kaban galing - front cover - galing pook

18 BANI, PANGASINAN
Habitat: From Life-threatening to Life-giving
Bani Coastal Resource Management Program
IN the year 1989, in the municipality of Bani, Pangasinan, a child died of
dengue, a mosquito-borne disease. The incident prompted the townsfolk
to start a clean-up of their riverine and coastal areas in order to stop the
menace. The clean-up drive later evolved into a full-fledged fight to stop
the destruction of fish habitats: the mangroves and coral reefs.
Mangroves Lost
The fishermen of Bani were practically on the verge of going hungry
because their average fish catch had dwindled to just a few kilos
compared to a decade before. This coincided with the reduction of
mangrove areas from 2,000 hectares two decades earlier to only one
hectare in 1990. Illegal fishing activities were rampant and commercial
ventures were encroaching into the riverbanks and the coasts,
exacerbating erosion and siltation—which, in turn, were endangering
the coral reefs.
Bani came up with a 10-year (2001-2010) Comprehensive Coastal
Development Program. The plan entailed the creation of the Municipal
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC),
which empowered the fisherfolk and guaranteed their involvement in
the formulation of policies and programs for the management, protection
and sustainable development of fisheries and aquatic resources.
Mangroves Regained
By 2005, Bani had managed to rehabilitate and expand its mangroves
to 42.25 hectares. With the establishment of Marine Protected Areas,
Bani was able to establish mangrove nurseries, which eventually provided
an alternative source of livelihood. The mangroves became home to 37
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