Let's Adventure to Mindoro!

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided almost P195,000 to local government units (LGUs) affected by landslide in Occidental Mindoro last August 4.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman said the agency released P194,817 relief assistance to the affected municipalities of Calintaan, Looc, Magsaysay, Mamburao, Sablayan and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.

As of August 7, the number of affected families was 5,262 or 26,310 individuals from 40 barangays in these six towns.

In Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, the DSWD provided some 633 food packs worth P165,735, while in Mamburao, some 10 boxes of sardines and 15 boxes of corned beef worth P29,081 were provided.

Soliman said three evacuation centers were opened providing temporary shelter to some 675 families with 3,375 persons from the municipalities of Sablayan and Looc.

“The DSWD is also continuously providing relief aid to some 2,386 family-victims with 11,930 persons outside the evacuation centers,” she added.

Meanwhile, seven houses in Looc, Occidental Mindoro were partially damaged.

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This tale is fraught with sharks and treasure, pirates and poachers, strife and solutions. Come, dive with me!

“Apo Reef is the ‘Jewel of Mindoro,’” former Sablayan Mayor Godofreido Mintu told me recently over a seafood dinner. “Perhaps you may come to realize just what its treasure is, but only after you dive.”

Having nursed a lifelong fascination with both pirate lore and bizarre quests, I felt the old man’s words strike home.

And now, surrounded by undersea life 65 feet below the eastern face of Apo Island in Occidental Mindoro, I pray to Poseidon and embark on a treasure hunt—a quest to find the true “jewels” of the deep.

I drift leisurely, propelled alongside a heavily encrusted sea wall by invisible ocean currents. My attention shifts to the wall, where neon-hued fairy basslets frolic amid the swaying tips of crimson gorgonians.

I peer in to inspect their knobby rows of polyps, careful not to touch anything, Leave No Trace principles being of primary importance.

A minute later, an impossibly huge school of yellow-dashed fusiliers (Pterocaesio randalli) appears. I try to estimate their number but they coalesce into a single mass that fills my vision end to end. In a moment they are gone.

This is truly Poseidon’s realm. Consider that 71 percent of the planet is covered in water, and 97 percent of that forms its vast oceans.

Covering just 1 percent of the ocean floor, coral reefs host an incredible variety of life: One in four marine creatures live within these undersea oases, and nowhere are these more beautiful and productive than in the wondrous Pacific archipelago known as the Philippines.



Origin of life and legend

Apo Reef lies at the northern tip of the Coral Triangle, a 5.7-million-square-kilometer region that spans the seas of six countries—the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

A fourth of the world’s islands lie nestled within this exquisite region, distinguished by the presence of at least 500 species of reef-building coral.

The Coral Triangle is so abundant in marine life that it has been hailed by globally renowned coral expert and author Dr. Charlie Veron as “the center of Earth’s marine diversity.” It is home to 605 of the 798 known reef-building corals and 2,228 types of reef fish that include the Sulawesi Coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), a living relic of the dinosaur era thought to have been extinct for some 70 million years.

Like the Bermuda Triangle, the Coral Triangle has spawned a variety of folklore. During the Age of Sail, both pirates and privateers swore of surmounting enchanting mermaids, wailing sirens, ship-tearing kraken and all manner of sea monsters.

The region is actually an enormous undersea food factory, whose produce directly benefits half a billion people yearly. A single square kilometer of healthy reef can produce more than 40 metric tons of grouper, oyster, tuna and other forms of seafood year after year.

Obviously, the potential of our seas to sustain life, both human and otherwise, is leviathan.

Troubled Paradise

In Greek mythology, the infant Zeus nursed from a bountiful horn carried by the nymph Amalthea. This so-called Cornucopian Horn came to be associated with wealth and abundance.

Properly protected, the Philippines’ 27,000 square kilometers of coral reefs can turn into a Cornucopian Horn, providing for the needs of millions in a very real bid to stamp out Asian poverty.

But Paradise lies troubled. For more than a century, coastal development, destructive fishing practices, coral mining, sedimentation, overfishing, chemical pollution and the effects of climate change (such as ocean warming, acidification and coral bleaching) have been waging an undersea war against our marine enclaves.

The Philippines, together with Indonesia, hosts the world’s most threatened coral reefs, less than 5 percent of which remain in excellent condition. Faced with this problem, many countries within the Coral Triangle have established Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to conserve what’s left.

“[MPAs] evolved when people realized that portions of coral reefs needed continual protection to stay productive,” explains Joel Palma, conservation programs vice president of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). “These areas go by a host of names: MPAs, fish sanctuaries or no-take zones. All of them are loosely defined as inter- or subtidal spots reserved by law for the protection of a given area.”

Undersea enclaves

Today, the Philippines hosts about 10 percent of the world’s MPAs—more than 500, more than any in Southeast Asia. Established largely through local government initiatives and maintained through the blood, sweat and tears of coastal communities, these undersea enclaves provide safe havens for Philippine marine life as well as a growing number of eco-conscious tourists.

But many MPAs are plagued by a lack of funding. Mismanagement is rife: Only a little over 100 are properly administered; the rest are “paper parks”—areas urgently needing funding and professional management.

Hunting incursions are recurring sources of friction between the Philippines and its neighbors.

In September 2007, 126 endangered green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and 10,000 turtle eggs were found aboard China’s F/V 01087 in Sulu.

In August 2008, 101 critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) were found aboard Vietnam’s F/V Q.ng 91234-TS near El Nido in Palawan.

In April 2009, 14 green sea turtles were found aboard an unmarked Chinese speedboat near Cauayan, also in El Nido.

Since the 1990s, WWF has been working with the private sector, the government and civil society in furthering scientific research, policy reform, protected area and community-based management within the Coral Triangle. Its Philippine office has pioneered the establishment and upkeep of MPAs in some of the country’s best-known and most productive coral reefs.

Two of the best-managed MPAs are Apo Reef off Occidental Mindoro and Tubbataha Reefs off Palawan.

Wonders of ‘payaw’

Much of Apo Reef, the country’s largest (34 square kilometers) and a former world-class dive site, is in an abysmal state after 30 years of destructive fishing.

In October 2007, WWF and the local government of Sablayan in Mindoro spearheaded the total closure of Apo Reef to fishing. Alternative livelihood programs and a robust ecotourism drive were instituted to keep livelihoods afloat while allowing the reef ample time to recover.

Giant fish aggregation devices—locally called payaw—were installed to provide alternate fishing spots for coastal communities.

The crude but effective contraptions feature a buoy, a counterweight and 10 to 20 giant coconut fronds. Algae growths on the decomposing fronds attract herbivores such as surgeonfish and rabbitfish, which then draw larger predators.

Local group leader Elmo Bijona testifies to the effectiveness of the devices: “A single payaw can daily yield maybe 15 kilograms of good fish per boat. You can land tambakol, tulingan, galunggong and even yellowfin tuna on any given night.”

The steady rise in the size and number of fish has been matched by an upsurge of tourists, proving that ecological stewardship goes hand in hand with profit.

There are even more dramatic results in other model sites. From 2004 to 2005, the world-renowned Tubbataha Reefs doubled yearly fish biomass from 166 to 318 metric tons per square kilometer—a yield seven times more productive than a typical reef.

Tubbataha’s fertile reefs also constantly seed adjoining regions such as eastern Palawan and western Visayas with fish and invertebrate spawn.

Through the work of WWF and its allies, Apo Reef may one day be what Tubbataha is now.


Natural investments

Apo Reef differs from all other WWF project sites in that it is kept afloat almost exclusively by donations.

For example, “Bright Skies for Every Juan” enjoins Cebu Pacific passengers to indirectly offset the ecological impacts of their flights by donating to the upkeep of the reef.

The program combines the efforts of WWF, Cebu Pacific, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Sablayan government to boost the region’s resilience to climate change impacts through MPA protection, promotion of responsible ecotourism and introduction of alternative livelihoods.

“Cebu Pacific’s decision to spearhead climate adaptation is a prime example of private-sector leadership,” says WWF-Philippines CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan.

“Our government alone cannot turn back the tide of climate effects. It is the private sector that has the skills needed to think incisively, move efficiently and manage risk,” he says.

In the face of worsening climate impacts, protecting biodiversity enclaves makes perfect sense. “Our work in Apo Reef and other protected areas focuses on more than just biodiversity conservation: Should we succeed in halting climate change, these pockets of marine resilience will provide the building blocks to restore natural mechanisms that provide food and livelihood for millions of people. This is a natural investment,” Tan says.

White-tipped oracle

Back in Apo Reef, the hunt continues. Over an hour’s exploration has yielded little in the way of jewels or answers.

The dawn rays slice through the water, reflecting off a shadow 30 feet away. Perhaps, I reflect, what’s important in treasure hunting is the journey.

The best hunters have all learned to pick out treasure from trash. So too must we allow the hunt to transform the hunter.

Inexorably, the shadow morphs into a white-tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus), itself on a hunt, as evidenced by its menacing motions. I tense up, one gloved hand cupping a dive knife used more for show than anything else.

The shark torpedoes onward. Time slows down. Suddenly an enveloping shadow smothers all light!

Puzzled, I gaze upward and realize just what drew the shark in the first place. The fusiliers, thousands upon thousands of them, have returned. The shark pulls up and dives into the mass.

As I watch the fascinating interplay between predator and prey, I notice, as if for the first time, the fusiliers’ gleaming hues of cobalt, ruby and gold, gloriously illuminated by the morning.

Then and there I realize that the shark’s hunt has led me to the end of mine.

As in the grandest treasure tales, the most valuable fortunes really do lie in the depths. As inhabitants of the world’s second-largest archipelago, we must realize that the sea’s greatest treasure is its ability to provide, but that providence can only continue when we learn to protect what we have been gifted with.

At the apex of the Coral Triangle, 65 feet below the Jewel of Mindoro, I finally accomplish my treasure hunt.


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Come to Sablayan! and Discover the Wonders!


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The PUP Sablayan Campus Office is tentatively housed at the Old ABC Building, located at the Municipal Compound.

It is manned by five IT literate personnel hired by LGU Sablayan. The office is equipped with 3 computer units, printers, webcam and a landline with internet connection.


A teleconferencing equipment cum flat TV is provided by PUP Main Campus (Sta. Mesa).



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Simultaneous to the construction of a 3-storey building with 18 classrooms is the upgrading of 3 strategic access roads to the PUP Sablayan Campus.






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On November 11, 2010 the Open University Graduate School Program commenced with 40 enrollees in Master in Public Administration and 47 in Master in Educational Management.

Off line sessions for the MPA students were held at the Sanggunian Bayan Session Hall, while the MEM students held their class sessions at the Sablayan National Comprehensive High School (SABNACOHIS).

Five recruits from the locality were hired as part time mentors.

The deployment of Director Resa T. Suarez as Campus Director of PUP Sablayan Campus was indeed a big relief and a meaningful boost to the LGU Sablayan Technical Working Group.

With Director Resa’s expertise and experience in pioneering tasks, high hopes built up on PUP Sablayan Campus’ momentum to being a prime government college in Occidental Mindoro.




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A sequel to the MOA Signing was the Formal Launching of PUP Sablayan Campus on October 26, 2010. It was indeed a milestone, punctuated by Groundbreaking Rite at the site, Ribbon Cutting of the PUP Sablayan Campus office, Conduct of Entrance Exam for the Graduate School Program of the Open University System and a Cultural Presentation featuring ’Amazing Sablayan’!




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Mayor
1 GADIANO, Eduardo B. 12,261
2 ICALLA, Ernesto V. 23
3 MINTU, Edna N. 11,253

Vice-Mayor
1 DANGEROS, Andres D. 12,434
2 DAWATES, Robert Z. 5,529
3 DIMAYACYAC, Romeo D. 4,668

MEMBER, SANGGUNIANG BAYAN of OCCIDENTAL MINDORO - SABLAYAN - LONE DIST
1 ABORDO, Corazon S. 3,058
2 AMAR, Antonino L. 517
3 ANI , Salustiana H. 6,670
4 BARRITO, Vicente, Jr. P. 6,333
5 BUNDANG, Rolando M. 5,153
6 DANGEROS, Leonilo I. 7,601
7 DIMACULANGAN, Conchita H. 11,444
8 DIMAYACYAC, Roberto G. 9,362
9 GONZALES, Ariel M. 5,422
10 JAPONES, Ferdinand S. 1,461
11 LANDICHO, Nancy L. 13,201
12 LIM, Roberto C. 10,710
13 MINTU, Edwin N. 12,925
14 NICANOR, Leonilo C. 7,941
15 ORDENES, Renante V. 889
16 PADUA, Abraham G. 599
17 PAQUIDONGAN, Jose H. 788
18 PASAJOL, Armando C. 6,738
19 SALGADO, Celso S. 9,706
20 SILVA, Napoleon I G. 6,880
21 TADEO, Manuel P. 11,698
22 URIETA, Amable B. 10,179

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FOR MAYOR

1 GADIANO, EDUARDO BALTAZAR / LKS-KAM
2 ICALLA, ERNESTO VALENTON / IND.
3 MINTU, EDNA NICANOR / NP

FOR VICE-MAYOR

1 DANGEROS, ANDRES DAWATES / NP
2 DAWATES, ROBERT ZUBIRI / IND.
3 DIMAYACYAC, ROMEO DELOS TRINOS / LKS-KAM

FOR COUNCILOR

1 ABORDO, CORAZON SALGADO / PGRP
2 AMAR, ANTONINO LIBERATO / PGRP
3 ANI, SALUSTIANA HERNANDEZ / LKS-KAM
4 BARRITO, VICENTE, JR. PADERANGA / NP
5 BUNDANG, ROLANDO MERCENE / LKS-KAM
6 DANGEROS, LEONILO ICALLA / LKS-KAM
7 DIMACULANGAN, CONCHITA HILARIO / NP
8 DIMAYACYAC, ROBERTO GONZALVO / NP
9 GONZALES, ARIEL MASANGCAY / NP
10 JAPONES, FERDINAND SALAMANCA / IND.
11 LANDICHO, NANCY LAUDENCIA / NP
12 LIM, ROBERTO CRUZ / NP
13 MINTU, EDWIN NICANOR / NP
14 NICANOR, LEONILO CABANTUGAN / NP
15 ORDENES, RENANTE VIGUILLA / PGRP
16 PADUA, ABRAHAM GINTOMAN / IND.
17 PAQUIDONGAN, JOSE HONTIVEROS / PGRP
18 PASAJOL, ARMANDO CABRERA / LKS-KAM
19 SALGADO, CELSO SARZATE / LKS-KAM
20 SILVA, NAPOLEON I GOZAR / LKS-KAM
21 TADEO, MANUEL PASION / LKS-KAM
22 URIETA, AMABLE BUNDANG / LKS-KAM

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One of the best dive spots in the world. Apo Reef is the largest atoll-like reef in the country. Its crystalline blue water covering an area of 35 sq. miles teeming with a wide variety of marine life presents good diving opportunities. The reef is divided by a narrow channel into north and south lagoons.

The channel runs east to west from 1.8 to 27 meters deep with a fine white sand bottom, numerous mounds and patches of branching corals under the deep blue water. No wonder the reef abounds with 285 species of colorful marine fishes including families of sharks, stingrays, mantas, schools of jacks and snappers, tropical aquarium fish and the crevice-dwelling moray, blemish and gobie.

It has no less than 500 species of corals both soft and hard. APO REEF has three islands: Apo Island, Apo Menor and Cayos del Bajo with white sandy beaches ideal for recreation and sporting vacation. Its smooth current provides excitement and convenience to both beginners and advance divers.

Sablayan was derived from the word Sablay, a Visayan term meaning wave convergence. In the early times, the very location of the town was where the waves from North and South China Sea meet, hence, the name Sablay that later became Sablayan.

Mangyans were the ancient aborigines of Mindoro. They were believed to be of Malayan origin. They were joined in by natives from neighboring islands--mostly Panayeños led by the TANUNGAN during the second Spanish settlement established by Legaspi. Years later, more arrived who, unlike the first migrants, were already converted Christians; and sometime in 1861 migrants increased in population.

The means of livelihood was agriculture, fishing and hunting. Women though were engaged in weaving sigurang, a fiber derived from buri/nipa leaves.

Sablayan then was often subject to raids by Muslim pirates and slave traders so a wooden tower was built--watched round the clock to guard against approaching raiders. This alarm system was augmented in 1896, when four bells of varied sizes--believed to have been manufactured in Spain--arrived from Manila. These bells rang musical chimes.

Upon the arrival of a Spanish priest, a church had to be built. Men, women and children were conscripted to work on it. After ten years of backbreaking arduous toil, the church was made functional sometime in 1896. This church is now in ruins, its bells gone but the biggest cannon standstill atop a small hill near the lighthouse of Parola. The church was abandoned when the town proper was moved to Buenavista.

In 1901, the first American arrived in Sablayan. Due to the outbreak of Fil-American war, Americans burned the town in 1903. It took years before Sablayan was rebuilt.

Sablayan was already a pueblo (town) under the Spaniards when the Americans came. However, when the American Government took over--owing perhaps to its proximity and accessibility to the National Government--it was converted into a full pledge municipality on January 04, 1906 by virtue of Act No. 1820 of the Philippine Commission.

Hon. Godofredo B. Mintu
Municipal Mayor

Hon. Eduardo Gadiano
(Municipal Vice-Mayor)

Sanguniang Bayan

Hon. Manuel Tadeo
Hon. Edwin Mintu
Hon. Romeo Dimayacyac
Hon. Rocky Legaspi
Hon. Amable Urieta
Hon. Efren Dimaculangan
Hon. Salustiana Ani-Dawates
Hon. Roberto Dawates
Hon. Leonilo Nicanor (ABC Pres)
Hon. Jaypee Nardo (SK Pres)

Apo’s reef fish can finally breathe easier now that a new resolution has been passed. Starting on the 2nd of October 2007, all extractive activities such as fishing, collection and harvesting of any life form will be completely banned from within the park. Ordinance No. 01 was the Apo Reef Protected Area Managemant Board's (PAMB) first law for 2007 and declares the whole of Apo Reef a ‘no-take zone’ – to allow the reef and its residents ample time to recover from years of fishing.