09/02/2025
Visiting the Apo Island for the 2nd time after 2 decades. 🐟🐠🪸🪼
I visited this island in 2005. The Coastal Resource Management (CRM) project of my former NGO brought the key community leaders of then assisted barangays in Loon and Calape to a learning visit because this island is the country's model for community-based marine conservation and management.
Fast forward to 2025, I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful island again because I brought in our key stakeholders of the JFGE-Bohol project to learn lessons and they be inspired to emulate the actions about zero-waste management implementation.
This visit made me realize that I've been serving quite long enough into this civic engagement and community development works. Made me ponder that this could be my Ikagai (the reason to jump out of bed each morning and my life's purpose).
Apo island still preserved the richness of their marine biodiversity. Notwithstanding its status as one of the best diving and snorkeling destinations in the country, the community especially their leaders carried on with the protection of the island's marine resources since the day I first set foot of this island and up to now.
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I was able to do snorkeling in their marine reserve in 2005 and saw sea turtles for the first time. This year, just by swimming nearshore, the sea turtles are frolicking and seemingly asking you to swim with them. 🐢🪸
