9°07’14.5″N 123°40’50.8″E
This 25 m² reef was built in December 2024, in the Marine Protected Area of Minalunan in Siquijor.
This project is particularly special for us: it is the first reef that’s been built and assembled exclusively by our local partners CCEF, members of the DOrSU University, and the local government unit of Maria. Citizens and fishermen from Siquijor also played a key role in the construction of the reef after they attended our reef-building workshop last August.
(read all about the workshop here)
Siquijor is an island located in the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. The province of Siquijor lies south of Cebu, southeast of Negros Oriental, southwest of Bohol, and north of Mindanao.
The areas that allow coral reef rehabilitation on the island are highly overfished like many reefs in the Philippines. While healthy coral and patches of relatively healthy reef exist in the area, the fringing reef has been structurally damaged by old dynamite fishing and recent storms events, notably the typhoon Odette, leading to a loss of valuable reef habitat.
To tackle the decline of marine life in the Philippines, we collaborate with trusted scientific partners that are engaged in protecting the environment.
For this specific project, we worked closely with the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation (CCEF), the Davao Oriental State University (DOrSU), as well as multiple governmental entities and local authorities, such as that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Marie Local Governmental Unit (LGU Maria).
To help address the urgent challenge of losing underwater biodiversity, Accor has partnered with us to rebuild and regenerate coral reefs in Siquijor, Philippines.
Together, we are discussing the critical mission of regenerating coral ecosystems—and the long-term impact we hope this collaboration will have, not just on marine life, but on the communities and industries that rely on thriving oceans.