By Ramil S. Bulilan
In the coastal barangays of Clarin, Bohol particularly Poblacion Norte and Tangaran, there stood the 7.5 hectares of
man-made mangrove forest through the great and concerted efforts of the townfolks headed by the LGU of Clarin long time ago. To date, it claims to have some century-old mangrove trees untouched by human hands and preserved by the loving nature.
Now the advent of the "Training Entrepreneurs for Eco-Tourism Advancement and Coastal Habitat (TEACH) Protection Project of CVSCAFT Clarin Campus which received fund assistance from the Australian government (AusAID) through the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP) with counterpart assistance from the LGU of Clarin, DENR, DA-BFAR, DTI, and BTO, is indeed a blessing to the PO-beneficiaries and the community folks. The TEACH Protection Project's (TPP) main facilities include the 200 m. boardwalk, quay café shop, and bird watch station. The 200-meter boardwalk trail traverses the dense mangrove forest which surely attracts local and foreign tourists in its natural ambience and captivating exceptional panoramas of the different species of mangroves.
Since its launching two years ago, the TEACH Protection project has stayed up about protecting such environmental endowment. In its efforts of protecting mangrove forest, the TEACH Protection project extends their replanting to enhance the existing mangrove stand.
A series of consultative and collaborative meetings with Bantay-dagat personnel from Tubigon LGU and Clarin-LGU have been conducted. The Bantay Katunggan of Clarin has been reinforced. The Clarin Mangrove Planters Association (ClamPA), a PO-beneficiary of TEACH Protection project, with twenty-three members headed by its new president Mr. Efren Mejares Primacio, led in the continued replanting of mangrove. He said that last week of April 2009 they again replanted 25 propagules each of them alongside with its eco-tour site, the boardwalk, and promised to replant more before the end of June, this year.
Hon. Felimon C. Alison, SB member of Clarin, Bohol and chairperson of the committee on CRM and Fisheries and Environmental Protection has authored and passed an ordinance which was approved by the SB level. It is "an ordinance declaring the TEACH Project (Boardwalk and mangrove eco-tour) as a restricted area for any fishing activity, gathering of seashells, crustaceans, cutting of mangroves, dumping of garbage, and bird hunting and providing penalties thereof" (Municipal Ordinance No. 03, s. 2009).
Moreover, the TEACH Protection project continues its monitoring program to safeguard such mangrove forest as the main feature of its boardwalk.
The four PO's- -Tangaran Fishermen Multipurpose Cooperative (TAFIMULPUCO); Tangaran Aquarium Fish Gatherers Association (TAFGA); Seaweed Farmers (SeaFar) of Clarin; and, Clarin Mangrove Planters Association (ClamPA) as TEACH project beneficiaries vowed an all-out support in safeguarding and protecting the mangrove forest. Some members have been deputized as Bantay-Katunggan volunteers.
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