Multiple awards won by MFI conservation partner sites at USAID RACE

Coron, Palawan—Five (5) partner conservation sites of Malampaya Foundation Inc (MFI) located in the municipalities of Coron and Linapacan were awarded at the 2023 USAID Recognition Awards for Calamianes’ Enhanced Ecosystem (RACE).

RACE is held every 2 years to recognize effectively-managed marine protected areas (MPAs), share and document best practices to encourage improvement in the management of protection of critical marine zones in the Calamianes region of north Palawan.

Among the awards received by MFI’s conservation sites are:

          BEST-MANAGED MARINE PROTECTED AREA (MPA)

         2nd Place Best-Managed MPA: Bulalacao, Coron

         3rd place Best-Managed MPA: San Miguel, Linapacan

          BEST IP-MANAGED MPA

          1st Place Best IP-Managed MPA: Bulalacao, Coron

          BEST INITIATIVE MPA

          1st Place Best Initiative MPA: Marcilla, Coron

          2nd Place Best Initiative MPA: Pical, Linapacan

          3rd Place Best Initative MPA: Decabaitot, Linapacan

The MPAs of Bulalacao and Marcilla in Coron and San Miguel and Pical in Linapacan have been consistent awardees in the 2017, 2019 and 2021 RACE. The Bulalacao MPA has likewise been awarded Best Community-Managed MPA in the province of Palawan in 2020 and 2022 for the provincial government’s PEARL Awards.

‍