Quezon City, Philippines — Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) partner conservation site Barangay Ranzo, Pinamalayan in Oriental Mindoro landed third (3rd) place at the 2019 PARA EL MAR AWARDS, the most prestigious marine protected area (MPA) management awards in the Philippines run by MPA Support Network, U.P. Marine Science Institute, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The 24-hectare MPA was the smallest among the shortlisted top 11 in the Outstanding Community-Managed category of the awards, besting other bigger and far more popular MPA sites of the Philippines.
MFI entered into a conservation agreement with the community of Ranzo, local government of Pinamalayan and the Provincial Agriculture Office in 2014 as part of its Verde Island Passage Conservation program to provide direct site support ranging from social mobilization and advocacy, education campaigns, provision of socio-economic improvement opportunities (employment and self-employment), income-diversification conservation-friendly enterprise projects for bantay dagats & partner people’s organization, enforcement strengthening, ecological monitoring & rehabilitation, and disaster preparedness.
