Last year, we were made aware that all of us belong to just one big ocean and that the destruction of our seas not only affects us but also has a repercussion on a global scale. The Coastal Resource Management Project, a project implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, provides technical assistance and training to local governments and communities in coastal resource management. The main objective of the project is to catalyze coastal resource management to a threshold that expands nationwide and is sustained beyond the project. These sites can then become models to other communities throughout the country. To support the replication and sustainability of the project, activities are directed at enhancing the capability of national and local governments and the communities themselves to develop and implement resource management processes and systems.
Community participation is therefore an inherent and integral part of the project.
It all started in Cebu in February 1998. Different individuals from various walks of life with one common goal came together to commit themselves to promoting sustainable coastal resource and ocean management. In June, the movement was launched in Manila, taking a big step towards greater public awareness of coastal issues and paving the way for urban dwellers to support actions towards the sustainability of our ocean resources. Although many of us feel removed from what happens in our fishing villages, we must realize that we are a big part of the problems threatening our coastal resources and, more importantly, that we can be part of the solution. We can create a powerful advocacy group to alert the country's policymakers to the needs of our coastal communities and the need to protect and manage our coastal resources.