JVOFI’s consultations with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), PENRO La Union, SIFCARE CURMA and Local Government Unit of San Juan, La Union and the Balaoan, Bacnotan San Juan Marine Protected Area (BalBaSan MPA) enabled it to develop a full proposal for the USAID-Investing in Sustainable Partnerships proposal for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Project.
On August 30, 2022, the grant for our proposal entitled “Strengthening Good Governance and Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in the West Philippine Sea” was awarded. This three-year project will be implemented from September 2022 to August 2025 in 11 coastal municipalities and 1 city of La Union province.
From September 22 – 29 a series of courtesy calls and project orientations were provided to the stakeholders and proposed partners such as the Lower Amburayan Development Corridor (LADC) Council, the Solid Waste Management Board of the Province of La Union, Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), Bureau of Fisheries And Aquatic Resources (BFAR R1), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office La Union (PENRO), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) and the Provincial Government of La Union.
Governor Rafy Ortega-David of La Union committed to support the project through the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGEnRO) and theOffice of the Provincial Agriculture (OPAg). She articulated that the partnership will strengthen the goal of the Province for the continuous protection and preservation of the natural resources, especially those in marine protected areas.
– story contributed by Corazon P. Sajonas, EEU Project Manager
