By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency
Stakeholders sharing the resources Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT) resources now want to dialog with concerned agencies over issues and concerns that the three towns could not cooperatively address.
In fact, residents living in the cluster towns of Panglao, Dauis and Baclayon sharing the waters bounded by these islands have joined hands to address issues that would ascertain resource sustainability, as the recent consolidation workshop on the Local Regional Economic Development (LRED) for the three towns show.
Some issues however, like zoning, municipal water boundaries, environment code implementation and other related concerns are beyond the cluster level, admit sources during their recent cluster workshop here.
This too came as stakeholders engage in separate intensive private sector enterprise development delving on social capitalization for the BMT cluster towns to spur up local progress, admits Dr. Volker Steigerwald, program manager for the Private Sector Promotion, Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustainable Employment Program fo the German Development Corporation (GTZ).
During the BMT Cluster LRED Consolidation Workshop, which opened at the Metrocenter May 26, 2009, Dr. Steigerwald also insisted the government should stick to its role as facilitator of development and regulator of all policies to equalize development and environment.
Towns sharing the triangle of sea each have crafted their own LRED plans which have involved massive community mobilizations to sustain the marine triangle threatened by tourism and commercial fishing over-use while enjoying the resource.
BMT, Bohol’s main tourist hub boasting of the best beaches, wealthy marine biodiversity, world class dive sites is also the home of communities strongly reliant on the resource while fast becoming a shared resource by investors whose tourism capitalization pose overuse issues threatening sustainability.
GTZ has been partnering with the government in private-public sector cooperation in capacitating communities bolstering their social capital by identifying and working on each strength and weaknesses while keeping the teeming marine triangle resources, said Bohol Trade Director Ma. Elena Arbon, while reorienting LRED to workshop participants on the LRED.
Clustering has been a method adopted to work on the strength of participation, expanding mindsets and opening up ares for teamwork between and among towns, Arbon explained, adding that there is a tendency to go parochial when a unit tackles issues alone.
Competing against many places in the country, BMT towns have agreed that their only way to edge out is to keep the teeming resource sustainable by judicious use, insists workshop facilitator Linda Paredes.
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