Misamis Occidental Aquamarine
Park (MOAP) Development Program Wins Galing Pook Award
by Karl Imanoel Aoanan
JUST THREE YEARS after its
inception, the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Development and
Protection Program (MOADPP) has already made its mark as one of the
ten to be awarded as this year’s best of the best in “Innovation and
Excellence in Local Governance” by the Galing Pook Foundation, Inc.
The MOADPP is anchored on the
Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park or MOAP located at Brgy. Libertad
Bajo in Sinacaban town. MOAP functions as the base or command center
for the program that aims primarily in arresting the worsening coastal
resource situation of the province’s 169-kilometer coastline because
of “unbridled fishing coupled with the use of dynamite.” The threat to
the waters by the very people who rely on it for survival has been
lessened drastically because of the programs implementation in 2002.
The Misamis Occidental Aquamarine
Park also serves as an eco-tourism destination and a primary entity in
generating funds for the program. Approximately two hundred (200)
hectares have been allocated for the program to house various
amenities, including guest hotels and cottages, a wildlife sanctuary
for endemic animals in the province, function halls, restaurants,
hatcheries, and mangrove reforestation area.
Topping the list of facilities of
the Park is the MOAP Dolphin Island located three (3) kilometers off
the shore of the mainland Park in Brgy. Sinonoc, also from Sinacaban
town. The Dolphin Island serves as the Park’s Marine Rescue, Refuge,
Rehabilitation, and Breeding Center. Likewise, the Dolphin Island also
serves as the Programs marine life sanctuary.
Among
the country’s best of the best
Because of the award, the MOADPP
and the province can now claim to be among the country’s best of the
best in local governance innovations.
It has to be noted that the Gawad Galing Pook has been recognizing innovations and excellence in local
governance, particularly those programs that have positive
socio-economic and environmental impact; promote people’s empowerment,
transferability and sustainability; display efficiency of program
service delivery, and creative use of powers under the Local
Government Code and other decentralization and local autonomy
policies.
Added to this, the MOADPP
underwent a very rigorous screening process before achieving this
milestone. It went under the scrutiny of the regional selection
committee, then screened by the national selection committee, before
it reached the last short listing of 20 programs, from a total of
almost 300 programs that applied for the award all over the country.
Proud
Misamisnons
Together with Governor Ocampos, the
Provincial Board Members represented by Board Members Atty. Inocencio
Pagalaran Jr., Jimmy Regalado, Tito Decina, Ismael Bolando, and Carl
Zafra. In tow for the provincial government of Misamis Occidental
entourage is Provincial Agriculture Officer Jose Satorre, Provincial
Accountant Atty. Helen Tenchavez, Executive Assistant to the Governor
Teressa Calamba, GMS Chief Cristy Saplot, Lopez Jaena Mayor Zenaida
Azcuna, and Provincial Tourism Council Chair Georgina Ocampos.
The awarding ceremony was held at
the Malacañan Palace last Tuesday, 7:00 PM, 20 December 2005. Other
awardees were Programs from Bulacan; Capoocan, Leyte; Concepcion,
Iloilo; Dauin, Oriental Negros; Maitum, Sarangani; Marikina City;
Oriental Negros; Quezon City; and Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Oroquieta City’s Barangay
Self-Sufficiency Program has also won as one of the Top Ten
Outstanding Programs in 1997-1998. Gawad Galing Pook has been
recognizing programs for twelve years now that started in 1993. In
1998, the Galing Pook Foundation, Inc. took over the reigns in the
management and implementation of the awards program.
More than 200 outstanding and
trailblazing local governance programs have already been awarded by
the Galing Pook. Other partner institutions of the Galing Pook are the
Ford Foundation, the Local Government Academy of the DILG, United
Nations Development Program, UNICEF, OPAPP, Development Academy of the
Philippines, Philippine Center for Population and Development, and the
National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women.
Provincial
Information Office
Capitol, Oroquieta City
