#BantayVisayanSea
#PahuwaySangBaybay

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁’𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗖𝗙𝗔𝗦 𝟲 & 𝗔𝗙𝗦𝗦𝗥𝗡 𝟭

Twin campaign, #BantayVisayanSea and #PahuwaySangBaybay, of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources VI (BFAR 6) were presented at the Arts Session of the Joint International Conference of the 6th International Conference for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (ICFAS 6) and Asian Fisheries Social Science Research Network Forum One (AFSSRN F1) held virtually via Zoom from November 24 to 26, 2021.

Ms. Rheane Joy Senangote of BFAR 6 presented the short film entitled “𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘢: 𝘈 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴”. The film is part of the call-to-action campaign that shows the importance of community engagement and participation in the success of fisheries policy implementation. The film highlights the connection among various stakeholders and the different roles that they play in taking care of this vast, vital, and vulnerable resource.

In her presentation, Ms. Senangote underscored the importance of various science communication and community engagement strategies to increase stakeholder participation in marine conservation and awareness and compliance to fisheries policies. The Bureau’s creative and campaigns team who produced the film include Ms. Zeshalyn Capindo, Ms. Megan Panes-Diana, and Ms. Maria Aimee Sobrevega under the supervision of Regional Director Remia A. Aparri.

On the hand, Prof. Early Sol Gadong of the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo (UPHSI) presented the song entitled “𝘗𝘢𝘩𝘶𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘺: 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘑𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘢 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯”. Prof. Gadong composed the lyrics of the jingle while Prof. Hermie Cartagena arranged the music and performed the song. This jingle was also made possible with the help of the Bureau’s development partner, BFAR – USAID Fish Right Program.

The jingle’s chorus advises that our seas need a brief respite to recover their natural resources. The verses and the rap portions further explain the area in the Visayan Sea covered by the closed fishing season and highlights that the catching, selling, and buying of herring, sardines, and mackerel species are prohibited in the Visayan Sea for three months, between November 15 and February 15 of the following year, to allow mature species to spawn and the juvenile to grow.

The short film and song were the manifestation of the Bureau’s commitment to improve stakeholder engagement strategies to increase the community’s awareness on the significance of the Visayan Sea Closed Season such that it will translate into compliance with the said conservation policy. (BFAR6/RJES)

Listen to our #PahuwaySangBaybay Jingle and check-out our #BantayVisayanSea short film below!