The research was conducted to evaluate the potential for an ecotourism management approach for the continued protection of the Pagbilao Mangrove Experimental Forest, a 145-hectare 30-year old secondary growth mangrove forest reserve, believed to significantly contribute to fisheries, wildlife, and environmental education. The study aimed to (1) determine the value of the benefits derived from the forest reserve, (2) estimate the willingness to pay of its visitors, and (3) assess the available

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... ysical, human resources and institutional capacity relevant to support ecotourism opportunities for the area. The study site is located in two adjacent barangays in Pagbilao, Quezon, namely Ibabang Palsabangon, where the Pagbilao Mangrove Experimental Forest is located and Pinagbayanan, where the potential of the community to provide ecotourism services for the mangrove reserve is assessed. The study used secondary data to show the economic importance of the said forest reserve, and visitors' survey to highlight its educational and ecological tourism importance. The willingness to pay survey was also used to determine the potential revenues that can be generated for conservation purposes, and potential livelihood opportunities that can be created for the local community through ecotourism. Ocular survey was likewise employed to know the physical capacity to accommodate visitors. Semi-structured focused-group discussions integrated in a workshop and interviews were conducted in order to determine the available human and institutional capacity which can be pertinent in implementing ecotourism plans for the mangrove reserve. Information on the community's seasonal pattern was also generated from the local residents, which provide indicators on the availability of the human resource capacities in various times of the year. The survey revealed that most of the visitors, 80 percent of them composed of students, visit the reserve for educational reasons. A significant number of student visitors are likewise likely to originate fr [...]