IN the first region-wide search for Asean Champions of Biodiversity, Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of Caltex branded quality fuels and lubricants, recently bagged third place for Most Outstanding Biodiversity Conservation and/or Advocacy Project by a Private Business/Corporation for its Project Seahorse (PS) program that created the country’s first multi-use marine park and sanctuary.
A partnership between CPI and Project Seahorse Foundation (PSF), PS aims to save Danajon Double Barrier Coral Reef, or Danajon Bank, by establishing the Minantaw Marine Park and Sanctuary (MMPS), a pioneering 214.6-hectare multi-use marine zone. It integrates a regulated fishing zone (62 hectares), an ecological seaweed farming zone (55 hectares), an ecologically sustainable use zone (37 hectares) and a 50-hectare strictly no-take or core zone (the sanctuary).
Danajon Bank, located in central Philippines, is a center of marine biodiversity in the world. It is a critical fishing ground for thousands of fishers from Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Southern Leyte. Since the 1950s, wanton exploitation and absence of conservation have severely degraded its habitats.
“Chevron deserves credit for the success of Project Seahorse and the community of Caubian in creating the country’s first multi-use marine park and sanctuary. It is admirable that a big commercial company like Chevron includes biodiversity as part of its operational excellence. Chevron unfolded the MMPS using deliberate steps and well-grounded metrics to form a strong tripartite private-government-community alliance,” said Angelie Nellas, senior biologist, PSF.
Since the creation of the sanctuary, local fisherfolk are seeing more fish inside the sanctuary, especially commercially viable ones. To affirm that these initial observations equate to the effectiveness and the sustainability of the marine park and MPA, PS focused on community organizing, formation and capacity building of the management council, as well as monitoring the biophysical conditions of the marine sanctuary.
“Protecting people and the environment is a core value at Chevron that underlies the work we do to conserve biodiversity in association with our projects and operations. A healthy ecosystem impacts Chevron’s business in two ways: first, it allows an environment that supports the drawing and creation of energy from nature in a sustainable and respectful way and; second, providing for the well-being and progress of local communities will ultimate contribute to the health of the economy,” explained Jim Meynink, CPI country chairman.
The ACB evaluated Chevron-Project Seahorse program based on its clear impact on biodiversity conservation in the Asean region, value and effectiveness, replicability, sustainability, recognition in the community or country where it is implemented, and clear contribution to the goals and objectives of the Asean on environment and biodiversity.
“Biodiversity is integrated into our business decision-making and management through our Operational Excellence management system. Biodiversity projects will always be part of how Chevron operates and winning this prestigious award means that will always be the case for generations to come,” added Meynink.
In Photo: A diver surveys corals and other marine life on the double barrier reef.
