Island Garden City of Samal fisheries livelihood projects and coastal communities were evaluated on December 12-13, 2022, by the Regional Technical Search Committee for the 2022 Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan Regional Search Competition.

Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) is an annual program of the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) that recognizes and rewards outstanding coastal communities that have taken initiatives and made excellent contributions to the development of sustainable fisheries in their communities. Last year, the local government of IGaCoS was recognized as the 3rd placer in the regional search.

The Regional Technical Search Committee is composed of representatives from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of the Interior Local Government (DILG) and Philippine Coast Guard. The Search Committee conducted on-site evaluations and continued with audio-visual presentations for document validation in coastal accomplishments and best practices for livelihood projects.

The City Agricultures Office and its Fisheries Division, headed by Mr. Jimuel Rebigan and Junmark Millana, with the partnership of City Environment and Natural Resources, initiated the preparation for this year's MMK. The local government of Samal was assessed based on criteria of no illegal fishing, observance of off-fishing seasons, declared marine protected areas, clean coastal water without any garbage and industrial effluents flowing to the sea, and effective mangrove protection and rehabilitation. (CIO-IGACOS/Christian/Nj)