[PHOTO] Malampaya Foundation (MFI) partner sites — RANZO Fish Sanctuary (Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro) and PULONG BATO Fishery Refuge and Sanctuary (Isla Verde, Batangas City) — won 1st and 2nd place, respectively, in the 2025 Para El Mar Awards under the Locally Managed Marine Protected Area category, while PUNTA ILAG Fish Sanctuary (San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro) received a special award in the recently concluded event.
Partner-sites of the Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) earned top honors at the 2025 Para El Mar Awards, recognizing their outstanding achievements in marine conservation and sustainable management of the Philippines’ coastal ecosystems. The awards were conferred by the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Support Network, a national alliance promoting effective protection and management of marine sanctuaries.
Ranzo Fish Sanctuary in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, emerged as the first-place winner in the Locally Managed Marine Protected Area category. Pulong Bato Fishery Refuge and Sanctuary in Isla Verde, Batangas City, secured second place, while Punta Ilag Fish Sanctuary in San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro, received a special citation for exemplary marine protection practices.
Ranzo Fish Sanctuary’s first-place finish is the culmination of years of dedicated work in marine resource conservation. Since partnering with MFI in 2013, the sanctuary has evolved into a model of effective community-led management. Its steady rise through the Para El Mar Awards—from third place in 2019 to second in 2023, and now first in 2025—reflects the community’s unwavering commitment to sustainable practices and improved marine biodiversity.
Pulong Bato Fishery Refuge and Sanctuary, which began its partnership with MFI in 2017, also showcased the transformative power of well-planned conservation. Once covering only 1.7 hectares, the sanctuary expanded dramatically to 539 hectares in 2020. Today, it plays a vital role in safeguarding the Verde Island Passage, a marine corridor globally recognized as the “center of the center of marine biodiversity.” Its recognition at the Para El Mar Awards underscores its success in blending conservation with community development.
Meanwhile, Punta Ilag Fish Sanctuary’s special award highlights the importance of community engagement and consistent protection protocols. Partnered with MFI since 2013, the sanctuary has built a reputation for effective enforcement and grassroots stewardship, demonstrating that true marine protection is rooted in sustained local commitment rather than mere geographic boundaries.
“These awards validate what we have always known: that communities are the best stewards of their own marine resources. When local governments, fisherfolk, and partners work together with shared commitment, the results speak for themselves: healthier reefs, more abundant fish stocks, and stronger coastal livelihoods,” according to Donnabel Kuizon Cruz, Prime Energy President and CEO.
Established in 2005, MFI serves as the social development arm of the Malampaya joint venture composed of Prime Energy, Prime Oil and Gas Inc., UC38 LLC, and the PNOC Exploration Corporation. For over a decade, MFI has supported coastal communities through technical training, habitat restoration projects, and science-based conservation programs that balance environmental protection with local economic needs.