Contributed by: JOEL TECUICO

CBCRM FRAMEWORK

If there was one activity capable of unifying people, it was the marine conservation project team.  It served as a symbol of commitment that reckoned people to begin with what they have started concertedly regardless of how unfavorable the present circumstances were. The marine sanctuary reminded the people of their attempt to preserve and conserve the environment. The MCPT was an essential hallmark that enabled the organization regained the spirit that once spurred them to establish a Marine Conservation Park. It was once the instrument that put people together towards an agenda on resource management; it was again used to awaken a sense of unity in the organization to continue its campaign for a sound resource utilization and management.

Sustaining the program required a strengthened organization.  Support CBCRM mechanisms must installed to be able to spot rights on target the precise areas of the organization, which needed development. The mechanisms were rooted from a solid environmental orientation expressed through a Community-Based Resource Management (CBCRM) framework.  The said framework graphically describes the components that respond to the common issues and problems typical of a resource-dependent community.   The facilitating mechanisms/components are built in the framework in order to operationalize the goals into realistic and achievable targets.

The CBCRM Implementation Arms

Community Organizing

Community Organizing (CO) in the resource management setting underscores the bonding of people as inspired by the need to enhance the degraded resources

CO was in itself a significant stride towards empowerment.  It was where people broke away from apathy in order to articulate their minds and hearts out.  The act of bonding provided a liberating experience through which people discovered their talents, opportunities and resources at their disposal, heightened collective awareness, which inspired them to take relevant courses of actions.  An organized group equipped with a proper mindset, values and principles was sure to move forward to empowerment, self-reliance and responsible managers of their resources. 

The basis for selecting leaders of the organization was contingent on the following criteria:

1. Showed keen interest on and passion for coastal resource management;
2. Regularly attended to meetings and activities of the organization;
3. Exhibited leadership potentials and at the same time was respected in the community;
4. Was willing to learn and share learning as well; and;
5. Possessed a strong belief to change and were willing to be an instrument of development both for the organization and the community.

ADVOCACY AND NETWORKING

Advocacy and networking were the means of taking local issues to a wider scope either for alliance building or for ventilating specific concerns to the public for common scrutiny.  This was used to elicit support and foster partnership with groups upholding similar concerns and interests.

Advocacy and networking enabled the people to understand organizations advocating for similar agenda and the same development activities. 

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