21/05/2026
๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฃ ๐ข๐ก ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐
The Coast Guard Station Sultan Kudarat , together with Coast Guard Sub-Station Lebak and Coast Guard Sub-Station Kalamansig, recently participated in a three-day training workshop on Marine Mammal Stranding Response at Kalamansig Municipal Hall on May 18-20, 2026.
The training-workshop was spearheaded by the LGU Kalamansig in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region XII (BFAR XII) and the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network (PMMSN). The training equipped station personnel with the knowledge, skills, and legal grounding needed to act swiftly and correctly when such situations arise.
The workshop was led by Dr. Lemnuel V. Aragones โ one of the Philippines' foremost marine mammal experts, Professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman under the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM), and President of the Friends of PMMSN - Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Over three days, participants covered the marine mammals of the Philippines, understanding and responding to strandings, emergency first response and decision-making, Philippine Laws related to protection of marine mammals, and the ridge-to-reef approach to conservation. Dr. Darrell D Blatchley from The D'Bone Collector Museum also shared valuable field insights. The training concluded with a hands-on beach demonstration at Ala-ala Beach, Barangay Sta. Maria, Kalamansig, and the formal creation of a marine mammal stranding response team.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders from across the region, including the PNP Maritime Group, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Marines, barangay officials of Kalamansig, and representatives from the MENRO-Kalamansig, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Kalamansig, and the Municipal Agriculture Office โ reflecting a whole-of-government approach to marine mammal conservation and response.
Coast Guard Station Sultan Kudarat's participation reflects its expanded role in environmental stewardship โ a commitment to protecting all life within Philippine waters.