Tubbataha Reef Case Study

Maria Angelica R. Minaldo Social Anthropology 165
2013-46498 Prof. Vicki Diaz

I. Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park A paradise for divers and swimmers and a blissful getaway location for travelers, Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park (TRNMP) will never let anyone down with its magnificence and diversity of marine creatures. Located in the center of Sulu Sea and in the Southeast area of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Philippines, Tubbataha Reefs houses exceptionally diverse and unique marine plants and animals including corals, turtles, various species of sharks, dolphins, and numerous schools of fishes (Arquiza & White, 1994, pp. 3 & 5). In a survey in 1982, there were recorded at

In Tubbataha’s case, subjective factors would include the lack of knowledge of the community members of Cagayancillo and most fishermen pertaining to the environmental state of the TRNMP and the conservationists’ concern about the place. Because of the rampant illegal fishing in the area, residents of Cagayancillo and Ernesto Sta. Cruz, a particular concerned scuba diver, conservationist and native of Palawan who was working with Task Force Pawikan, took interest in prioritizing the protection of the Tubbataha reefs and its resources. In August 1987, Sta. Cruz took action by writing a letter to the then-Palawan vice governor persuading that Tubbataha reefs should be proclaimed as a marine park or sanctuary (Arquiza & White, 1994, p. 36). Following these mind changes of individuals and institutions (Cagayancillo residents, province of Palawan, DENR) regarding the state of the Tubbataha reefs were the political articulation of laws solely for the protection and conservation of the

The perceptions of institutions such as the municipality of Cagayancillo, the province of Palawan itself, government agencies, non-government organizations, and even individuals altered towards the sustainability of the Tubbataha reefs national marine park’s resources. Actual impacts as results from the political enunciations and reforms then followed. In one study of R.F. Subade & A.L.A. Subade entitled Socio-Economic Conditions and Perceptions on the Conservation of Tubbataha Reefs and Vicinity: A Household Surveys in Cagayancillo, Palawan (2007), involvement and awareness in the governance for the marine park was greater even for residents in the Cagayancillo islands through organizations in the municipality. Because the residents’ economic income decreased through time people have realized much more the significance of the TRNMP and the importance and contribution of its resources to their lives. The residents of Cagayancillo and their livelihood depends on the resources of the said reefs so destruction of the reefs also affects their situation. Through these policies and guidelines concerning the resource management of the TRNMP, residents and even organizations act applicably in managing the natural resources. Also because the marine park is a “no-take policy” zone, access to its resources is not that easy. Monitoring of the TRNMP itself gains