Panaon Island, nestled between Visayas and Mindanao, is renowned for its thriving coral reefs, which boast up to 60 percent live coral cover — three times the national average of 20 percent.

As the Senate prepares to deliberate on December 3 on the proposal to designate Panaon Island as a protected seascape — alongside 10 other measures for protected area status — advocates are ...