Collection of dive fees in 2005 set another progress.

The total collected dive fees this year amounted to P1,677,750. Compared to 2004's collection that reached only P1,000,510. The collected fees since September 2005 are being shared equally between the municipalities of Mabini and Tingloy when they started implementing the unified dive fee system. So if Tingloy's share is subtracted from these months which was P422,100 (without subtracting the administrative costs), the total 2005 collection of Mabini amounts to P1,255,650.

On the average, the dive fee's monthly collection in 2004 in Mabini was only P83,375. For the first eight months of 2005 or before the unified fee system was implemented, the average collection in Mabini was already more than P100,000. Meanwhile, the average monthly collection under the unified fee system from September to December, 2005 amounts to P211,050. Effectively, each town received a monthly share of P105,525.

Looking at the graph below, no predictable trend in the dive fee collection could yet be detected in its first two years of implementation. 2004's lowest turn-out was listed in June with only P27,000. On the other hand, the lowest amount of collected fees in 2005 was recorded in January with only P70,000 until it bounced to a six-figure amount in March which registered the highest collected amount of P151,150. Back then, Mabini has not yet unified the fee with Tingloy.

There is no accurate and guaranteed reason for such decreases or increases. However, there are only assumptions. One, in the middle of 2004, besides the fact that it could be the start of the rainy season, it was also during this time when the patrolling activities of the Mabini Bantay Dagat were not as visible to the paying SCUBA divers. Two, there was no apprehension being done both for illegal fishers and the violating divers because the old patrol boat then was no longer functional.

The increase in the collected fees in August, 2004 was probably caused by the noted apprehensions among divers with no dive pass conducted in the month of July made by the Bantay Dagat, accompanied by the Mabini Mayor himself.. Meanwhile, In 2005, the highest monthly recorded amount of collected fees was in November which was P331,000 that was shared equally at P165,500 each by Mabini and Tingloy. Undoubtedly, this was due to the national declaration of long weekend holidays right before the All Souls Day and that of the Bonifacio Day that afforded more SCUBA divers to visit the dive sites of Mabini and Tingloy.

The staggered monthly collection can be attributed to many assumptions: awareness of the divers on the dive fee system or the encouragement by resorts among their guests to buy the passes either to avoid confiscation of the SCUBA tanks which are usually resort- owned or to help inculcate the idea that the dive fees helped the conservation of the coral reefs that their guests are enjoying. The divers may or may not have seen the effects brought about by the dive fee system, ie, aggressive Bantay Dagat law enforcement, establishment of conservation and safety structures such as the mooring buoys and street signs, and the continued preservation of the natural marine resources in Mabini and Tingloy, in general. Or it could just mean that the number of divers' arrival is simply fluctuating depending on the weather and on many other possible factors.

The Coastal Resources Management Boards from each town can use these figures to strive better and work towards a more aggressive awareness campaign program and to introduce and implement effective coastal management-related projects for the divers to enjoy. More importantly, the respective local governments of Mabini and Tingloy will have to work together more efficiently to help sustain the support to the livelihoods of their respective constituencies.

The Municipality of Mabini, is blessed with plenty of marine life - fishes, sea turtles, whales, dolphins, corals -- a site to behold for SCUBA divers, foreign and locals alike. Aside from the tourists, many members of the community such as the fisherfolks, dive resorts workers and boat operators depend on the aesthetic value of these resources. Recognizing that the present financial capacity of the local government may not be sufficient to maintain the current beauty and variety of its resources, the local government of Mabini through the assistance of its partner NGO, the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines sought for a long-term solution. A sustainable financing mechanism to support conservation efforts in the area was conceived. The most feasible mechanism identified is the conservation fee from divers or simply known as the Dive Fee system.


Willingness to Pay Survey

In summer of 2000, a survey was conducted among the SCUBA divers on their willingness to pay for conservation of the municipal waters of Mabini and Tingloy, its adjacent municipality across the Maricaban Strait. Results of the survey showed that majority of the respondents were "willing to pay….to maintain the state of coral reefs at Mabini- Tingloy". The average amount they are willing to pay is Php400 per dive visit. Those who agreed to pay such fees reasoned out that they are willing because they hope that such fees will lead to a better enforcement, regular coral reef monitoring and improvement of the site.


Dive Pass

Results of the survey were presented to the local officials of the two municipalities. Consultation meetings with various stakeholders especially among the dive professionals followed. Though it was intended to have a unified fee system with Tingloy, only Mabini decided to pursue the implementation of the dive fee. It was agreed that any diver who shall dive in the municipal waters of Mabini will be required to secure a dive pass. The amount of the dive fee was arrived at P50.00 for a daily pass while P1,000 for annual pass. Eighty-five percent of the collected fees will go to a trust fund created mainly for marine resources conservation and protection projects. The remaining 15% will then go to the general fund of the LGU.

Meanwhile, the inter-municipal discussion between Mabini and Tingloy on unifying the fee system was recently initiated and is soon to be finalized.

The ordinance related to the dive fee system was passed by the Sangguniang Bayan of Mabini in October 2002. It was approved by the Provincial Board in February of 2003. Prior to its actual implementation, provisions of the ordinance were communicated with various sectors in the community including the resort owners, dive professionals, boat operators and fisherfolks. The ordinance was also published in the local newspaper, BATANGAN issue on August 24-30, 2003. The "Pay-Before You Play" campaign through brochures and posters were distributed among the local resorts and even to the dive shops in Metro Manila. MENRO conducted discussions with resorts, boat operators and other sectors.


Monitoring Body

As provided in the ordinance, a multi-sector body called the Coastal Resources Management Board was created to act as policy-making body concerning conservation, protection and management of the town's coastal resources. In July 2003, the members of the CRMB first convened. From then on, the CRMB has regularly met to discuss how to efficiently implement the dive fee system and identified priority projects on coastal resource management.

The ordinance was first implemented on September 20, 2003 by one resort, the Planet Dive during the international coastal clean-up. However, it was only on November 22, 2003 that a formal launching ceremony for the dive fee at Eagle Point Resort in Mabini was held. The launching was graced by the CRMB members, Provincial Government officials, other LGU officials along the Balayan Bay, WWF Philippines Board members, US Agency for International Development (USAID) personnel (as a funding agency) and US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and his party.


Rebate System

Originally, it was intended that portions of the daily pass will go to resorts as rebate. However, it was suggested during one of the early meetings of CRMB to give the ten-peso rebate per daily dive pass to the boat operators association of Mabini, the AROMA Dive Boat Operators Association (ADBA). Since then, every boatman ferrying a diver in Mabini gets the stub from their passenger's ticket and remit them to MENRO. As of, June 30, 2005, the total rebate collected by ADBA from the LGU amounts to P130,460.00. Incentives to the boatmen have positively affected the compliance to the ordinance as they also serve as monitoring unit. A boatman ferrying divers without the required dive pass will however be fined P1,000.00.


Compliance monitoring

The compliance monitoring on the ordinance is headed by the Bantay Dagat unit of Mabini. In the early stage of implementation of the ordinance, the Bantay Dagat tried to absolve those who for some reason violate the ordinance, e.g. divers who are found diving without the required passes. However, during the later part of the implementation, cases of divers who dived without the passes were confiscated of their SCUBA tanks as a penalty provided for in the ordinance. These tanks were only claimed by the owners upon paying the corresponding penalty fee as provided by the ordinance, which specifically amounts to P2,000 per dive gear.