2024 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

Reptile Rehabilitation Center, which, aside from the rescue and rehabilitation of marine species, capacitates the Fisheries Law Enforcement Team for strict enforcement and compliance with fishery laws and the Coastal Resource Management, aiming to conduct assessment, research, and clean-up activities. This multifaceted approach encompassing different lenses is the strategy for continuous development utilizing the 3RN System and a well-defined protocol for monitoring and evaluation, bringing the center's total number of recovered marine animals to 54, with 39 successfully released and 15 unfortunately unable to survive, wherein these species originate in the nearby cities and municipalities as well as Ormoc.

The program reached the national level, Galing Pook Awards, belonging to the Top 17, a groundbreaking achievement as the first locally initiated marine environmental program on marine species rehabilitation. Plans are underway to establish a scientific-edge offshore facility, a dedicated facility equipped with veterinary expertise and equipment for the proper diagnosis, treatment, and long-term health monitoring as these species undergo rehabilitation programs for these species, helping them recover from injuries or illnesses, regain natural behaviors and foraging skills, and ultimately prepare for successful reintegration into their natural habitats.

Emphasizing the collaboration between governments, conservation organizations, and the public is crucial to ensuring physical and mental well-being and the long-term survival of marine species. After all, the success of the rehabilitation is not solely credited to the office but to the unity of volunteers, achieving a feat in environmental efforts towards a blue economy.

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