Pescador Island now open, tourists urged to help expedite rehab

Pescador Island is again open for tourists. Governor Gwendolyn Garcia led the ceremony to open the island for tourists on
Sunday, February 27. | Morisette Marie B. Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Pescador Island is open again after being closed to the public for nearly three months.

The Cebu Provincial government on Sunday, February 27, reopened Pescador Island to the public through the ceremonial launching of Dasig Pescador.

Pescador is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cebu. The islet, which belongs to the territorial jurisdiction of Moalboal town in southwestern Cebu, is a diving landmark.

Sunday’s event was led by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Moalboal Mayor Paz Rozgoni, and groups of licensed divers. 

Those who also attended were key officials from the Central Visayas offices of various government agencies such as Shalimar Tamano of the Department of Tourism (DOT-7), Assistant Secretary Asteria Caberte of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7), and representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Officials from law enforcement agencies such as Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and Colonel Jerry Borja of Task Force Cebu Bohol Siquijor from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Dasig Pescador is the name for the government-led initiative that seeks to expedite rehabilitation of marine life around Pescador Island.

Divers are encouraged to participate in coral aggregation or replanting to help restore marine life around it.

“It’s an added cause, an added advocacy. (Ang diving) mas kahulugan. Mapun-an sa mission nga marehab ang mga naguba nga corals thru coral aggregation,” said Governor Gwendolyn Garcia during a speech. 

(It’s an added cause, an added advocacy. (Diving) will be more meaningful. We will have an added mission that is to help rehab the destroyed corals thru coral aggregation.)

“It’s a dive for a cause and with that, we make the dive more meaningful. Ang atong pagdasig balik sa Pescador (Our call is to return to Pescador),” she added.

Pescador Island was closed since December due to the devastation left by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).

To recall, the local government of Moalboal closed Pescador Island from the public to give way for corals around it to recover from the “massive damage” it sustained during the typhoon’s onslaught.

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