Items filtered by date: May 2022

GLAN, Sarangani (May 30, 2022) – A volunteer scuba diver from the Provincial Information Office removes a crown-of-thorns (COT) from the coral reefs of Sarangani Bay on May 27 during the COT Collection Volunteer Divers off Coco Beach Resort, Gumasa. A total of 654 COTs have been collected by the volunteer divers from the different provincial and local government agencies, and non-government organizations during the activity. The COT collection is the highlight activity of the celebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival 2022 which is mainly focused on environmental activities. (Gary John Cabinta/SBPS-PAMB-Jori Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

GLAN, Sarangani (May 30, 2022) – April Marjorie Rudes, provincial tourism officer, thanks all volunteer divers and youth eco-warriors on May 27 during the Crown-of-thorns Collection Volunteer Divers activity held at Coco Beach Resort, Gumasa. Rudes expressed her gratitude for the participation of the volunteers in this cause of helping save the bay, especially the corals, from the threats of the COTs. According to Rudes, the “I Love Clean Sarbay is the façade of this year’s celebration” to address the “COT infestation that has been a great problem of the Sarangani Bay recently.” (Jake Narte-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

GLAN, Sarangani (May 30, 2022) - Some 50 volunteer scuba and free divers from the different provincial and local government agencies, and non-government organizations join in the massive COT collection on May 27 at Coco Beach Resort, Gumasa to help counter the COT infestation in Sarangani Bay. Before going 20-30 feet underwater, divers were given instructions on what should be and what should not be done in retrieving COTs from the coral bed in order to avoid the risks of mishandling them. The massive COT Collection is one of the highlights of this year’s Sarbay Festival anchored on the theme #WakeUpSarbay after its two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

GLAN, Sarangani (May 28, 2022) – Around 50 volunteer divers from different provincial and national government offices, and non-government organizations have joined forces during the massive crown of thorns (COT) collection at Barangay Gumasa.

The activity was still part of the celebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival this year which gives more emphasis on environmental-related activities.

On May 27, some 654 COTs were collected along the coastal areas of Gumasa which was considered by Cirilo Lagnason Jr., Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SPBS) assistant protected area superintendent, as a “good indicator dahil may nangyayari sa ating efforts in battling the infestation of these coral killers.”

MAASIM, Sarangani (May 27, 2022) – PMAJ Robert Fores (left), Chief of Police of Maasim PNP, joins the locals of barangays Kamanga and Tinoto in the simultaneous Crown-of-thorns Community Collection activity in Maasim on May 26 held at Susan’s Beach Resort, Tinoto. Fores and some fishermen and locals of Kamanga and Tinoto initiated the counting of the collected COTs before burying them ashore. The COT collection is one of the highlight activities of this year’s Sarangani Bay Festival in response to the infestation of COTs among the coastal areas of the province, specifically in the municipalities of Glan and Maasim. According to the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, the four coastal barangays of Maasim collected a total of 7,766 COTs on the 2nd day of COT Community Collection. (Jake Narte-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MAASIM, Sarangani (May 27, 2022) – Danilo Pontillas, 59, a fisherman from barangay Kamanga, shows how a crown-of-thorns is properly retrieved from underwater. Through the use of tongs and other alternative COTs collecting gears, the COTs are removed from the corals underwater and buried ashore but above the high tide level. The COT is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps. Covered in long poisonous spines, they range in color from purplish-blue to reddish-grey and green. On May 26, locals of barangays Kamanga, Tinoto, Malbang, and Colon simultaneously joined in the COT Community Collection activity in Maasim. The COT collection was one of the highlight activities of this year’s Sarangani Bay Festival anchored to the theme #WakeUpSarbay in line with the festival’s comeback after its two-year slumber due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MAASIM, Sarangani (May 27, 2022) – Local fishermen of barangays Kamanga and Tinoto participate in the simultaneous Crown-of-thorns Community Collection on May 26 at Susan’s Beach Resort, Tinoto. The locals of the coastal barangays of Kamanga and Tinoto collected some 2,348 and 2,839 COTs, respectively. In total, 7,766 COTs were collected from the four coastal barangays of Maasim, including Malbang and Colon. Through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Natural Resources, Protected Area Management Board,and the Provincial Government of Sarangani through the Sarangani Tourism and Investment Promotion Center, this year’s celebration of Sarbay Festival goes green as the majority of its activities will focus on environmental protection. (Jake Narte-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

GLAN, Sarangani (May 25, 2022) – Locals of the coastal barangays of Glan have joined together in collecting crown-of-thorns starfish in celebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival 2022.

In barangay Lago alone, residents collected more or less 20 25-kilo sacks of dap-ag on May 25. Other barangays like Kapatan, Tango, Glan Padidu, Tapon, Taluya, Gumasa, Cablalan, Baliton, Burias, Pangyan, Small Margus, Big Margus, San Jose, and Batulaki also conducted the COT collection in their coastal communities. The said coastal barangays in Glan collected a total of 33,266 COTs on the first day of the activity.

GLAN, Sarangani (May 25, 2022) – Some residents of Barangay Lago burry sacks of crown of thorns (COT) collected during the simultaneous COT collection activity on May 25. The COT collection is one of the highlight activities of this year’s Sarangani Bay Festival in response to the infestation of COTs among the coastal areas in the province. Through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Natural Resources, Protected Area Management Board and the Provincial Government of Sarangani through the Sarangani Tourism and Investment Promotion Center, this year’s celebration of Sarbay Fest goes green as majority of its activities will focus on environmental protection. There will also be nightly chillouts at Coco Beach Resort in Barangay Gumasa, youth eco-camp, and bike and plant activities. Sarangani Bay Festival 2022 will run from May 25 to 28. (Jake Narte-Joshua John Pantonial/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (May 25, 2022) – Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon (left) and Executive Director Cesar De Mesa, head of PAMANA National Program Management Office under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) exchange greetings on May 23 during the meeting of OPAPRU focal persons in Sarangani on the updating of PAMANA projects in the province. According to De Mesa, the main purpose of their visit to Sarangani “is the updating of the PAMANA projects implemented in the province, which are the socio-economic interventions sa mga conflict-affected and vulnerable areas.” De Mesa and his team from the OPAPRU are set to attend turn-over ceremonies of implemented PAMANA projects and monitor other ongoing projects in Sarangani. He also lauded Governor Solon’s passion and love for Sarangani and said, “I believe wherever he occupies position, probably he will do great.” He also commended the provincial and municipal OPAPRU focal persons who attended the meeting at the Kasfala Hall, Capitol grounds, and expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of PAMANA projects in Sarangani “knowing that the province created a technical working group and all the PAMANA focals are here supporting the implementation of the projects.” (Jake Narte-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)