The Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office (BPEMO) is gearing up for the upcoming Municipal Coastal Law Enforcement Team (MCLET) Training, which aims to enhance the capacity of local authorities in protecting and managing the coastal resources of the province.
BPEMO’s Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Division led a coordination meeting last July 31, 2023 to finalize and review the training module for the MCLET Training.
The meeting was attended by representatives from various agencies and stakeholders, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 7 Provincial Fishery Office (BFAR-PFO) Bohol, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Tagbilaran, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group, and the PNP Bohol Police Provincial Office.
The participants also came from the municipalities that comprise the Coastal Law Enforcement Council (CLEC) Cluster 8, namely Dauis, Panglao, Baclayon, Alburquerque, and Loay.
These municipalities are among the priority areas for coastal law enforcement in Bohol, as they face various challenges such as illegal fishing, coral reef degradation, marine pollution, and tourism-related issues.
The coordination meeting aimed to solicit inputs and suggestions from the participants on how to improve the training module for the MCLET Training.
The training module covers topics such as coastal resource management concepts and principles, coastal law enforcement policies and regulations, coastal law enforcement operations and procedures, coastal law enforcement skills and techniques, and coastal law enforcement coordination and networking.
MCLET Training is scheduled to be conducted on August 22-24, 2023 at Queen’s Suite, Dauis, Bohol.
The training is expected to equip the MCLET members with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude to effectively perform their roles and responsibilities in enforcing coastal laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.
MCLET Training is part of the BPEMO’s efforts to strengthen the CLEC Cluster 8, which was established in 2022 as a mechanism for inter-local government unit cooperation and collaboration in coastal law enforcement.
CLEC Cluster 8 aims to promote a holistic and integrated approach to coastal resource management in Bohol, in line with the provincial vision of becoming a prime eco-cultural tourism destination and a balanced agro-industrial province.