Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje has directed his agency’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau to create a task force that will monitor and document coral bleaching in the country. Paje also ordered his department’s regional officials to mobilize their technical staff to collaborate with local government units (LGUs), particularly those with marine protected areas, as well as divers’ groups, the academe and other stakeholders in monitoring coral bleaching in their respective areas. This, amid reports by scientists and divers of massive bleaching of coral reefs in the country due to warmer-than-usual ocean water temperature.

Villanueva, R. (2010, September 11). DENR task force to monitor, document coral bleaching. The Philippine Star, p. A-19.