The delay in the release of salary of workers hired by the Protected Area Management Board in Dumaguete City was solved after the Environment and Natural Resources granted the request of the PAMBs to retain their share in the income it has generated.

Chamberlain Babiera, area superintendent of Apo Island, an internationally acclaimed scuba diving spot, said DENR Secretary Michael Defensor issued Administrative Order 2005-14 last month, approving the request of different PAMBs nationwide to retain the share of the community from the income generated by protected areas.

Babiera said that, under the law, a community in a protected area is entitled to 75 percent share in the income, where salaries of personnel hired by PAMB as workers are taken.

Part of the share, he said, will be used for livelihood and community projects.

He added that, in the case of Apo Island, the PAMB hired about 50 workers as sea wardens, dive rangers, collectors and clerks. Some of them work daily, while the others work twice a week.

Apo Island is earning an average of P250,000 to P300,000 monthly from entrance, scuba diving, snorkeling and mooring fees.

The PAMB needs about P100,000 a month for the salary of the workers, Babiera said, adding that, in the past, the salaries of the workers are delayed by as long as six to eight months.

This was because of the many requirements that had to be complied with before the share of the community is given back to the PAMB, he said.

Babiera added that the PAMB also failed to implement its projects because of the uncertainty on the date of the release of its share.

But beginning this month, Babiera said the PAMB can already release on monthly basis, the salaries of its workers in Apo, because of the AO 2205-14 of the DENR.

The PAMB can now also implement some of its projects, such as the agro-forestry program in the island, he added.*RA

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