We did it! In May 15, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a presidential proclamation declaring 352,390 hectares of the Philippine Rise as a Marine Resource Reserve, of which 49,684 hectares is a Strict Protection Zone including the pristine Benham Bank. This means that the protected area will be closed to any human activities except for scientific research. The remaining areas within the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR) were designated as a Fisheries Management Area (FMA). Fishing using active gears is banned in FMAs under the Amended Fisheries Code or RA 10654. A fisheries management area is subject to protective measures to ensure that there will be no illegal fishing and overexploitation of marine resources. The areas covered by the proclamation are more than what we asked for in our petition, and this could not have been possible without YOUR INDISPENSABLE SUPPORT. We started this petition with 0 signatures, and happily close this with over 26,000 online supporters! We all helped make this happen! Last year, our petition was sent to the Malacañang Palace along with a letter urging President Duterte to declare Benham Bank as a no-take zone. An updated version of the online petition was sent on February 14 this year to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, requesting for his endorsement to the President to proclaim portions of the Philippine Rise including Benham Bank as a protected area. Thank you for caring for our oceans, for lending your voices, and for standing by our side in this most challenging journey to protect the Philippine Rise. This is a momentous victory for all of us and our oceans as we celebrate the Month of the Ocean this May and the International Year of the Reefs 2018! Maraming salamat! Through our combined efforts and working with our key decision-makers in government and other stakeholders, we have contributed immensely in helping protect this precious and unique national and global heritage. Let us continue to work together to restore the abundance of our seas for the present and future generations! For the oceans, Oceana Philippines Read all about the declaration here: http://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-declares-philippine-rise-a-protected-area/398969/