by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan, May 3 (PIA) – The
Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography
(MSU-TCTO) in cooperation with the Tawi-Tawi Divers Club (TDC) has successfully
conducted a two-month introductory course to scuba diving to selected students
of Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences.
The free training that culminated last March
31 was participated by at least 20 people, of which, 15 are students of
MSU-TCTO and members of the Marine Bio & Environmental Sciences Students’
Association (MABESSA).
TDC President Engr. Rosendo R. Reyes said
that this project with the MSU-TCTO was initiated as part of the club’s social
responsibility “to draw strategic partnership with the academic institution
like the MSU-TCTO that offers courses in marine biology and fisheries and
environmental sciences.”
Reyes pointed out that TDC provides such
training to students so that “they will utilize their skills, exposures and
experiences especially in the conduct of their academic research in marine and
environmental sciences.” He added that conducting under water research studies
require students to be scuba divers.
He said that two Dive Masters, Prof. Ramon
Tangon and Rasul Sabal were assisting him in the training. He emphasized that
TDC would continue to participate on collaborative engagement with concerned
agencies and NGOs in projects related to coral assessment, establishment and
management of fish sanctuary, construction of artificial reef, Crown-of Thorns
Clean-up, coastal clean-up like scubasurero
(garbage collector of the sea) and other projects and programs of similar
considerations, especially those involving environmental concerns.
Meanwhile, MSU-TCTO Chancellor Atty. Lorenzo
R. Reyes, in his message underscored the significance of scuba diving to the
academic program of the university. He said that he is planning to make scuba
diving as one subject area of study in the academic curriculum of the
Department of Marine & Environmental Science of the university.
“I have always encouraged the college of
fisheries and environmental science to undertake more research studies in
fisheries and marine biology as well as in environmental sciences because
MSU-TCTO is a vocational institution by its mandates, he stressed.
He shared his vision to make MSU-TCTO a
center of excellence on fisheries and oceanographic studies and to ensure that
the graduates will be relevant and globally competitive. He pointed out,
further, that Tawi-Tawi is considered a haven for research studies and that he
wishes to expect also that the college should be able to come up with more
vital research proposals in which he assured that it would be his
responsibility to find possible source of funding for any research proposal
submitted.
Moreover, Director for Coastal Resource
Management Prof. Felimon Romero said that “there’s a need to strengthen our
environment and ecological system as this is our only potential source of
eco-tourism for foreign investment in Tawi-Tawi.”
“We are part of coral triangle in Southeast Asian
region, and that what we have here in Tawi-Tawi is that we can find more
interesting coastal fishery resources and pristine beaches to explore that we
are proud to say is much better than those in other places within the country,
including other places abroad,” he added.,
Meanwhile, the Office of MSU-SCTO Chancellor
has donated to the club about ten pieces of junked steel cabinets that will be
used as artificial reef in support to the national coral reef restoration
program of government. As part of their
commitment to the TDC, the trainees will install the cabinets to the seas near
Mountain View Resort Beach at Barangay Pasiagan in Bongao.
TDC said the areas that are devastated by
dynamite and cyanide fishing are the targets of coral reef restoration.
MABESSA President Yunadzmal Ong, moreover, expressed
his gratitude to the TDC President and MSU Chancellor for making the scuba
training possible that helps in their quest for scientific exploration of the
seas and the oceans of Tawi-Tawi.