Philippines.
Ganub also emphasized the crucial importance of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef and encouraged youth leaders to take a proactive role in the conservation efforts for these natural treasures.
The Tindak Dance Troupe presented a cultural performance while Charity Asutilla, Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Officer of BPEMO, facilitated the introduction and grouping activities.
Ginalyn Pala, CRM Officer of the Local Government Unit of Bien Unido, Bohol, delivered a message on behalf of Mayor Rene Borenaga.
Meanwhile, BPEMO Geologist Karl Michael Din gave a comprehensive presentation on the Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark, highlighting the youth’s role in its conservation and maintaining the sustainability of the island’s geology and culture.
Generoso Madrona, the Project Coordinator for Protect Danajon at the Coastal Conservation Education Foundation (CCEF), gave a presentation on the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef, highlighting its biodiversity, the ecological services it provides, and the urgent need for its conservation.
Jairus Ismael Chiu, a volunteer with Kabiling Lunhaw, an organization dedicated to promoting a lasting green environment for all, tackled the group’s initiatives, including tree and mangrove growing, coastal cleanups, and conducting brand audits of the trash collected.
Nicholson Tan and Alexis Cancino, both from CCEF, explained the importance of preserving mangroves and seagrasses as a key component of the coastal ecosystem. Ranie Ibañez discussed the significant impact of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on enhancing fish stocks and increasing coral cover.
Luke Edward Gallares, former president of JCI Sandugo, highlighted the crucial role of youth in marine conservation, emphasizing active participation, involvement, advocacy, and leveraging social media as effective tools.
The Danajon Bank is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines, one of three in the Indo-Pacific region, and one of six in the world.
The event aimed at Boholano young leaders to value the ecological significance of the site, a priority on environmental sustainability underscored in the Strategic Change Agenda of Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado and Dionisio Victor Balite’s administration. (PiMO/JSS)