The provincial government of Negros Occidental entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with other local government units and government agencies in support of the Coastal Fisheries Resources Management, a component of the German Technical Corporation's Environment and Rural Development Program, a press release from the Capitol said.

The agreement was signed at Governor's Hall of the Provincial Capitol on March 6, by Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon; Bago City Mayor Janet Torres, chairperson of the Central Negros Council for Coastal Resources Development; Escalante City Mayor Santiago Barcelona Jr., chairperson of the Northern Negros Aquatic Resources Management Advisory Council; and Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla Jr., chairperson of the Southern Negros Coastal Development Management Council;

Other signatories were Regional Director Drusila Esther Bayate from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and, GTZ-EnRD senior program adviser Peter Keller.

The program, being implemented in Region 6 particularly in Negros Occidental and in Southern Leyte, is designed to improve the capacities of local government units and involved government agencies to achieve sustainable development through proper management, utilization and allocation of coastal resources at the same time improve the life of empowered communities, the press release said.

Marañon said the signing of the agreement is significant because its means that the efforts of Negros Occidental in coastal resource protection is being recognized, it said.

The program will be implemented by coastal cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental with support from the provincial government through the Provincial Environment Management Office and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, BFAR and GTZ.

Strategic program partners are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Provincial Environment and Natural Resources, German Development Service, the academe and the non-government organizations, the press release added.*