The Making of Environmental Subjectivity in Managing Marine Protected Areas: A Case Study from Southeast Cebu

This paper documents and examines the attributes, contradictions, and conflicts that arise in creating environmental subjects in the management of protected areas. Drawing upon a case study of a marine protected area (MPA) located in the Philippines, the paper shows that even when the protected area is coercively imposed, many local villagers may become environmental subjects through direct and indirect participation in various activities. However, the material presented in this paper also demonstrates that their conservationist behaviors only persist to the extent that these behaviors do not conflict with locally embedded social values and practices. It suggests that being attentive to the development of environmental subjectivity while allowing more flexibility in MPA design and management is an important way forward.