Legend has it that the islands of the well-known snorkeling destination Siete Pecados appeared after seven sisters who went swimming against their mother’s will got drowned.
Nobody knows whether the legend is true and why a natural wonder blessed with so much marine life was given a name that means seven sins in Spanish.
What is certain, however, is the site believed to have witnessed a tragic disobedience has lured tourists and provided income to residents.
Jose Mazo, park manager of Siete Pecados, said about 350 tourists visit the site per month. He said the influx of tourists led to the booming of the resorts business and created new jobs.
Before, my brother did not have a steady source of income. Now, he is employed in a resort and is receiving P35,000 as boat captain, Mazo said in a recent interview here.
Mazo believes things will get even better now that they have a master plan for the marine park, one of the protected areas in Palawan.
Last week, the local government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a memorandum of agreement providing for the master plan of the marine park.
The master plan seeks to maintain the natural beauty of Siete Pecados Marine Park, which includes seven islets and the surrounding 52 hectares of waters. It details targets and procedures for management, funding development projects and hiring of personnel.
The agreement is supported by the Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries (ECOFISH) program, a five-year initiative that works on conserving biodiversity, enhancing ecosystem productivity and restoring the profitability of fisheries. ECOFISH is a joint project of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and USAID.
Under the agreement, USAID will train residents on conserving the park’s natural resources. Mazo said USAID has also promised to provide equipment like radios to workers maintaining the park.
Before, people were not trained and everyone has his own view on how to implement projects. The agreement will provide us with a uniform system and will raise the people’s awareness about the need to take care of the environment, Mazo said.
Lazo said the master plan would also raise the number of people working in the Siete Pecados Marine Park to 30 from seven.
I believe the agreement will help us attract more tourists, he said.
The marine park is financially self-sustaining and generated about P1.4 million in 2013. The entrance fee only costs P100 per person, a small amount for tourists who want to interact with nature. The revenues are being used to maintain tourist facilities and to support patrols against illegal fishing.
The marine park provides sanctuary to parent fishes and their young, allowing them to survive and migrate. ECOFISH data showed that fishermen in Barangay Tagumpay, where the marine park is located, catch an average of 6.4 kilos per day.
Interestingly, the marine park that literally means seven sins brought out virtues among local residents.
The communities worked together to stop illegal fishing, conduct regular patrols and maintain its cleanliness. They also sought the help of non-government groups to learn ways to take care of the site.
Their efforts have worked and they are now reaping the fruits of their labor.
We have been recording zero incidents of illegal fishing since 2005, when Siete Pecados was declared a protected area, Mazo said.
Illegal activities are now rare. When you record five minor intrusions per year, that is already too many, he added.
2012. Philstar