Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 7) – The Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro is one of three marine protected areas in the world which won the 2022 Blue Park Awards bestowed by non-profit international ocean conservation organization Marine Conservation Institute.
This year’s two other winners are the Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area in Indonesia and the Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Park in Colombia.
The Blue Park Award recognizes marine protected areas around the world with outstanding conservation of wildlife beneath the waters.
The Apo Reef Natural Park is the second marine protected area in the country to bag the prestigious Blue Park Award. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan received the citation in 2017.
“This Blue Park Award is a testament to the more than two decades of hard work of different sectors for the conservation and protection of Apo Reef Natural Park,” said Krystal Villanada, Director of Apo Reef Natural Park.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is also celebrating the feat achieved by the Apo Reef Natural Park. The award, it noted, is an outstanding recognition to all stakeholders protecting the area.
“This award is an impetus not only for our hardworking men and women in the field but also to the national government to boost the conservation efforts in our marine protected areas through our policies, programs, and collaboration with various stakeholders,” DENR Officer-in-Charge Secretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. said in a statement.
Apo Reef spans about 34 square kilometers and is recognized as the largest coral reef in the country. It is also the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
The 274.69-sq km. marine natural park located about 33 kilometers off the coast of Sablayan town is also a known diving spot for its various flora and fauna and different coral varieties.
The area was declared as a protected natural park by former president Fidel Ramos in 1996.
The Apo Reef Natural Park is managed by the DENR, Protected Area Management Office, Protected Area Management Board, and the local government unit of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
