After seven months of waiting, the 48 workers hired by the Protected Area Management Board to do various works in the internationally-known diving spot, Apo Island in Dauin, will receive their pay anytime this week.

Superintendent Jacinto Mari of the Apo Island protected area told the DAILY STAR that, the Sub Allotment Release Order of about P2.1 million was received by his office Wednesday from the Department of Budget and Management. The amount represents the 75 percent share in the proceeds generated from different fees imposed on the island from June to December last year.

The island is located about 16 kilometers south of Dumaguete City.

Mari said the request for the release of the fund was made last September, and was supposed to cover the period from June to September.

Under the law, the community where a protected area is located gets 75 percent of the income generated, through the Protected Area Management Board, and the remaining 25 percent goes to the national government.

The share of the community, Mari added, is dedicated for administration, protection, management and maintenance, livelihood and other projects in the area. The bulk of the amount goes to the wages or salaries of the workers who include dive rangers, Bantay Dagat or sea wardens, visitor assistants, and clerks, among others.

Mari disclosed, that the problem, however, is that the National Integrated Protected Area System Act provides that the share of the community will be remitted to the national government and will be released back, through the PAMB upon request.

He said the release of the money has always been delayed because of so many requirements and other administrative matters.

It's good, Mari noted, that the workers have understood the situation and continued working even if their pay had long been delayed. Aside from this, there area projects which cannot be implemented because the time frame had lapsed.

"We have an agro-forestry project and we are supposed to plant trees. But this must be done during rainy season. Since there is no money yet we cannot have it done," Mari lamented.

He said when the money is released it was already summer, which is a hot season, and they can no longer plant.

.To solve this, Mari said the share of the community must be given automatically to the locality. But this can only be done if the NIPAS Act is amended, he pointed out.*RA

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