The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a program to help strengthen local coastal resource management in the Visayas, including areas of Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

The Coastal Resource Center, which is based at the University of Rhode Island in the United States, partnered with the Non-Governmental Organization for Fisheries Reform (NFR) and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) Negros office for the project.

Among the areas the program will cover include northern Iloilo and EB Magalona, Manapla, Victorias City, Cadiz City, Sagay City, and Escalante City in Negros Occidental.

The program will be conducting scoping activities, which will map the results of the study; along with conducting focus groups and informant interviews.

The said discussions are scheduled to begin tomorrow, July 12, at the East View Hotel in Bacolod City./WDJ