Man with a fish. Apo Island.

Difficult to believe that over 40 years ago, the reefs of this tiny island off the coast of Dauin, just outside of Dumaguete, were in a state of plunder, ravaged by unhindered dynamite blasting. Rehabilitated through the pioneering efforts of marine biologists from nearby Siliman University in Dumaguete and, equally importantly, participated in by the local community, the place was declared a marine sanctuary. Fishing was prohibited in no take zones and the area was policed against dynamite and cyanide fishers. Now four decades later, coral has regenerated and fish have returned. The reefs have come back from the dead and now teem with life. It serves as a lesson in renewal; its template to be reapplied wherever marine ecosystems are in need of rehabilitation.