Representatives from Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI) namely Mr. Jonathan Santiago, Ms. Corazon Sajonas, and Mr. Michael Rey Turalba Quillope met with Dr. Jaime I. Manuel, Jr. on September 30 to present Project INSPIRE which aims to promote good governance in the management of coastal resources including Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Province of La Union as part of Fishery Management Area (FMA) 6. The project implementation runs from September 2022 to September 2025.

JVOFI received funding for the project from USAID through the Gerry Roxas Foundation and selected DMMMSU as one of its partners in strengthening the capabilities and capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs) including People’s Organizations (POs) on integrated coastal resource management.

Also present during the project brief were Dr. Angelina T. Gonzales, Vice-President for Research and Extension; and Mr. Celso H. Jucutan, University Coordinator on Environmental Management and Coordinator of the Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG).

In a short interview with President Manuel, he expressed his joy:

“We’re grateful that DMMMSU has become a recipient of this significant project. We need to be aggressive in helping reverse the deterioration of coastal and marine ecosystems, habitats, and landscapes. Human well-being cannot be achieved without the protection and conservation of the Earth’s ecosystem.”