By Brian Jules Campued
The Biodiversity Management Bureau has identified the Municipality of Sta. Ana in Cagayan as one of the six project sites nationwide for the establishment of a marine research station, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
The marine stations will serve as a research hub to enhance ocean science, resource management, and development strategies, according to a DENR news release last Feb. 22.
During a visit to the area, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga called on the municipal government and other stakeholders to protect and preserve the coastal marine resources.
She added that Sta. Ana is home to a popular tourism destination, the Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape.
Noting the island’s beauty, biodiversity, and natural resources, Loyzaga added that the Cagayan town “will be the northernmost site to serve as sentinel covering the Northern Philippine Sea marine biogeographic region.”
She also cited a research conducted by the University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) about the resilience to climate change of the corals in the area.
“This project is so important that is why we are working with the UPMSI to create further studies in collaboration with the community, and we would like this to be a center of education so that we know why we need to protect the area,” Loyzaga continued. – avds
