Several groups organized a reef clean-up drive earlier in the week in Culion, Palawan, in an effort to bolster coral reef protection and conservation in the area.
Led by the Culion Tourism Office, the clean-up on September 11 spanned from Barangay Balala to Barangay Libis and attracted volunteers from both public and private sectors.
Among those who participated were private dive shops in the area including Bayaca Island-Palawan, Umali Dive Center, Nudibranch Divers, Mir-jen Diving Safari, RER Culion Travel and Tours, Reggae Dive Center, Safari Lodge and Restaurant, as well as representatives from the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC) of Culion, Culion Tourism Staff, PCG-Culion, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) District Management Division (DMD)-Calamian and individual volunteer divers from Coron.
A PCSD report revealed that coral survey concentrated on the reefs generally located along the northern half of the municipality harboring a high percentage of live coral cover.
The same area contains the 18 proposed coral core zones with a high percentage of live corals.
