The crown of thorns starfish that have been destroying corals in the 215,950-hectare Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) have found their match among women in coastal communities here. Thanks to a reward of rice given out by the SBPS Protected Area Management Office (Pamo), women volunteers, most of them housewives, are coming out in groups to pluck the crown of thorns out of the sea for good, preventing the invasive species from badly damaging the rich coral system in Sarangani Bay. Joy Ologuin, head of the SBPS Pamo, said they launched “Dap-ag Kapalit Bugas” (crown of thorns in exchange for rice) in Maasim town, Sarangani province, to combat the infestation that started in the area last year.

Sarmiento, B. (2022, January 28). Women power in Sarangani Bay keeps coral predators away. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A7.