Reaffirming its commitment to support communities and the environment, Chevron Philippines Inc. marketer of the Caltex brand of fuels and lubricants has extended its Marine Protected Area project in Barangay Poro in San Fernando City, La Union for another six months or until this June.
The Poro MPA project, which started in 2013 and is funded through a P7.2-million grant from CPI, has helped forge public-private partnerships. It has also set up self-reliant people’s organization and established a sustainable livelihood for the community.
The Poro MPA project is co-managed with the Poro Sea Lovers Association, a people’s organization based in Barangay Poro. Select members of the PSLA are also part of the Poro MPA Management Council and Bantay Dagat, which oversee the management, patrolling, monitoring, law enforcement and integration of the Poro MPA into the city’s MPA network.
CPI project partner Institute for Social Order proposed the extension after the five–year contract ended in 2018 to strengthen the operation of the Poro MPA and, in the case of the PSLA, in attaining financial sustainability.
CPI approved the extension proposal in pursuit of its goal of empowering communities to become active and productive members of society.
“It has always been Chevron’s mission to pursue projects that address community needs. We have seen how the MPA project significantly impacted the lives of the people in Barangay Poro. We hope the extension will bring even more opportunities for them and improve their quality of life,” said CPI Country Chairman Louie Zhang.
The project encourages residents to be MPA guardians while providing them with livelihood opportunities such as an eatery, catering business, spicy dried anchovy production, and rice trading. These livelihood projects augment families’ income and help wean the community from overdependence on fishing.
Chevron operates three Caltex service stations in and around San Fernando, La Union and a terminal in Poro Point.
In line with its vision of lifting the lives of the people in the communities where it operates, Chevron provides training, opportunities, and equipment through social investment programs geared toward producing globally competitive citizens.