LILOAN, Southern Leyte – The declaration of Panaon Island Protected Seascape (PIPS) as a protected area turned one year on Saturday, sans the usual grand fanfare but with deep recognition from people who pushed for its enactment into law and its impact on people's lives.

Von Hernandez, Vice President of Oceana, the international conservation group that lobbied for the enactment of the law in Congress, said the PIPS law is coming to life through the incredible teamwork of local governments, national agencies and stakeholders.

“Their passion and stewardship are the tide that will lift our fisheries, biodiversity and the coastal livelihoods for generations,” says Hernandez. “One year down, a lifetime to go!”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act 12238 on 29 August 2025, declaring the 60,000 hectares of waters surrounding Panaon Island a protected seascape called PIPS. Four towns of Southern Leyte cover Panaon Island, namely Liloan, Pintuyan, San Francisco, and San Ricardo.

PIPS is part of the world’s 50 priority reefs—classified as likely to withstand the impacts of climate change.

Its waters are rich feeding grounds not only for whale sharks, locally known as tiki-tiki, but also for other large marine vertebrates such as green sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles. The rare and endangered blue whale has also been sighted in the seascape, a testament to its health.

Its first anniversary of the declaration of PIPS on Saturday coincided with the eve of International Whale Sharks Day, a celebration in recognition of the worldwide campaign to protect tiki-tiki.

For the locals and tourists frequenting Panaon Island, the tiki- tiki or whale shark is the star of the show. The sight of its massive, dotted form swimming across the island’s pristine waters is what keeps many tourists coming back, with frequent sightings even close to shore.

Pintuyan Mayor Ricarte Estrella, whose municipality is a known whale shark interaction site, affirms the commitment of the local government to ethical tourism and marine conservation.

"As Pintuyan is known for its whale shark interactions, the implementation of Panaon Island as a protected seascape has helped protect and maintain our marine ecosystem,” he said.

“A healthier ecosystem supports more plankton, which is the primary food source of whale sharks. When the marine environment thrives, whale sharks are more likely to stay in our municipal waters, which in turn supports our community livelihoods,” Estrella added.

Policies for the future

In the first year of its enactment into law, the seascape’s governance and management structures have been put in place. The multi-stakeholder Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) has been established, and its Executive Committee has already approved the Protected Area Management Plan (PAMP)- a science-based, community-grounded blueprint for coordinated enforcement, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable ecotourism.

The PAMP was developed through the collaboration of Oceana, Southern Leyte State University – Bontoc Campus, the DENR, the local governments of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan, and San Ricardo, and the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte.

The planning process involved consultations with local communities and stakeholders and gathered the commitment of national government agencies and non-government organizations to make sure the plan is grounded on both science and realities on the ground.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to establish a Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) on the island to support the day-to-day management and implementation of the seascape.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), through its Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project, have begun supporting initiatives on sustainable livelihoods and coastal resource management, while opportunities for support from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are being explored.

A landmark provision in RA  12238 mandates speed limits for vessels traversing PIPS waters – a measure designed to protect whale sharks and other marine megafauna from injury, disturbance and death, particularly along migratory pathways and critical feeding zones.