Part 2 - Oneocean.org

Count us inThe private sector responds to the call to action for CRM“Help, help, help!” cried actor-comedian Redford White after a dive at Dizon Reef Wall off Kaputian, Island Garden City ofSamal. “The corals here are in a pretty bad shape,” he reported.Singer Jim Paredes agreed. “I saw a lot of coral damage,” he said.“Everywhere you dive in the Philippines, you can see how badly we needto clean up. I don’t think you can swim 20 meters without seeing debrisand damaged corals.”Mr. White and Mr. Paredes are just two of the thousands of Filipinos– celebrities as well as ordinary folk – who have actively embraced theCRM cause. They are part of the I Love the Ocean Movement (ILOM),which includes more than 13,000 card-carrying members nationwide.ILOM was initiated by CRMP in 1998, during the InternationalYear of the Ocean, as part of its mainstreaming and agenda-settingstrategy to provide a forum for the general public – at least those who are already sympathetic to environmental causes – toparticipate in the discussion of CRM issues and help advocate the CRM cause. Members were drawn to the CRM cause bymessages carefully chosen for their “emotional appeal”. Housewives, business people, doctors, nurses, policemen, students,factory workers, scuba divers, teachers, media practitioners, priests, nuns, movie stars, artists, etc. – some with their entirefamilies – came out through voluntary membership (for a fee of Php50 [USD1.25]) to supportthe cause of marine conservation and, as one of our messages put it, “to rediscover our lostmaritime heritage.”Through all this, we maintained an inclusive and a “connective” stance, welcoming everyonewho cared enough to want to become part of the CRM process, and linking individuals andgroups so they could work together in areas where they could be most effective.We also deliberately pursued strategic partnerships with groups that required “lowmaintenance” and had the organizational capability and mindset to promote CRM. These includechurch-based groups; professional, civic and environmental organizations; POs; the PhilippineNavy; the Philippine Coast Guard; the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines; and thebusiness sector. Recognizing that the fastest way to gain entry to the corporate sector was through the marketing door, westaged media-oriented events designed to promote CRM messages as well as allow sponsoring business corporations andprivate sector groups to achieve some public visibility and goodwill.More than 60 companies from diverse industries – hotel, shipping, food and beverage, print and broadcast media, retail,garment, computer, banking, transport, oil, etc. – heeded our request for logistical support in the seven cities where the“Our Seas, Our Life” Exhibit was mounted.Even more significant perhaps is that many of our strategic partners have adoptedCRM as their institutional cause. Banco Filipino Mortgage and Savings Bank, which firstgot involved in the initial staging of our exhibit, has organized its own information andpublic awareness campaign on marine conservation. Petron Corporation, through itsFoundation, has embarked on a project promoting CRM in its areas of operation. TheCentral Luzon Regional Council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines has adopted ourBlue Tapestry, a community arts project promoting marine conservation, as a mainstayactivity for their annual Regional Family Camp.We are counting on these partners and the thousands of ILOM members to carry onthe task of promoting sustained CRM in the Philippines, whether through advocacy or byundertaking their own site- and issue-specific projects that directly enhance our coastalenvironment.43