Difference between revisions of "Palawan News August 2013"

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==I REMEMBER THAT MORNING==
*Source: http://wwf.org.ph/wwf3/news/article/107
*Saturday, August 10, 2013
:By Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan (WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO)
I remember that morning, as if it were yesterday. We woke up to the sound of slaps and splashes on the surface of a slick summer sea. In less than 15 minutes, we were underwater, swimming with mantas, above the endless drop offs of Tubbataha Reef, in the Central Sulu Sea. At the time, I described it as a submarine Serengeti.
That happened more than 30 years ago. Last month, a string of WWF trips visited Tubbataha as part of our multi-year pledge to the province of Palawan to help make sure that this special place remains special. And yes, the mantas were still there. As were turtles, sharks, rays, mollusks, dolphins and fish – large fish, schooling and swirling around us, in the hundreds. Nesting, hunting, feeding throughout this 100,000-hectare park, that has few comparisons anywhere in the world.
People have said that this marine park stands head and shoulders above most because it boasts ‘a full range of biodiversity.’ For me, Tubbataha has always defined the meaning of that phrase. Not just little reef fish, coral species, or miniature life forms, but also everything you expect to find in a UNESCO World Heritage site. At Tubbataha, you expect to encounter megafauna. And, you will. Every dive. Every day. It remains the standard against which all marine parks are judged.
Tubbataha Reef’s exceptional fauna are not confined to the sea. The thousands of seabirds that breed, nest and feed off this giant larder of life give this park an enthralling dimension that have thrilled the most seasoned of birdwatchers.
I remember strolling along the Lighthouse Islet’s beach in 1978. Terns rose in the air, as we walked past, furiously fighting us off their turf. There were so many of them nesting there, that a nest with an egg occupied every square foot of space. Small sharks cruised the knee-deep shallows, waiting for a meal. It was as if we had stepped into the pages of the National Geographic Magazine.
After more than three decades since I first slipped into Tubbataha’s warm embrace, it is gratifying to see how well she is today. It has not been easy. There have been many challenges from illegal fishing boats and shell gatherers, from El Nino and Crown-of-Thorns outbreaks, from a seaweed farm, from several ships that ran aground and from financial challenges that the people of Palawan have somehow managed to overcome, time and time again. This gives us hope to press on doggedly, and we will.
Last month, at the Delsan wreck, I espied a very large aggregation of white and yellow parrotfish, descending. Flanking them were packs of white-tip reef sharks accompanied by several pairs of giant trevally. This was a hunting expedition and I was hypnotized by the dynamic tension that filled the water. The scene reminded me of lions and hyenas nipping at the heels of wildebeest as they thundered across the green savannah. This is what living reefs are all about - a robust, thriving synergy that dramatically spirals beyond taxonomy and track lines. It is the world as it should be. This is the image that will constantly fill my thoughts and reassure me that, truly, my submarine Serengeti is alive.
==PAGASA: Rainy weekend ahead as TD Labuyo moves closer to Bicol, LPA hovers over Palawan==
*Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/321357/weather/pagasa-rainy-weekend-ahead-as-td-labuyo-moves-closer-to-bicol-lpa-hovers-over-palawan
*Friday, August 9, 2013 8:51 pm
:(VC, GMA News)
A rainy weekend is expected over parts of the country as Tropical Depression Labuyo moved closer to Bicol while a separate low-pressure area hovered over Palawan Friday afternoon, state weather forecasters said.
PAGASA said that as of 4 p.m., the Tropical Depression Labuyo was estimated at 875 km east of Bicol with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center, and forecast to move northwest at 19 kph.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA also said the LPA affecting Palawan and Western Visayas was estimated at 400 km northwest of Puerto Princesa City.
"Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western and Central Visayas will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms," it said.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be "partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms," it added.
PAGASA also said light to moderate winds from the northeast to northwest will prevail over Luzon and coming from west to southwest over Visayas and Mindanao.
The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, it added.
Bad weather causes cancellation of 2 flights
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation and Communications said bad weather caused the cancellation of at least two flights.
These included Air Philippines flights 2P-777 and 2P-778 from Manila to Tagbilaran (Bohol) and back.
The DOTC cited bad weather conditions in Tagbilaran for the cancellation.
==Puerto Princesa to launch new anti-drug task force==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=552949
*Thursday, August 8, 2013
:(PNA), JBP/CARF/RTR/UTB
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 8 (PNA) -– The city government here is preparing to launch soon the new anti-drug enforcement task force BANAT, or Bayan Against Narcotics, Addiction and Trafficking.
Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron designated Vice Mayor Luis Marcaida III to be the overall director of the Task Force BANAT by coordinating it with lead enforcement agencies such as the City Police Office, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, Aviation Security Command, the PNP Maritime, the Western Command, and other stakeholders.
On Wednesday, and in preparation of the launching, Marcaida III gathered all representatives of said agencies to an Inaugural Conference Against Drugs in Puerto Princesa and discussed with them the restructuring of the former Task Force DEAD (Drug Enforcement Action Division) then headed by now 3rd Palawan District Rep. Douglas Hagedorn.
Marcaida explained that aside from “demand and supply reduction,” he is set to include in the responsibilities of the BANAT the component of educating the public against illegal narcotics.
“Eventually, when we launch, we will coordinate and cooperate with the barangays for education and information campaigns, as well as the schools. We believe that by educating the residents and the students, we can stop drug proliferation in Puerto Princesa,” he said.
The inaugural conference, he explained, was done to establish the foundations of BANAT and create it with inputs from the invited law enforcement agencies.
==Fisherfolk association in Palawan receives financial assistance==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=552442
*Wednesday, August 7, 2013
:By Celeste Anna R. Formoso [(PNA), LAP/CARF/EBP]
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 7 (PNA) -- In a bid to improve the livelihood of fisherfolks in distant fishing communities in Palawan, Governor Jose Alvarez is giving financial assistance to organizations where they belong to strengthen opportunities for them.
On Monday, Alvarez through the Provincial Public Employment Services Office (PESO) gave a financial assistance of P20,000 to the Pinagpala Fisherfolks Association (PFA) at Sitio Pinagpala, Barangay Alacalian, Taytay in northern Palawan.
Daniel Gabinete, PFA manager, received the financial assistance from PESO manager Richard Rebote at the Office of the Governor, Provincial Capitol Building.
Gabinete said they received the financial assistance after writing a letter to the PESO and submitting a project proposal to request for a starting capital for the association that shall help in purchasing fishing contraptions.
He said fishing is not only the foremost livelihood of the residents of Alacalian, but the whole Taytay town.
“Malaki ang maitutulong ng halaga para sa pagpapatupad ng mga nakahanay na proyekto namin sa asosasyon. Salamat kay Governor Alvarez (The amount will help us in implementing our lined up projects for our co-member. We thank Governor Alvarez for this support),” Gabinete said.
The PFA was created in December 2011 by the fisherfolk of Pinagpala as a livelihood opportunity association where they can together improve their lives. The support it received is part of the IHELP program agenda of Alvarez’s leadership in Palawan.
IHELP stands for Infrastructure, Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of Environment.
==Plans for new Tubbataha Ranger Station unveiled==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=8&rid=552175
*Tuesday, August 6, 2013
:By Cielito Reganit [(PNA), HBC/CMR]
MANILA, Aug. 6 (PNA) -– Seeing the need to enhance the country’s ability and capacity to protect the country’s foremost protected coral reef -- the Tubbataha reef -- authorities and an environmental group, in collaboration with the private sector, have unveiled plans to build a brand new Rangers Station.
The Tubbataha Management Office and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) said the move to upgrade the station is part of celebrating Tubbataha’s 25th anniversary as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Heritage Site this Aug 11.
Situated 160 kms southeast of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, the squat white barracks, which started as a makeshift base station built by Philippine Navy Seabees to shelter law enforcers in 1995, has since taken many forms.
Today it serves as a forward operations base for up to a dozen Park Rangers, drawn from the Tubbataha Management Office, Philippine Navy, Coast Guard and Local Government of Cagayancillo who spend lonely two-month shifts protecting the 97,030-hectare reef from both internal and external threats.
But after a decade of serious weathering, questions were raised if the aging offshore complex -- which has last seen renovation in 2000 -- can still function as a research hub and springboard for enforcement operations.
“The station has served the country well, but we must revitalize it to be able to deal with fresh threats,” explained WWF-Philippines Consultant Dylan James Melgazo, an architect who spent three weeks assessing the offshore complex in 2012.
“Poacher incursions, grounding incidents and climate change effects are critical issues. Enhancing our capacity to protect Tubbataha makes perfect sense, as the reef provides food and livelihood for millions of Filipinos,” he said.
The schematics for the planned Ranger Station jumps straight out of a science-fiction flick.
Designed by Melgazo plus a team from the Emerging Architects Studio composed of Kim Pullante, Dean Ramos, Don Sebastian and Marc Virtucio, the planned space-age structure draws on technology like solar panels, micro-wind turbines and rainwater collectors to maximize both resource sufficiency and operational capacity.
Proponents have slated the groundbreaking ceremonies for October 2013.
“Sitting in the middle of the Sulu Sea, it is hard to resupply the station, which is why we designed it to be as self-sufficient as possible,” Melgazo said.
Sunshades double as rainwater collection systems while wind slats provide continuous ventilation.
A helipad for medical evacuation purposes will also be added.
“Years back, a Ranger was bitten by a Great Barracuda and had to be rushed to Puerto Princesa by speedboat. He made it, but his scar will always serve to remind others that out there, the sea is boss,” the WWF architect said.
To be built beside the old barracks, the new structure will feature a research building for up to eight marine biologists, whose trips have always been confined by the weather to summer expeditions on live-aboard boats.
A library, visitor center and merchandise shop shall also be added to entice visitors not only to interact with the Rangers but to provide a needed mechanism for future fundraising.
The complex shall also house a museum, vital in showcasing Tubbataha’s rich history and even richer biodiversity.
WWF is currently raising funds for the construction of the station, estimated at around P50 million.
A host of institutions have already pledged to contribute to the station’s rebirth.
Leading the pack is the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, which pledged to provide PHP40 million in seed money to jumpstart the station’s construction.
Lafarge Philippines has committed to provide special Type 5 marine construction cement – explicitly engineered for the sea.
Enfinity Propmech and several private individuals have pledged financial and in-kind assistance.
In the meantime, Cebu Pacific Air, Banco De Oro Unibank, Gruppo Struktura, plus Magsaysay’s Travel People & Travel Solutions helped fund the architectural and structural designing of the new ranger station.
The United States Agency for International Development expressed interest in deploying submerged closed-circuit TV cameras to monitor what really swims beneath Tubbataha seas year-round.
UNESCO will in turn donate equipment to enhance capacities.
A multi-awarded UNESCO World Heritage site, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park boasts of unparalleled marine biodiversity levels.
Tubbataha Reefs Protected Area Superintendent Angelique Songco said over 360 hard coral and 600 fish species inhabit the park, which continuously seeds the Sulu Sea with life.
Sadly, the Park lost 6,247 square meters of reef from back-to-back groundings of a US warship and Chinese poaching vessel in January and April this year.
As of July 2013, no fines have been collected for the damage.
“Though the USS Guardian and F/V Min Long Yu grounding incidents have left over 6,000 square meters of the reef in shambles, they have become a point of convergence,” Songco noted.
More and more public and private institutions – even individuals – are taking up the cudgels of conservation, she said.
"We call on all groups to help turn our dream into reality. A little support shall go a long way towards improving our Rangers’ home-away-from-home,” Songco added.
Corporations and individuals who want to support the undertaking can email WWF or deposit donations to BPI Account Number 1993-0531-94 or Paypal Account 4AU7PYC6BQ7TG.
If legendary heroes need great hideouts – Batman had his Bat Cave and Voltes V had Camp Big Falcon - dedicated Rangers standing vigil over the Philippines’ top coral reef is also in need of a great one: the brand new Tubbataha Ranger Station.
==Palawan’s Team Wescom conducts coastal clean-up==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=8&rid=551513
*Monday, August 5, 2013
:(PNA), AP/CARF/CIC/SSC
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 5 (PNA) -– Troops from the Western Command (Wescom) conducted its Coastal Clean-Up Drive over the weekend in the coastal area surrounding the military camp as part of its thrust on environmental protection and preservation.
“Our soldiers will never stop participating in any environmental protection and preservation activities,” said Lt. Gen. Rustico O. Guerrero, commander of the unified command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Palawan.
Team Wescom and troops from the Naval Forces West also took part in a massive clean-up drive held earlier in Wescom Road, from the corner of the National Highway near Junction 1 up to the front gate of Camp Gen. Artemio Ricarte, sweeping and picking up stray garbage along the way.
“Environmental protection is everybody’s concern and our untiring participation in these activities is to stress the role of AFP as environmental protectors,” Guerrero said.
Incidentally, if it takes a village to raise a child, then raising an entire village of children calls for reinforcements. At least that’s the philosophy being adopted by the 3rd Marine Brigade in Palawan.
Partnering with various NGOs, the 3MBde is on an educational mission to deliver donated books and teaching supplies to needy schools in southern Palawan.
Recipient schools range from remote elementary schools with limited access to educational supplies to municipal high schools which have lost books due to natural disasters.
NGOs that prefer anonymity have sent dozens of boxes of books and other reading materials to distribute to students ranging from elementary to high school.
On July 30, the Brigade conducted a turnover of school library and books at the Panitian Interior Elementary School in Barangay Panitian, Sofronio Espanola, Palawan.
“After we established the library,” says Brig. Gen. Andrei Costales, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, “we helped the school with the awareness campaign about the positive impacts of reading and worked on motivating them to use the library frequently.”
The simple turnover ceremony was attended by Municipal Mayor Mars Acoy, Dr. Servillano Arzaga of the Department of Education – Palawan, and school personnel of Panitian Interior Elementary School.
==LPA nears Cebu; floods, landslides threaten Palawan, Vis-Min==
*Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/320573/news/nation/lpa-nears-cebu-floods-landslides-threaten-palawan-vis-min
*Sunday, August 4, 2013 12:27 pm
:(LBG, GMA News)
Residents in parts of Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao were advised before noon Sunday to brace for possible flash floods and landslides as a potential cyclone moved near Cebu.
State weather forecasters said the potential cyclone, a low-pressure area, was estimated in the vicinity of Mactan, Cebu as of 8 a.m.
In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said the LPA is embedded along the inter-tropical convergence zone.
"These weather systems are expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms in Palawan, Visayas and regions of Zamboanga Peninsula Northern Mindanao, ARMM and SOCCSKSARGEN which may trigger flash floods and landslides," it said.
"Residents in these areas are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures," it added.
Earlier, PAGASA forecaster Joey Figuracion said the LPA has a low chance of becoming a cyclone. But if it does, it will be codenamed Kiko.
==PNOC-EC seeks lifting of EO requiring bidding for exploration activities==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/08/03/1044251/pnoc-ec-seeks-lifting-eo-requiring-bidding-exploration-activities
*Saturday, August 3, 2013 12:00 am
:By Iris C. Gonzales (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - PNOC-Exploration Corp., the oil and gas unit of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co., wants the government to lift an executive order requiring it to hold a bidding when tapping partners for its exploration ventures, according to company documents.
PNOC-EC said EO 556 “unduly restricts the company’s ability to undertake its exploration and production projects in timely and effective manner.”
Essentially the order, signed by former President Arroyo in 2006, states that there shall be no “farm-in” or “farm-out” contracts awarded by any government agency, including PNOC.
Instead, it said that, “all government agencies, including the PNOC, shall follow a strict bidding procedure in forging partnership with interested parties, including the Camago-Malampaya reservoir venture.”
The lifting of EO 556 is among PNOC-EC’s list of recommendations to help the company achieve the government’s objective of making the country energy self-sufficient.
PNOC-EC also recommended amendments to Republic Act 9184 (The Procurement Reform Act) and other laws to speed up the procurement process in government.
Furthermore, PNOC-EC, which owns several exploration contracts, wants the government to mandate the use of locally procured commodities such as coal, oil and gas fuel for the state-controlled power plants.
The company has set aside a budget of P7 billion for its work program this year. It holds a 10-percent stake in Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project in Palawan.
==LGU support can make Tabon Cave Complex a profitable tourism site in Palawan==
*Source: http://http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=550950
*Friday, August 2, 2013
:(PNA), PDS/CARF/UTB
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 2 (PNA) -– An archeologist, who is at the same time a director and curator in a university museum in this city said that if the municipal government of Quezon in southern Palawan will make effort to coordinate and cooperate with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and commit to promote it, the Tabon Caves System can be a profitable tourism attraction in Palawan.
Dr. Jun Cayron, curator and director of the Palawan State University (PSU) museum told the PNA that the Tabon cave complex on Lipuun Point, which was named after the bird Tabon Scrubfowl, can become money-earning for Quezon’s tourism industry if the local government unit (LGU) will make efforts to support its preservation.
“It can become a source of livelihood for the locals and the municipal government if it can always be maintained and preserved,” Cayron told the PNA.
The Tabon cave complex, which is one of the concerns of the Prehistoric Heritage for Southeast Asia (PREHSEA), was discovered by the late Dr. Robert B. Fox and his team of archeologist from the National Museum in 1962.
It has yielded then a significant archeological find, which are fossil human bones of a Tabon man dating back 22,000 to 24,000 years ago.
Accordingly, there are 200 caves that can be found at Lipuun Point. Of these, only 29 had been explored, including Tabon Cave that had been used as a burial ground by ancient people. It is where the Manunggul jar that is now at the National Museum was found.
“The caves at Tabon have not been fully explored,” says Cayron. “If funding and collective efforts can be pulled, it can be an important tourist destination in southern Palawan as it is a site for human evolution.”
By virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 996, the Philippine government in 1972, declared it a Museum Reservation Site. Only three caves had been opened in the past for visitors.
With the holding of the PREHSEA in Puerto Princesa recently, Cayron said hopefully attention can be generated to fully preserve it as a showcase of early human habitation.
==PREHSEA pushes Palawan’s Tabon cave system as World Heritage Site==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=6&rid=550601
*Thursday, August 1, 2013
:By Clarinda Catimpo [(PNA), HBC/CARF/CIC/UTB]
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 1 (PNA) -- Declaring Tabon Cave as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for Human Evolution will surely pour in tourists in sleepy Quezon town, according to the Prehistoric Heritage for Southeast Asia (PREHSEA).
At the 3rd PREHSEA International Conference in Puerto Princesa City that culminated Aug 1, paleo-anthropologist Dr. Eusebio Dizon of the National Museum of the Philippines told the Philippines News Agency there are only 10 in the world that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site for Human Evolution.
These are The Willandra Lakes Region in Australia; Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian in China; Lower Valley of the Awash and Lower Valley of the Omo in Ethiopia;
Sangiran Early Man Site in Indonesia; Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves in Israel; Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya;
Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa; Ngorongoro Conservation Area 1 in Tanzania; and Khami Ruins National Monument in Zimbabwe.
"In the Philippines, Tabon Cave has the oldest human fossils found so far, but since Dr. Robert Fox's discovery, nothing has happened to the Tabon Caves. It has potentials to earn money for the municipality, the province, even the national government, in terms of tourism if only we drum up and fast-track its inclusion in the World Heritage Site," said Dizon, who has been doing a research for Tabon Caves since 1978.
In Palawan, there are already two World Heritage Sites for Environment, the Tubbataha Natural Marine Park in Cagayancillo town and the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Puerto Princesa.
Tabon Caves in Quezon will be the first World Heritage Site for Human Evolution in the Philippines, should it be included. But Dizon said there are documentations still needed for Tabon Cave to be considered.
"Our problem is the permitting system. In Palawan, because of the special permit needed, there are so many that hinders research. Our request is for research to be given consideration. We still need to learn other things than the Tabon man, his livelihood, his family, his culture, and more. These information are what we need to include it as a World Heritage Site,” Dizon said.
Dr. Francois Semah, executive director of the PREHSEA, said that by means of regional collaboration, international and inter-sectoral cooperation, and thorough local dialogue like this conference with stakeholders, the PREHSEA hopes to develop good management practices for prehistoric properties, help to safeguard their integrity, assess their authenticity and value, contribute to their access for all socio-cultural categories, and foster the local socio-economic development.
"The PrehSEA network provides the basis for a trendsetting and sustainable international collaboration in the area of research on hominid evolution in Southeast Asia, equally available to all participating partners," Semah said.
Semah is also the concurrent Academic Teaching and Training Programs of the Museum National d’histoire Naturelle in Paris, France.

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Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
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U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie A. Kenney and USAID/Philippines Environment Office Chief Daniel Moore witness the safe and sustainable collection of ornamental fish by certified Marine Aquarium Council collectors in Palawan

I REMEMBER THAT MORNING

By Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan (WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO)

I remember that morning, as if it were yesterday. We woke up to the sound of slaps and splashes on the surface of a slick summer sea. In less than 15 minutes, we were underwater, swimming with mantas, above the endless drop offs of Tubbataha Reef, in the Central Sulu Sea. At the time, I described it as a submarine Serengeti.

That happened more than 30 years ago. Last month, a string of WWF trips visited Tubbataha as part of our multi-year pledge to the province of Palawan to help make sure that this special place remains special. And yes, the mantas were still there. As were turtles, sharks, rays, mollusks, dolphins and fish – large fish, schooling and swirling around us, in the hundreds. Nesting, hunting, feeding throughout this 100,000-hectare park, that has few comparisons anywhere in the world.

People have said that this marine park stands head and shoulders above most because it boasts ‘a full range of biodiversity.’ For me, Tubbataha has always defined the meaning of that phrase. Not just little reef fish, coral species, or miniature life forms, but also everything you expect to find in a UNESCO World Heritage site. At Tubbataha, you expect to encounter megafauna. And, you will. Every dive. Every day. It remains the standard against which all marine parks are judged.

Tubbataha Reef’s exceptional fauna are not confined to the sea. The thousands of seabirds that breed, nest and feed off this giant larder of life give this park an enthralling dimension that have thrilled the most seasoned of birdwatchers.

I remember strolling along the Lighthouse Islet’s beach in 1978. Terns rose in the air, as we walked past, furiously fighting us off their turf. There were so many of them nesting there, that a nest with an egg occupied every square foot of space. Small sharks cruised the knee-deep shallows, waiting for a meal. It was as if we had stepped into the pages of the National Geographic Magazine.

After more than three decades since I first slipped into Tubbataha’s warm embrace, it is gratifying to see how well she is today. It has not been easy. There have been many challenges from illegal fishing boats and shell gatherers, from El Nino and Crown-of-Thorns outbreaks, from a seaweed farm, from several ships that ran aground and from financial challenges that the people of Palawan have somehow managed to overcome, time and time again. This gives us hope to press on doggedly, and we will.

Last month, at the Delsan wreck, I espied a very large aggregation of white and yellow parrotfish, descending. Flanking them were packs of white-tip reef sharks accompanied by several pairs of giant trevally. This was a hunting expedition and I was hypnotized by the dynamic tension that filled the water. The scene reminded me of lions and hyenas nipping at the heels of wildebeest as they thundered across the green savannah. This is what living reefs are all about - a robust, thriving synergy that dramatically spirals beyond taxonomy and track lines. It is the world as it should be. This is the image that will constantly fill my thoughts and reassure me that, truly, my submarine Serengeti is alive.

PAGASA: Rainy weekend ahead as TD Labuyo moves closer to Bicol, LPA hovers over Palawan

(VC, GMA News)

A rainy weekend is expected over parts of the country as Tropical Depression Labuyo moved closer to Bicol while a separate low-pressure area hovered over Palawan Friday afternoon, state weather forecasters said.

PAGASA said that as of 4 p.m., the Tropical Depression Labuyo was estimated at 875 km east of Bicol with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center, and forecast to move northwest at 19 kph.

In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA also said the LPA affecting Palawan and Western Visayas was estimated at 400 km northwest of Puerto Princesa City.

"Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western and Central Visayas will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms," it said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be "partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms," it added.

PAGASA also said light to moderate winds from the northeast to northwest will prevail over Luzon and coming from west to southwest over Visayas and Mindanao.

The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, it added.

Bad weather causes cancellation of 2 flights

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation and Communications said bad weather caused the cancellation of at least two flights.

These included Air Philippines flights 2P-777 and 2P-778 from Manila to Tagbilaran (Bohol) and back.

The DOTC cited bad weather conditions in Tagbilaran for the cancellation.

Puerto Princesa to launch new anti-drug task force

(PNA), JBP/CARF/RTR/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 8 (PNA) -– The city government here is preparing to launch soon the new anti-drug enforcement task force BANAT, or Bayan Against Narcotics, Addiction and Trafficking.

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron designated Vice Mayor Luis Marcaida III to be the overall director of the Task Force BANAT by coordinating it with lead enforcement agencies such as the City Police Office, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, Aviation Security Command, the PNP Maritime, the Western Command, and other stakeholders.

On Wednesday, and in preparation of the launching, Marcaida III gathered all representatives of said agencies to an Inaugural Conference Against Drugs in Puerto Princesa and discussed with them the restructuring of the former Task Force DEAD (Drug Enforcement Action Division) then headed by now 3rd Palawan District Rep. Douglas Hagedorn.

Marcaida explained that aside from “demand and supply reduction,” he is set to include in the responsibilities of the BANAT the component of educating the public against illegal narcotics.

“Eventually, when we launch, we will coordinate and cooperate with the barangays for education and information campaigns, as well as the schools. We believe that by educating the residents and the students, we can stop drug proliferation in Puerto Princesa,” he said.

The inaugural conference, he explained, was done to establish the foundations of BANAT and create it with inputs from the invited law enforcement agencies.

Fisherfolk association in Palawan receives financial assistance

By Celeste Anna R. Formoso [(PNA), LAP/CARF/EBP]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 7 (PNA) -- In a bid to improve the livelihood of fisherfolks in distant fishing communities in Palawan, Governor Jose Alvarez is giving financial assistance to organizations where they belong to strengthen opportunities for them.

On Monday, Alvarez through the Provincial Public Employment Services Office (PESO) gave a financial assistance of P20,000 to the Pinagpala Fisherfolks Association (PFA) at Sitio Pinagpala, Barangay Alacalian, Taytay in northern Palawan.

Daniel Gabinete, PFA manager, received the financial assistance from PESO manager Richard Rebote at the Office of the Governor, Provincial Capitol Building.

Gabinete said they received the financial assistance after writing a letter to the PESO and submitting a project proposal to request for a starting capital for the association that shall help in purchasing fishing contraptions.

He said fishing is not only the foremost livelihood of the residents of Alacalian, but the whole Taytay town.

“Malaki ang maitutulong ng halaga para sa pagpapatupad ng mga nakahanay na proyekto namin sa asosasyon. Salamat kay Governor Alvarez (The amount will help us in implementing our lined up projects for our co-member. We thank Governor Alvarez for this support),” Gabinete said.

The PFA was created in December 2011 by the fisherfolk of Pinagpala as a livelihood opportunity association where they can together improve their lives. The support it received is part of the IHELP program agenda of Alvarez’s leadership in Palawan.

IHELP stands for Infrastructure, Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of Environment.

Plans for new Tubbataha Ranger Station unveiled

By Cielito Reganit [(PNA), HBC/CMR]

MANILA, Aug. 6 (PNA) -– Seeing the need to enhance the country’s ability and capacity to protect the country’s foremost protected coral reef -- the Tubbataha reef -- authorities and an environmental group, in collaboration with the private sector, have unveiled plans to build a brand new Rangers Station.

The Tubbataha Management Office and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) said the move to upgrade the station is part of celebrating Tubbataha’s 25th anniversary as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Heritage Site this Aug 11.

Situated 160 kms southeast of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, the squat white barracks, which started as a makeshift base station built by Philippine Navy Seabees to shelter law enforcers in 1995, has since taken many forms.

Today it serves as a forward operations base for up to a dozen Park Rangers, drawn from the Tubbataha Management Office, Philippine Navy, Coast Guard and Local Government of Cagayancillo who spend lonely two-month shifts protecting the 97,030-hectare reef from both internal and external threats.

But after a decade of serious weathering, questions were raised if the aging offshore complex -- which has last seen renovation in 2000 -- can still function as a research hub and springboard for enforcement operations.

“The station has served the country well, but we must revitalize it to be able to deal with fresh threats,” explained WWF-Philippines Consultant Dylan James Melgazo, an architect who spent three weeks assessing the offshore complex in 2012.

“Poacher incursions, grounding incidents and climate change effects are critical issues. Enhancing our capacity to protect Tubbataha makes perfect sense, as the reef provides food and livelihood for millions of Filipinos,” he said.

The schematics for the planned Ranger Station jumps straight out of a science-fiction flick.

Designed by Melgazo plus a team from the Emerging Architects Studio composed of Kim Pullante, Dean Ramos, Don Sebastian and Marc Virtucio, the planned space-age structure draws on technology like solar panels, micro-wind turbines and rainwater collectors to maximize both resource sufficiency and operational capacity.

Proponents have slated the groundbreaking ceremonies for October 2013.

“Sitting in the middle of the Sulu Sea, it is hard to resupply the station, which is why we designed it to be as self-sufficient as possible,” Melgazo said.

Sunshades double as rainwater collection systems while wind slats provide continuous ventilation.

A helipad for medical evacuation purposes will also be added.

“Years back, a Ranger was bitten by a Great Barracuda and had to be rushed to Puerto Princesa by speedboat. He made it, but his scar will always serve to remind others that out there, the sea is boss,” the WWF architect said.

To be built beside the old barracks, the new structure will feature a research building for up to eight marine biologists, whose trips have always been confined by the weather to summer expeditions on live-aboard boats.

A library, visitor center and merchandise shop shall also be added to entice visitors not only to interact with the Rangers but to provide a needed mechanism for future fundraising.

The complex shall also house a museum, vital in showcasing Tubbataha’s rich history and even richer biodiversity.

WWF is currently raising funds for the construction of the station, estimated at around P50 million.

A host of institutions have already pledged to contribute to the station’s rebirth.

Leading the pack is the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, which pledged to provide PHP40 million in seed money to jumpstart the station’s construction.

Lafarge Philippines has committed to provide special Type 5 marine construction cement – explicitly engineered for the sea.

Enfinity Propmech and several private individuals have pledged financial and in-kind assistance.

In the meantime, Cebu Pacific Air, Banco De Oro Unibank, Gruppo Struktura, plus Magsaysay’s Travel People & Travel Solutions helped fund the architectural and structural designing of the new ranger station.

The United States Agency for International Development expressed interest in deploying submerged closed-circuit TV cameras to monitor what really swims beneath Tubbataha seas year-round.

UNESCO will in turn donate equipment to enhance capacities.

A multi-awarded UNESCO World Heritage site, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park boasts of unparalleled marine biodiversity levels.

Tubbataha Reefs Protected Area Superintendent Angelique Songco said over 360 hard coral and 600 fish species inhabit the park, which continuously seeds the Sulu Sea with life.

Sadly, the Park lost 6,247 square meters of reef from back-to-back groundings of a US warship and Chinese poaching vessel in January and April this year.

As of July 2013, no fines have been collected for the damage.

“Though the USS Guardian and F/V Min Long Yu grounding incidents have left over 6,000 square meters of the reef in shambles, they have become a point of convergence,” Songco noted.

More and more public and private institutions – even individuals – are taking up the cudgels of conservation, she said.

"We call on all groups to help turn our dream into reality. A little support shall go a long way towards improving our Rangers’ home-away-from-home,” Songco added.

Corporations and individuals who want to support the undertaking can email WWF or deposit donations to BPI Account Number 1993-0531-94 or Paypal Account 4AU7PYC6BQ7TG.

If legendary heroes need great hideouts – Batman had his Bat Cave and Voltes V had Camp Big Falcon - dedicated Rangers standing vigil over the Philippines’ top coral reef is also in need of a great one: the brand new Tubbataha Ranger Station.

Palawan’s Team Wescom conducts coastal clean-up

(PNA), AP/CARF/CIC/SSC

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 5 (PNA) -– Troops from the Western Command (Wescom) conducted its Coastal Clean-Up Drive over the weekend in the coastal area surrounding the military camp as part of its thrust on environmental protection and preservation.

“Our soldiers will never stop participating in any environmental protection and preservation activities,” said Lt. Gen. Rustico O. Guerrero, commander of the unified command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Palawan.

Team Wescom and troops from the Naval Forces West also took part in a massive clean-up drive held earlier in Wescom Road, from the corner of the National Highway near Junction 1 up to the front gate of Camp Gen. Artemio Ricarte, sweeping and picking up stray garbage along the way.

“Environmental protection is everybody’s concern and our untiring participation in these activities is to stress the role of AFP as environmental protectors,” Guerrero said.

Incidentally, if it takes a village to raise a child, then raising an entire village of children calls for reinforcements. At least that’s the philosophy being adopted by the 3rd Marine Brigade in Palawan.

Partnering with various NGOs, the 3MBde is on an educational mission to deliver donated books and teaching supplies to needy schools in southern Palawan.

Recipient schools range from remote elementary schools with limited access to educational supplies to municipal high schools which have lost books due to natural disasters.

NGOs that prefer anonymity have sent dozens of boxes of books and other reading materials to distribute to students ranging from elementary to high school.

On July 30, the Brigade conducted a turnover of school library and books at the Panitian Interior Elementary School in Barangay Panitian, Sofronio Espanola, Palawan.

“After we established the library,” says Brig. Gen. Andrei Costales, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, “we helped the school with the awareness campaign about the positive impacts of reading and worked on motivating them to use the library frequently.”

The simple turnover ceremony was attended by Municipal Mayor Mars Acoy, Dr. Servillano Arzaga of the Department of Education – Palawan, and school personnel of Panitian Interior Elementary School.

LPA nears Cebu; floods, landslides threaten Palawan, Vis-Min

(LBG, GMA News)

Residents in parts of Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao were advised before noon Sunday to brace for possible flash floods and landslides as a potential cyclone moved near Cebu.

State weather forecasters said the potential cyclone, a low-pressure area, was estimated in the vicinity of Mactan, Cebu as of 8 a.m.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said the LPA is embedded along the inter-tropical convergence zone.

"These weather systems are expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms in Palawan, Visayas and regions of Zamboanga Peninsula Northern Mindanao, ARMM and SOCCSKSARGEN which may trigger flash floods and landslides," it said.

"Residents in these areas are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures," it added.

Earlier, PAGASA forecaster Joey Figuracion said the LPA has a low chance of becoming a cyclone. But if it does, it will be codenamed Kiko.

PNOC-EC seeks lifting of EO requiring bidding for exploration activities

By Iris C. Gonzales (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - PNOC-Exploration Corp., the oil and gas unit of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co., wants the government to lift an executive order requiring it to hold a bidding when tapping partners for its exploration ventures, according to company documents.

PNOC-EC said EO 556 “unduly restricts the company’s ability to undertake its exploration and production projects in timely and effective manner.”

Essentially the order, signed by former President Arroyo in 2006, states that there shall be no “farm-in” or “farm-out” contracts awarded by any government agency, including PNOC.

Instead, it said that, “all government agencies, including the PNOC, shall follow a strict bidding procedure in forging partnership with interested parties, including the Camago-Malampaya reservoir venture.”

The lifting of EO 556 is among PNOC-EC’s list of recommendations to help the company achieve the government’s objective of making the country energy self-sufficient.

PNOC-EC also recommended amendments to Republic Act 9184 (The Procurement Reform Act) and other laws to speed up the procurement process in government.

Furthermore, PNOC-EC, which owns several exploration contracts, wants the government to mandate the use of locally procured commodities such as coal, oil and gas fuel for the state-controlled power plants.

The company has set aside a budget of P7 billion for its work program this year. It holds a 10-percent stake in Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project in Palawan.

LGU support can make Tabon Cave Complex a profitable tourism site in Palawan

(PNA), PDS/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 2 (PNA) -– An archeologist, who is at the same time a director and curator in a university museum in this city said that if the municipal government of Quezon in southern Palawan will make effort to coordinate and cooperate with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and commit to promote it, the Tabon Caves System can be a profitable tourism attraction in Palawan.

Dr. Jun Cayron, curator and director of the Palawan State University (PSU) museum told the PNA that the Tabon cave complex on Lipuun Point, which was named after the bird Tabon Scrubfowl, can become money-earning for Quezon’s tourism industry if the local government unit (LGU) will make efforts to support its preservation.

“It can become a source of livelihood for the locals and the municipal government if it can always be maintained and preserved,” Cayron told the PNA.

The Tabon cave complex, which is one of the concerns of the Prehistoric Heritage for Southeast Asia (PREHSEA), was discovered by the late Dr. Robert B. Fox and his team of archeologist from the National Museum in 1962.

It has yielded then a significant archeological find, which are fossil human bones of a Tabon man dating back 22,000 to 24,000 years ago.

Accordingly, there are 200 caves that can be found at Lipuun Point. Of these, only 29 had been explored, including Tabon Cave that had been used as a burial ground by ancient people. It is where the Manunggul jar that is now at the National Museum was found.

“The caves at Tabon have not been fully explored,” says Cayron. “If funding and collective efforts can be pulled, it can be an important tourist destination in southern Palawan as it is a site for human evolution.”

By virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 996, the Philippine government in 1972, declared it a Museum Reservation Site. Only three caves had been opened in the past for visitors.

With the holding of the PREHSEA in Puerto Princesa recently, Cayron said hopefully attention can be generated to fully preserve it as a showcase of early human habitation.

PREHSEA pushes Palawan’s Tabon cave system as World Heritage Site

By Clarinda Catimpo [(PNA), HBC/CARF/CIC/UTB]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Aug. 1 (PNA) -- Declaring Tabon Cave as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for Human Evolution will surely pour in tourists in sleepy Quezon town, according to the Prehistoric Heritage for Southeast Asia (PREHSEA).

At the 3rd PREHSEA International Conference in Puerto Princesa City that culminated Aug 1, paleo-anthropologist Dr. Eusebio Dizon of the National Museum of the Philippines told the Philippines News Agency there are only 10 in the world that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site for Human Evolution.

These are The Willandra Lakes Region in Australia; Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian in China; Lower Valley of the Awash and Lower Valley of the Omo in Ethiopia;

Sangiran Early Man Site in Indonesia; Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves in Israel; Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya;

Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa; Ngorongoro Conservation Area 1 in Tanzania; and Khami Ruins National Monument in Zimbabwe.

"In the Philippines, Tabon Cave has the oldest human fossils found so far, but since Dr. Robert Fox's discovery, nothing has happened to the Tabon Caves. It has potentials to earn money for the municipality, the province, even the national government, in terms of tourism if only we drum up and fast-track its inclusion in the World Heritage Site," said Dizon, who has been doing a research for Tabon Caves since 1978.

In Palawan, there are already two World Heritage Sites for Environment, the Tubbataha Natural Marine Park in Cagayancillo town and the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Puerto Princesa.

Tabon Caves in Quezon will be the first World Heritage Site for Human Evolution in the Philippines, should it be included. But Dizon said there are documentations still needed for Tabon Cave to be considered.

"Our problem is the permitting system. In Palawan, because of the special permit needed, there are so many that hinders research. Our request is for research to be given consideration. We still need to learn other things than the Tabon man, his livelihood, his family, his culture, and more. These information are what we need to include it as a World Heritage Site,” Dizon said.

Dr. Francois Semah, executive director of the PREHSEA, said that by means of regional collaboration, international and inter-sectoral cooperation, and thorough local dialogue like this conference with stakeholders, the PREHSEA hopes to develop good management practices for prehistoric properties, help to safeguard their integrity, assess their authenticity and value, contribute to their access for all socio-cultural categories, and foster the local socio-economic development.

"The PrehSEA network provides the basis for a trendsetting and sustainable international collaboration in the area of research on hominid evolution in Southeast Asia, equally available to all participating partners," Semah said.

Semah is also the concurrent Academic Teaching and Training Programs of the Museum National d’histoire Naturelle in Paris, France.

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