The year 2023 was another year of many triumphs and trials, if you recall, in the first quarter of the year alone, a tanker oil spill affected a number of our south Oriental Mindoro conservation sites. Nonetheless, with the collective efforts of partners and other parties, the worst is over and we continue our support partner communities to this day in helping overcome this tragedy.

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Pola, Oriental Mindoro--The combined effect of MPA and Enforcement Network, community-based coastal resource management efforts, and province-wide annual seasonal closure continues to bear fruit with the recent “fish-picking” phenomenon at Barangay Puting Cacao in Pola, Oriental Mindoro that was experienced by residents of this coastal barangay after the 7^th cycle of the province’s annual seasonal closure from Nov 15 to Jan 15.

Oriental Mindoro —BPI Foundation (BPIF), the social arm of the Bank of Philippine Islands, and Malampaya Foundation Inc (MFI) teamed up and signed a partnership in September 2023 to undertake additional skills trainings in south Oriental Mindoro to support recovery of select oil spill-affected towns in the province.

Malampaya Foundation Inc (MFI), Prime Energy Resources Development and the municipal government of Linapacan, Palawan yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for partnership in the solar micro-grid electrification of select areas in the municipality.

One hundred thirty-eight (138) youths from the municipalities of Taytay, El Nido, Linapacan and Coron participated in Environmental Youth Action Camps held in various locations in the province in November.

Calapan, Oriental Mindoro—Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) and the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro renewed their memorandum of agreement (MOA) for partnerships in various programs covering marine biodiversity conservation, socio-economic improvement programs, disaster relief and others.

Malampaya Foundation (MFI) and Western Philippines University (WPU) recently transferred and restocked locally-extinct Philippines' true native giant clam Tridacna gigas in select strict marine protection zones in El Nido and Coron, Palawan. The transfer of adult and juvenile clams of the said species aims to expand the presence of the hatchery-grown giant clam species, declared locally-extinct in the 1980s, to support its long-term survival and presence.

Malampaya Foundation Inc.’s (MFIs) partner conservation site Ranzo Fish Sanctuary located in barangay Ranzo, Pinamalayan in the province of Oriental Mindoro landed 2^nd BEST-MANAGED MARINE PROTECTED AREA (MPA) at the 2023 country-wide Para El Mar awards, awarded yesterday in Cebu City.  On the other hand, MFI’s other conservation site Maasin Fish Sanctuary in barangay Maasin, Bulalacao in the same province finished 6^th place.