Corals are thriving in San Remigio's protected waters

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu - Corals remain abundant in marine protected areas in San Remigio town in northern Cebu.

Coral communities dominated by Porites, Pocillopora, Acropora, and Millepora -- thrive along gently sloping, silty reef beds, thus increasing the population of reef fishes.

This was the finding of the recent joint underwater assessment led by the Coastal Resources and Ecotourism Research Development and Extension Center (CRERDEC) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7).

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Healthy coral reefs provide habitat, feeding, spawning, and nursery grounds for aquatic species, including commercially harvested fish species.

"This abundance, especially compared with areas outside, provides clear evidence that protection is effective," DENR-7 said in a report that was posted on its social media page on Wednesday, March 25.

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In its report, DENR-7 said that when the magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit northern Cebu on September 30, 2025, followed by Typhoon Tino in November of the same year, many of the coastal communities in northern Cebu were ruined and faced uncertainties.

"Recovery was painstaking and slow," it said.

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Luckily, the protected areas in San Remigio town did not incur any significant damage.

A joint assessment by CRERDEC, in coordination with the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape Management Office and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 7, conducted from March 16 to 20, 2026 showed that coral communities in Barangays Maño, Anapog, Busogon, Tambungon, Bancasan, Kinawahan, and Luyang continued to thrive.

"This abundance, especially compared with areas outside, provides clear evidence that protection is effective," read part of the report.