REPRESENTATIVE Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, of the 2nd District of the Province of Batangas, today called for an aggressive clean-up of the oil spill that affected Mabini, Bauan, Lobo, San Luis, San Pascual and Tingloy, all municipalities in her district.
It has already reached Oriental Mindoro and is threatening the Verde Island Passage (VIP).
Marine experts and conservationists refer to the Verde Island Passage as the “center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity”. It is in the heart of the Coral Triangle, which is located in the Philippines Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands at Timor-Leste.
In it are 500 species of reef-building corals and one-third of all coral-reef fish species in the world. The Verde Island Passage is the most diverse marine ecosystem on earth.
“It is time for us to unite in bayanihan and be aggressive in containing and cleaning up the oil spill. I am sure the people in our district as well as the rest of Batangas, the islands of Mindoro, Romblon and nearby provinces, would volunteer and work to save the Verde Island Passage. We can tap the resources of the Department of Labor and Employment – Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (DOLE – TUPAD), Department of Social Work and Development Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (DSWD – AICS), among other government funds for this purpose,” said Luistro, who authored House Bill No. 6089, which sought to declare the Verde Island Passage (VIP) as an ecotourism zone.
The Verde Island Passage is not just a must-see destination for local and foreign tourists, especially for divers and marine enthusiasts. As it is rich in marine life, it is likewise the main source of livelihood and fish catch of local and commercial fishermen.
“After the Covid19 pandemic, which closed our hotels, resorts and tourist destinations, resulting to loss of thousands of jobs and livelihood, now comes the oil spill.
We need everyone’s help to clean up and contain this oil spill. We need to preserve this wealth of marine resources, highly diverse coral reefs, pristine waters, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coastal environs in the Verde Island Passage,” concluded Luistro, who is also the vice chairperson of the House Committee on Tourism.
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