The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), through the Ramon Magsaysay Transformative Leadership Institute (RMTLI), has officially launched Mangrove Fiesta (or Fisherfolk Initiative for Environmental Sustainability of Tinigban Community Associations), marking the second phase of the Magsaysay Laureates Community Initiative.
Through RMTLI, which advances the transformative work of Ramon Magsaysay awardees by connecting their proven solutions with communities across Asia, the yearlong initiative brings the community-led coastal conservation model of 2021 Ramon Magsaysay awardee Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon to Barangay Tinigban in Carles, Iloilo.
Recognized with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for leading his fellow fishers in restoring marine ecosystems through community-led conservation, Ka Dodoy will mentor the Fisherfolks Association of Tinigban (FAT), together with the Kapunungan sa Gagmay’ng Mangingisda sa Concepcion (KGMC) and select 4K Project alumni in environmental stewardship, organizational leadership, and sustainable livelihoods.
The launch on July 22 brought together FAT members, local government officials, community leaders, and partner organizations in a shared commitment to strengthen coastal ecosystems and build a more resilient fishing community.
Addressing the community, Ka Dodoy said the initiative’s success depends on local ownership: “This is your initiative—not RMAF’s, not KGMC’s, not LDS Charities’. This is Barangay Tinigban’s.”
Speaking in Filipino, he said the doubters have to be befriended and their education continued, along with the planting of mangroves, until they recognize the effort and feel its importance.
RMAF president Susan B. Afan echoed this call, emphasizing that lasting transformation begins with communities taking ownership of their own future. “Real transformation begins when communities take ownership of their own future,” she said. “Mangrove Fiesta is not a project brought to Barangay Tinigban. It is a future that the people of Tinigban are building together.”
The launch of Mangrove Fiesta also featured a symbolic exchange of community gifts. Ka Dodoy presented mangrove propagules and oysters from Zamboanga Sibugay, while FAT shared handcrafted seashell plaques from Tinigban, marking the start of a partnership rooted in shared learning and mutual responsibility.
FAT members have completed baseline surveys that will guide project implementation throughout the year.
For FAT president Leo “Ka Toting” Logronio, the initiative validates years of community effort at restoring the marine ecosystems. It used to be that they were the ones breaking the law and causing destruction, he said in a mix of Filipino and English. “With what we’re doing now, it’s payback time, and we’re the ones now restoring [the marine ecosystems].”
Carles Mayor Arnold Betita II reminded the participants that the launch “is only the beginning” of a longer journey toward sustainable community development.
The launch also opened opportunities for broader collaboration. RMAF met with the University of the Philippines Visayas Institute of Fisheries and Development Studies to explore research and technical partnerships, and with Iloilo Vice Governor Nathalie Debuque to discuss institutional support for Mangrove Fiesta. Both expressed commitment to partnering with RMAF, KGMC, and FAT as the initiative moves forward.
Selected FAT members will travel to Zamboanga Sibugay this August for an immersion with KGMC, where they will learn directly from Ka Dodoy’s decades of experience in community-based coastal resource management.
Anchored on Ka Dodoy’s principles of environmental sustainability, economic access and community empowerment, Mangrove Fiesta is aimed at restoring mangrove ecosystems while strengthening local leadership, sustainable livelihoods, and community resilience.
Through RMTLI, the Magsaysay Laureates Community Initiative continues to translate the proven solutions of Ramon Magsaysay Awardees into community-led action, enabling communities to learn from one another and build lasting change together. CONTRIBUTED
