Mabaw Reef Marine Sanctuary

Overview

Mabaw Reef Marine Sanctuary is a protected reef area within Tagbilaran City waters, located in the Taloto-Ubujan-Manga coastal area. It is recorded in the Bohol provincial tourist-attraction inventory under the coastal landscape and seascape category.

The sanctuary covers approximately 2 hectares in Taloto, Tagbilaran. A restoration program was launched in 2010: a two-year campaign to reduce illegal and destructive fishing in the area, after which coral and marine species populations recovered — the site is now cited as a model for reef-restoration efforts elsewhere in the Philippines. It is managed by a dedicated Mabaw Reef Management Committee, with support from the Department of Agriculture, DENR, and BFAR, plus the international conservation NGO RARE and the Maribojoc Bay Executive Management Office. Protection measures include a patrol speedboat and fish wardens stationed to guard against illegal fishing. The sanctuary has an outreach mascot, a clownfish character named “Mabi,” used in school-based conservation education. The city also holds an annual charity run tied to it — a “Run for Mabaw Reef” — timed to the city’s Charter Day celebrations (the 2012 edition, its second running, was held July 1 under the theme “Mabaw Reef, Atong Sangtuaryo, Atong Ampingan” — “Our Reef, Our Sanctuary, Our Care”).

[TO ENRICH: current coral cover percentage, specific fish species diversity, and snorkeling/dive access conditions for visitors.]

Location

Coastal waters off Barangay Taloto/Ubujan/Manga, Tagbilaran City, Bohol. These barangays are on the eastern side of Tagbilaran City facing the strait.

[TO ENRICH: exact reef coordinates, distance from shore, access point]

Getting There

Tagbilaran City is the provincial capital and main entry point for Bohol. The Manga area is accessible from central Tagbilaran by tricycle. A boat is required to reach the reef.

[TO ENRICH: boat hire options, embarkation point, distance from Manga shore to the reef]

Practical Info

• Size: approx. 2 hectares.
• Managing body: Mabaw Reef Management Committee, with the City Government of Tagbilaran, Department of Agriculture, DENR, BFAR, and RARE (conservation NGO) as partners.

[TO ENRICH: MPA registration requirements, dive/snorkel fees, direct contact for the managing committee, permitted activities.]

What to Expect

What distinguishes Mabaw from a typical provincial MPA is its address: a reef inside a city’s fishing grounds, not a remote barangay sanctuary, so the pressures that damaged it in the first place — illegal and destructive fishing close to a dense urban population — never fully go away. That is the practical reason the patrol speedboat and fish wardens are still funded years after the original restoration campaign closed, rather than the sanctuary being left to manage itself.

[TO ENRICH: current reef health assessment, coral cover percentage, fish species diversity, and water visibility conditions.]

Notes

The Manga Public Market is in the same barangay cluster and is a practical landmark for navigation. Dalareich Chocolate House, a Bohol specialty food producer, is also in Tagbilaran City. The reef’s proximity to the Floating Cottages recreational facilities in the Manga/Ubujan waters has made cottage proliferation a live marine-conservation concern for city regulators (see the Floating Cottages entity).

Mabaw Reef Sanctuary, accessed 2026-07-17 — source for size, 2010 restoration campaign, and “Mabi” mascot. Mabawo Reef needs more improvement, accessed 2026-07-17 — source for management committee and patrol details. Run to protect Mabaw reef kicks off Tagbilaran Charter Day celebration, accessed 2026-07-17 — source for the annual charity run and RARE/Maribojoc Bay partnership.