Manila, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard Marine Science Group (PCG MSG) has successfully led another coral reef rehabilitation efforts at Pag-asa Island and Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) in Palawan.
The said mission was pursuant to the directive of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. in continuing protection and restoration of the fragile marine ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea.
Assistant Deputy Chief of Coast Guard Staff for Marine Environmental Protection (CG-9), Commander James Barandino PCG, spearheaded the said mission.
The PCG MSG, through expert technical support, utilized methods such as selecting of coral fragment, handling and replanting procedures and assisting biodiversity assessments and underwater surveys.
Together with Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the marine scientists from Western Philippines University – Puerto Princesa Campus, the coral rehabilitation effort served as part of a broader initiative to safeguard the marine environment in the KIG and reaffirms PCG’s commitment on the ongoing monitoring and building of future rehabilitation missions.
The PCG has been conducting reef restoration and other sustainability initiatives in the WPS to protect its rich biodiversity, although some of the previous missions were marked by harassment from Chinese vessels and aircraft.
In January, the PCG reported that two civilian vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) were subjected to aggressive maneuvers by three China Coast Guard vessels and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) aircraft.