The bantay dagat, also known as the sea patrol, are community-based, volunteer organizations in the Philippines that work with local and national government officials and within 15 kilometers of the shore to protect the marine environment, especially patrolling against illegal fishing, and to provide assistance in rescue operations. It is under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture.
Bantay Dagat is "a participatory approach designed for coastal law enforcement which has existed in the Philippines since the 1970s." [1] The current structure was founded in 1994 at the behest of Philippine Senator Santanina Rasul. [2] They work with the Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, among others. [2] By the year 2000, there were over 100,000 Bantay Dagat volunteers. [2]
There have been several incidents of Bantay Dagat leaders being killed, such as in Batangas in 2009. [3]
The volunteers may receive a small honorarium as well as other benefits, similar to Philippine tanods, land-based, community watchmen.
Calabarzon, formally known as the Southern Tagalog Mainland, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IV-A. The region comprises five provinces: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal and one highly urbanized city, Lucena. The region is the most populous region in the Philippines according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, having over 14.4 million inhabitants in 2020, and is also the country's second most densely populated after the National Capital Region.
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north, and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the island of Mindoro and to the west lies the West Philippine Sea. Poetically, Batangas is often referred to by its ancient name Kumintáng.
Oriental Mindoro is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about 140 kilometres (87 mi) southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island Passage and the rest of Batangas to the north, by Marinduque, Maestre de Campo Island, Tablas Strait and the rest of Romblon to the east, by Semirara and the rest of Caluya Islands, Antique to the south, and by Occidental Mindoro to the west. Calapan, the only city in the island, is the provincial capital.
Puerto Galera, officially the Municipality of Puerto Galera, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,961 people.
Batangas City, officially the City of Batangas, is a 1st class component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 351,437 people.
Mabini, officially the Municipality of Mabini, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 50,858 people.
Tablas is the largest of the islands that comprise the province of Romblon in the Philippines. The name of the island was of Spanish origin. Before the colonization of the Philippines, Tablas was known as the Island of Osigan. At the time of contact with Westerners, Osigan had a population of two hundred and fifty people living in small villages. Wax was produced in this island.
The Philippine Navy (PN) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 25,000 active service personnel, including the 12,500-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 81 combat ships, 12 auxiliary ships, 25 aircraft and 8 unmanned aerial vehicles. It shares the responsibility of patrolling the maritime borders with the Philippine Coast Guard, a formerly attached unit which became a separate maritime law enforcement agency in 1998.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is a civilian armed uniformed service attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Philippine waters, conducting maritime security operations, safeguarding life and property at sea, and protecting marine environment and resources; similar to coast guard units around the world. In case of a declaration of war, the Coast Guard shall also serve as an attached service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Bantay Bata 163 is a social welfare program of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation. Launched in 1997, it aims to protect disadvantaged and at-risk children through a nationwide network of social services. Among these services is the national emergency hotline, '163', which allows people to call in and report incidents of child abuse, exploitation and neglect.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government, abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards the effective delivery of basic services to the citizenry.
Verde Island is situated along the bodies of Verde Island Passage between the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, Philippines. It was in 1988 when a small village was connected to mains electricity through the effort of a European project using technologies such as solar panels for the island's self-sufficiency. Since then, it has been declared by the Philippine Tourism Authority as one of the country's marine reserves.
Verde Island Passage is a strait that separates the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, connecting the South China Sea with the Tayabas Bay and the Sibuyan Sea beyond. It is one of the busiest sea lanes in the Philippines because it is the main shipping route between the Port of Manila and the Visayas and Mindanao in the south. Also, many ferries navigate the waters, connecting the surrounding provinces of Batangas, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Romblon. The 1.14 million hectare passage is extremely rich in marine biodiversity, the richest area in the entire Coral Triangle. It has been called "Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity". Various conservation groups have been pushing for its nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Batangas State University is a Level IV state university in the province of Batangas, Philippines. Established as a manual training school in 1903, Batangas State University is the oldest higher education institution in the country's Calabarzon Region. It was converted into a state college in 1968 through RA 5270, and was renamed Pablo Borbon Memorial Institute of Technology. It was finally elevated into a state university in 2001 by virtue of RA 9045. It has 11 campuses and more than 35,000 students enrolled in over 110 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Philippines–Republic of China relations, also retroactively known as Sino-Philippine relations are foreign relations between the Republic of the Philippines and Republic of China (Taiwan). The Philippines maintains relations with Taiwan through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Manila.
Crocodile farming in the Philippines refers to agricultural industries involving the raising and harvesting of crocodiles for the commercial production of crocodile meat and crocodile leather.
The Mindoro–Batangas Super Bridge is a proposed 14 km (8.7 mi) pontoon bridge which is planned to connect the Philippine province of Batangas and Mindoro island.
Cape Santiago Lighthouse, also known as Faro de Cabo Santiago, is a historic lighthouse located about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southwest of Manila in Barangay Bagong Silang, Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines. It is the oldest working lighthouse in Batangas and one of the oldest working lighthouses in the Philippines. It serves as a guide for ships passing through the Verde Island Passage and entering Manila Bay.
Malabrigo Point Lighthouse, also known as Faro de Punta Malabrigo, is a historic lighthouse located about 115 kilometres (71 mi) southeast of Manila in Barangay Malabrigo, Lobo, Batangas, Philippines. Completed and lit in 1896, it is one of the oldest working lighthouses in the Philippines as well as the best preserved lighthouse in the country. It serves as a guide for ships passing through the Verde Island Passage going to either Batangas Bay or Sibuyan Sea.
Taal Volcano in Batangas, Philippines began to erupt on January 12, 2020, when a phreatomagmatic eruption from its main crater spewed ashes over Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and some parts of Central Luzon and Ilocos Region, resulting in the suspension of school classes, work schedules, and flights in the area. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) subsequently issued an Alert Level 4, indicating "that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days." Volcanic activity continued into 2021, when smaller eruptions occurred in July 2021.