EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

As the COVID pandemic started to take hold in March 2020, our volunteeroperations had to be suspended. Like many countries around the world, the Filipino government imposed a system of ‘lockdown’, designed to halt the spread of the virus by limiting social interactions.

For Malapasuca, these lockdown measures forced a stop to travel, business, and the usual daily activities of the community. Businesses resorted to reducing their operating hours or even closing their doors completely.

While the suspension of volunteer operations presented a challenge for us, we have continued to focus on our community-based programs and are happy to report on the great progress towards community-led sustainable marine resources management, even during such challenging times.