Three MPAs from Siquijor—Tulapos, Binoongan and Olang passed all the threshold requirements of MPA MEAT level 3-sustained.
The MPA MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool (MEAT) is an evaluation tool used to assess the current situation or status of the MPA governance in terms of enforcement, implementation, and maintenance. A series of structured questions are provided in each category and they need to satisfy the threshold questions to pass each level. MPA MEAT levels are as follows: 1) Level 1 = Established; 2) Level 2 = Strengthened; 3) Level 3 = Sustained; and 4) Level 4 = Institutionalized. .
The top three MPAs in Siquijor ( Tulapos, Binoongan and Olang ) were evaluated last February using the MPA MEAT). Tulapos Marine Sanctuary is the oldest and biggest sanctuary in Siquijor and is currently being managed by the Tulapos MPA Association (TUMPAAS) composed of people’s organization, tour guide operators and barangay council. The youngest, the Bino-ogan marine sanctuary established last 2012 and being managed by Bino-ongan MPA Management Group (BMMG) composed of barangay council, from the PO (Bino-ongan Women Association) group and the community. Bino-ongan was the consistent contender and finalist in the province in 2013 and was awarded as “best managed MPA” during the Isla de Fuego MPA awards in 2016 and last June 17, 2019. On the other hand, Olang marine sanctuary setup is a co-management between the barangay councils and people’s organization where the compositions of the PO are farmers and fishermen and created Olang Coastal Resource Management Body (OCRMB).
When compared with the MPA MEAT conducted last 2019, these three MPAs have a remarkable improvement in terms to their management body, enforcement, IEC, community participation, and site development. Along with this each management plan was already adopted at the barangay level for Bino-ongan MS, Olang has updated the management plan till 2022 and lastly Tulapos has been incorporated in the CDP plan. However, they still need to enhance the data monitoring on the socio-economic monitoring and the financing aspects more likely to be financially self-sustaining MPAs. Furthermore, fund supports are coming from the LGU particularly from the Municipal Agricultural Office in their CRM programs, and also the barangay allotted small amounts of budget to sustain their activity.
