Palawan News January 2014

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Palawan - Archived News
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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

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Undergroud River in Palawan
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Underground river in Pureto Princesa, Palawan
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Baracuda Lake, Coron, Palawan

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

Palawan Heritage Center: No entrance fee this February in celebration of National Arts Month

By Celeste Anna R. Formoso [(PNA), CTB/CARF/UTB]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Feb. 1 (PNA) -– In celebration of February as National Arts Month, the provincial government is opening the Palawan Heritage Center (PHC) free of entrance fees for visitors.

With a theme “Arts on the Edge,” the PHC will be opened free of charge to foreign and domestic tourists, who wish to visit the Center for the whole month.

The Provincial Culture and Arts (PCA) said the free entrance to the PHC was on orders of Governor Jose Alvarez to provide opportunity to guests and visitors to get to know the province’s cultural history and traditions.

The heritage center, which is located at the Legislative Building, Capitol Complex here is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The PHC is a 480-square meter interactive museum that opened on June 23, 2012.

The PHC hopes to preserve and to promote the rich cultural heritage of the province that has evolved through time, considering that Palawan is a home to its different ethno-linguistic groups like the Batak, Palaw’an, Tagbanua and Tao’t Bato; and also a melting pot of various migrants from different regions of the country.

The PHC showcases the life, rich culture and history of the proud Palaweños, who considered Palawan to be their Home and Haven, as it is further described.

The PHC is educational, highly informative, and entertaining. It contains artifacts as old as 300 years, old photos, life sized dioramas, interactive modules like holograms, computerized touch screens, information kiosks, maps and learning stations that make it more interesting and a high tech educational venue for the Palaweños and local and international visitors or tourists to the province.

It tells the story of Palawan in the context of Philippine history, which hopes to create awareness of the province‘s rich cultural heritage, history, its natural resources, its diverse peoples, which would lead to the appreciation of the province from a historical, artistic, environmental and economic viewpoint.

For the first time, the province will be holding the Philippine Arts Festival in support of the arts month. It will be jointly implemented by the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCAA), Palawan State University Sining Palawan Dance Troupe, provincial government and Robinsons Place.

The activity aims to display the artistic skills of Palawenos in the field of arts and culture; provide information to the public on the importance and role of arts in strengthening the identity of Filipinos; and provide opportunities for various stakeholders to gather together. The arts festival will begin on February 2 to 28.

DILG awards Seal of Good Housekeeping to Palawan govt, 20 towns

(PNA), FPV/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 30 (PNA) -– The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will award the Palawan government and 20 municipalities with the Seal of Good Housekeeping for 2013.

According to a communication sent by the office of DILG Sec. Manuel Roxas II to the provincial government, the recipients are going to be awarded for meeting the prerequisite on full disclosure, achievement of exemplary standards of frontline services and procurement, and have proven to have no adverse or disclaimer audit findings by the Commission on Audit (COA).

As seal awardees, the recipients will have access to other national programs, like the Bottom-Up Budgeting Program; SALINTubig, potable water system program; PAMANA, flagship peace and development program for conflict-affected and vulnerable areas; and Special Local Road Fund.

DILG Provincial Director Mario Daquer said these local government units are eligible to subsidies of the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), a financial subsidy fund for SGH awardees.

He said the PCF does not award cash but subsidizes projects to be implemented by the LGUs; Php 7 million subsidy for provinces and Php1 million for municipalities.

The northern municipalities with SGH are Busuanga, Coron, Culion, Linapacan, Araceli, Dumaran, Kalayaan,Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cagayancillo, Taytay, El Nido, San Vicente, and Roxas.

In the south, municipalities with SGH are Quezon, Rizal, Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point, and Bataraza.

120 live marine turtles saved from illegal wildlife trading in Palawan

(PNA), FFC/CARF/RTR/JSD

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 29 (PNA) -– Police authorities in Palawan rescued Tuesday afternoon 120 live marine turtles (pawikan) from intentionally kept cages in an island barangay in the town of Balabac off the southern mainland of the province.

In a report, the Palawan Provincial Police Office (PPO) said that the internationally-protected marine turtles were discovered by a team of policemen around 3 p.m. while conducting patrol within Sitio Buwal, Barangay Ramos Island, Balabac.

They were kept hidden inside enclosures that were reportedly built through thick mangroves to elude detection by regularly patrolling policemen.

The PPO said that “unfortunately for their owners, police patrols are now stricter to include areas that no one would suspect are being used as temporary stowage for the marine turtles.”

But while the marine turtles were saved from illegal wildlife trading, their owners managed to escape arrest. The PPO said no one was in the area when the marine species were found.

Inventory and releasing the marine turtles back into the sea proved to be a challenge to the police team because each weighs more or less 50 kilos, according to the PPO.

They suspect that like the other marine turtles that were saved from unlawful trading, they were ready to be transported to Half Moon Shoal, a boundary between the Philippines and other Asian countries.

It is in this shoal, they said, where buyers are probably waiting to make the trade with unscrupulous Filipino fishermen, who now catch the marine turtles since patrol and monitoring was strengthened in Balabac.

Palawan gov't provides burial assistance to surviving families of 'Yolanda' victims

(PNA), LAP/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 28 (PNA) -– The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) of Palawan provided burial assistance to the families of residents of Coron and Busuanga, who died during the onslaught of super typhoon "Yolanda".

In a statement it released Tuesday, the PSWDO said burial assistance of P4,000 each was recently provided to the surviving families of victims Mark June Carpiano and June Mark Carpiano, Carlos Catamora, Joven Juezan, Nicanor Roxas and Erwin delos Santos Roque of Coron.

In Busuanga, the family of victim Cresencio Saligbon also received P4,000 from the PSWDO.

The day "Yolanda" struck northern Palawan island municipalities, particularly Coron, 22 residents were counted to have died – 13 in Coron, five in Culion, three in Busuanga and one in Linapacan.

Aside from the P4,000, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) also gave P5,000 to the typhoon survivors from the Office of the Governor, which they may use to repair and rehabilitate their destroyed homes.

Meanwhile, super typhoon Yolanda’s damages in Coron and the other northern Palawan municipalities have been estimated at P1.3 billion, according to the PDRRMO.

Of this figure, P1.1 billion was logged from damages incurred in agriculture; P37.2 million in electricity and communications; over P14 million in tourism; P17.8 million damages in properties – homes and fishing boats – and P90.5 million in school buildings.

The PDRRMO reported 95.04 percent of homes were destroyed in Coron; 93.29 percent in Culion; 67.20 percent in Busuanga; 47.01 percent in Agutaya; 26.18 percent in Cuyo town; 15.36 percent in Linapacan; and 11.13 percent in Magsaysay -- 26,128 families, or 130,640 individuals were affected, including 137 in southern Palawan.

Puerto Princesa health office intensifies measures to contain measles

(PNA), LAP/CARF/CIC/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 27 (PNA) -- City health authorities here strengthened further their measures to contain the possible outbreak of measles that may affect infants between the ages 0-5 years old, and adults, which are found rampant in some parts of Metro Manila and southern Luzon cities and provinces.

In a media briefing Friday, which was also attended by all members of the local health board, City Health Officer Dr. Juancho Monserate confirmed 13 individuals are now being suspected to have measles.

Out of the said figure, seven are below one-year old; four with ages 1-4 years old; and two aged 16-20 years old.

Monserate said some of the suspected measles-carriers are residents of the municipalities of Bataraza and Quezon, who went to Manila and temporary stayed in Puerto Princesa.

He said that residents who are residing within the area and around the 50-meter radius were immunized to prevent the spread of the virus. Blood samples had been forwarded to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITF) for exmination.

For the last two years, the city has been negative of measles although there were records of suspected measles-carrier because of the highest percentage of Fully Immunize Children (FIC) in the city of Puerto Princesa.

Infant immunization starts from 0-2 years old and MMR (measles, Mumps and rubella) vaccine started at nine months old.

“Our FIC here is 93 percent. There’s nothing to panic about. We also advised those who have suspected measles to stay away from the people so that they don’t spread the disease while parents are advised to keep their children out of school if the child has measles,” Dr. Monserate said.

Measles is a very contagious (easily spread) infection that causes rashes all over the body. It is also called rubeola or red measles. It is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food or drinks.

Marvi Tradeau, program manager of the Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), who is also a member of the local health board lauded the intervention made by the CHO to stop the spread of the virus.

“It’s a best practice for showing how ready they are,” Tradeau said.

Dr. Peter Hew Curameng of the Department of Health (DOH)-Palawan, on the other hand, said that the vaccine is enough. He reminded everyone that what was reported were just “suspected cases and shouldn’t cause panic.”

He also added that based on the previous results of RITF all blood samples of the suspected measles were all negative.

The DOH representative said that if there’s any symptom of measles illness, people should seek prompt medical treatment. Take medicines if there’s fever, give nutritious, and get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.

The first symptoms of measles are like of a bad cold, high fever, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and a hacking cough. The lymph nodes in the neck may swell. Patient may also feel very tired and have diarrhea and sore eyes.

As these symptoms start to go away, patient will get red spots inside the mouth, followed by a rash all over the body. But measles can sometimes cause dangerous problems, such as lung infection (pneumonia) or brain swelling (encephalitis). In rare cases, it may even cause seizures or meningitis, Tradeau said.

PLDT completes Palawan-Iloilo link

By Miguel R. Camus (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. has completed the rollout of 300 kilometers of underwater fiber optic cables linking Palawan and Iloilo.

In a statement, PLDT said the P861-million project connected Taytay in Palawan to San Jose de Buenavista in Iloilo, one of PLDT’s major hubs within its domestic fiber optic network.

PLDT president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said the new fiber optic facilities would enable PLDT to provide fiber-to-the-home facilities that delivered multimedia-rich services to its customers and support the operations of its wireless subsidiaries, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular.

“With its extensive fiber optic network, the PLDT Group remains unmatched in delivering high-quality voice, data, and multimedia services to its customers,” Nazareno said.

PLDT technology group head Rolando Pena said PLDT had aggressively expanded its fiber optic network in the last three years to reach more than 78,000 kilometers nationwide.

“This new vital link from Palawan to Iloilo will provide future-proof transmission facilities that are capable of supporting higher bandwidth, higher availability and access to the IP-based mode of data transport,” Pena said in the same statement.

PLDT earlier completed the installation of more than 150 kilometers of submarine fiber optic cables amounting P400 million that linked the island of Bohol with the major network centers in Visayas and Mindanao.

That linkage bolstered the telco’s services in the fast growing tourism and business process outsourcing hubs in central Philippines, PLDT said in the statement.

Palawan’s Navforwest conducts mobile recruitment

(PNA), FPV/CARF/CIC/PJN

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 25 (PNA) -- More than 300 Palaweños lined up to take the battery test as the Naval Forces West (Navforwest) launched the mobile recruitment for applicants this week at the Naval Station Apolinario Jalandoon in Barangay San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City.

“Becoming a part of the Philippine Navy is another amazing career. Not only you will serve our beloved country, this job in some way, makes you a hero,” said 22-year-old Kent Peña, one of those who queued to join the Navy and tried his luck at the mobile recruitment held by the Naval Personnel Management Center (NPMC).

Peña, a tall marketing officer in a printing firm in Puerto Princesa, said he and his friends wanted to try their luck in the military service as they were always awed with the men in uniform.

He was one of the first in line on January 20, along with 139 applicants for Naval officer candidate course. Of the 139, only ten passed: three male and seven female passers. On the other hand, 185 applied for the basic seaman course where only 75 passed with a ratio of 55 male and 20 female passers.

Through the mobile recruitment, applicants need not go to the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila to apply, said Ensign Al-Jay C. Diño, officer-in-charge for the Management Recruitment Team (MRT) in Palawan.

Applicants for officership and enlistment must be a natural-born Filipino; of good moral character; single and with no child to support; at least 5 feet tall; must not have any pending civil/criminal case; physically and mentally fit; and, must pass the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ aptitude battery test, IQ and special written examinations.

Applicants for officers should be 21-28 years old and graduates of a four-year or five-year degree course. For enlistment, applicants should be 18-23 years old and should have finished at least 72 units college course or graduated a two-year vocational or associate course.

Qualified applicants for officership will undergo the Naval Officers Candidate Course (NOCC). For enlisted personnel, they will undergo the Basic Seamanship Course (BSC).

While undergoing training for NOCC and BSC, applicants will receive a basic monthly pay of P26,567 for officers and P15,426 for candidate soldiers and an additional monthly allowance of P4,950, midyear and year-end cash gifts and bonuses.

Palawan govt breaks ground for new tourism hospital in Coron

(PNA), PDS/CARF/EBP

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 24 (PNA) --Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez on Wednesday led the groundbreaking ceremony for a new P58 million tourism hospital in Coron in the northern Calamianes Islands Group to fulfill his leadership’s commitment to improve medical and health services for Palaweños.

The latest hospital will be constructed in Barangay Singko, Poblacion adjacent the Coron District Hospital building.

Of the total budget, P40 million came from the 2013 budget of the Department of Health (DOH), and another P18 million which will come from its funds this year.

According to Alvarez, since the remaining P18 million will take more time to come, he has requested the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to advance this through a loan grant so as not to delay the construction of the new hospital.

Construction will take a year, said the Palawan governor, before it can start providing services to the residents of Coron and nearby towns in the first quarter of 2015. It will be three floors with 50-75 bed capacity.

Health department regional director for MIMAROPA Dr. Ariel Valencia said in his message during the groundbreaking ceremony that Health Secretary Enrique Ona trusts Alvarez’s leadership enough to allow him to take the lead in the implementation of the hospital project.

He also lauded the provincial government and Alvarez for taking the initiative to prioritize taking care of government programs that are all geared towards improving people’s health in Palawan.

The new hospital project in Coron is the second that broke ground in Palawan this month. The first was in Aborlan town in southern Palawan.

Three other new hospitals are up for construction this year, said the provincial government.

Palawan gov't execs meet for Philippine Rural Development Program

(PNA), LAP/CARF/JSD

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 23 (PNA) -– Top executives of the provincial government of Palawan met here recently to confer with each other on the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) and how it can be utilized to help underprivileged indigenous community farmers and fishermen.

The meeting was facilitated and attended by Engr. Teresita Guian of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA); Frank Paduga, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO); Provincial Treasurer Elino Mondragon, Provincial Treasurer; Victioria Ladica of the Provincial Cooperative Development Officer (PCDO), and Norma Arrieta, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Budget Office (PBO).

It was attended too, by Anna Lissa Barroma, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Economic Enterprise Development Office (PEEDO); Emerico Cabanday, chief of the Environment Management Division of the Provincial ENRO; Amie Dolor, Administrative Officer IV of the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO), Engr. Manuel Cabiguen of the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO), and Dr. Carla Limsan of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) – provincial government offices that are vital to the targets.

The meeting centered on three problems that reportedly hinder the development of the agricultural sector in Palawan: lack of infrastructure in distantly-located areas, need for newer technologies, and delivery of these to the farmers.

Guian said these three barriers are the reasons there remain to be low production and income generation in the agricultural sector in Palawan, particularly where indigenous peoples or farmers are concerned.

Although priority is given to irrigation, construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, and post-harvest facilities, there is still a need to identify more opportunities to help the agricultural sector, particularly the IPs through the PRDP.

The PRDP is a special program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for inclusive growth and for creating a buoyant agriculture and fishery sector.

It aims to increase the annual income of farmers and fishermen by 5 percent compared to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) target which is 2-4 percent. In the enterprise development component, there is expectation for a 30-percent income growth for beneficiaries.

During the meeting, it was discussed that the PDP aims to increase by 3-5 percent yearly the gross value added contribution of the agri-fishery sector. The PRDP, on the other hand, aspires to increase the total cost of products being sold in the market by farmers and fishermen.

The department heads gave attention also to cashew as a product that can provide great benefits and opportunities to Palaweño families if new capability and capacity training-seminars can be provided for them, as well as introduce new technologies in production.

To fully know how to begin efforts, a baseline survey will be conducted to properly monitor project development objectives. Guian said they will also work closely with local government units (LGUs) that can help make responses in the need for needed infrastructures, farm implements and increase in production and income.

Secretary general of Intl Federation of Social Workers holds dialogue in Palawan

(PNA), JBP/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 22 (PNA) -– Dr. Rory G. Truell, the secretary general of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), is in this city to hold a series of dialogues with social workers belonging to the Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc. (PASWI)-Palawan Chapter.

Truell, who is based in New Zealand, arrived Monday and was welcomed by Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez in his office during a courtesy call. She was accompanied by Apolonia David, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, who is also the president of PASWI.

Truell had a meeting with the federation Tuesday and was guest speaker at the Palawan State University (PSU) School of Law.

In her meeting with the governor, Truell was informed about the provincial government’s planned goals for the rehabilitation of Coron and the rest of the municipalities in the Calamianes Islands Group that were recently struck by super typhoon "Yolanda."

For her part, Truell informed the provincial governor about the need to increase the capacities and capabilities of social workers in Palawan to be able to become active partners in making optimistic responses to the needs of victims of calamities.

She said their skills can be upgraded by allowing them to travel to other countries that have experienced natural and man-made calamities to learn how these areas rose up from devastation.

Watchdog vows to beef up patrol, monitoring of Palawan's environment

(PNA), JBP/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 21 (PNA) -– Vowing to strengthen its patrol and monitoring of Palawan’s environment this year, the Bantay Palawan program of the provincial government is leaving no tables unturned, arresting even small-time illegal tree cutters in far-flung barangays in the southern municipalities.

While on patrol and monitoring Sunday afternoon at Zone 2, Barangay Princess Urduja, Narra, the Bantay Palawan chanced upon two suspects while cutting down mangium trees.

The suspects identified as Manuel Aguilan and Jojo Carbolico were immediately arrested by operatives of the provincial government watchdog.

Aguilan was identified by the Bantay Palawan as the operator of the chainsaw that has no permit from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD). He said the owner of the chainsaw was a certain Angelito Dayrit, a resident of the same barangay.

According to the Bantay Palawan investigation, the two were unable to show proof that their cutting operation was legal.

Charges of violation of The Chainsaw Act, or Republic Act 9175, are to be filed against Aguilan and Carbolico.

On the same day, at around 10 a.m., Bantay Palawan operatives also confiscated a “kasko,” or a long narrow boat carved from a suspected illegally cut log at Sitio Naonao, Barangay Port Barton, San Vicente.

It has a length of 37 feet, width of 25 inches, and 9 inches width in height. Two pieces of wood measuring 2x4x60 was confiscated too. They are now under the custody of the barangay chairman of New Agutaya, San Vicente.

Even residents who cut down coconut lumbers are also being monitored, said the Bantay Palawan, since cutting needs to be permitted.

On January 17, several people were prevented from cutting down coconut trees in Barangay Tigman, Aborlan because they do not have permits from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). The chainsaw they used was also allegedly tampered.

Clinton Suelo, head of the Bantay Palawan, said Gov. Jose Alvarez’ goal to protect the province’s environment is serious and should not be taken lightly since it is part of IHELP under the “Protection of the Environment” component.

Palawan biz group endorses development of mini-hydroelectric resources

(PNA), LAP/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 20 (PNA) -– The Palawan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (PalCCI) recently endorsed through a board resolution the development of a mini-hydroelectric resources for energy generation in the towns of Narra, Aborlan and this city as a move to prevent future power shortages.

The PalCCI, an officially-recognized affiliate of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (PCCII), in effect, endorsed the Langogan Power Corporation (LPC) to deliver the project as a registered renewable energy (RE) developer.

The LPC is reportedly with service contracts (SC) from the Department of Energy (DOE) to plan and construct hydroelectric power plants on Langogan River in Barangay Langogan in Puerto Princesa, at Batang-Batang River in Narra town, and Talakaigan River in Aborlan.

Resolution 001, Series of 2014, approved on January 7, but made public January 15 at the No to Coal webpage, said the LPC has offered to the National Power Corporation (NPC) through its “Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) to provide a total of 80 gigawatt-hours of hydroelectric energy each year to be integrated into the Palawan mainland grid.”

The offer to supply energy was made at the NPC-SPUG published Socially Accepted Generation Rate (SAGR) P6.5896 per kilowatt hour.

The approved measure furthered that the “NPC has evidenced a willingness to enter into a long-term power supply agreement with LPC under mutually agreeable terms.”

Signed by 18 members over 25 coming from well-to-do business ventures in Puerto Princesa, the resolution stated that under the terms and condition of Republic Act 9513, known as the Renewable Energy Law, “renewable energy from intermittent sources shall be utilized on a ‘must dispatch’ basis in the dispatch merit order.

The PalCCI said too, that the NPC-SPUG under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) is mandated to ensure provision of electricity to missionary electrification areas and it is further mandated to provide electricity at the least-cost in order to decrease dependence on imported fuels and reduce subsidies from the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UCME).

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, integration of hydroelectric power will reduce UCME subsidy requirements by an estimated P320 million per year and reduce consumer rates by an estimated P90 million per year.

BIMP-EAGA Malaysia business council in talks on rubber plantation in Palawan

By Nur Adika Bujang [(PNA/Bernama), CTB/RSM]

KOTA KINABALU, Jan. 19 (PNA/Bernama) -- The BIMP-EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East Asean Growth Area) Malaysia Business Council is in active discussions with a government-linked company (GLC) to embark on a large-scale rubber plantation in Palawan, Philippines.

Its chairman Datuk Roselan Johar Mohamed said 12,000 hectares have been allotted for rubber plantation on the island, which can produce 3,600 metric tonnes of raw rubber per month.

The rubber, he said, could then be sent to Kudat when a ramp for the berthing of a roll-on/roll-off vessel in the northern district of Sabah is ready.

"The offer from the Philippine side of the venture had been generous and we hope the Malaysian side will reciprocate likewise so that a symbiotic relationship can be nurtured," he told Bernama here Sunday.

Roselan said the Philippine government had established a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for its workers to be trained in extracting raw rubber.

"TESDA will provide the training standards for workers interested in mastering the skill and securing employment in the plantations as well as to transform the crop into useful and marketable products.

"The Malaysian GLC concerned will need to sponsor students in batches so that when harvesting season comes, everybody will be ready," he said.

Rising global interest in El Nido and other Philippine sites

(Business Mirror)

THE “last ecological frontier” of El Nido and other parts of Palawan are among the many destinations of the Philippines which are gaining unprecedented interest in the world market, according to tourism officials.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. observed: “Tourism is one of the government’s priorities in pushing for the national agenda of inclusive socioeconomic development, and this has helped the country earn unprecedented global interest for its many tourist destinations, such as El Nido, Palawan.”

The unique ecological balance of El Nido municipality, spearheaded by the four El Nido Resorts (ENR), is one of the must-see destinations being promoted by the Department of Tourism to international key markets. The four ENR properties are named after the islands where they are located, namely, Miniloc, Lagen, Pangulasian and Apulit.

DOT key markets include France, Germany, the US, Canada, Sweden, Australia and Korea, among others. Jimenez explained: “Aside from the magnificent landscapes of coves, beaches, lagoons and razor-sharp limestone cliffs, many resort developers in Palawan are also introducing environment-friendly ideas, products and services.”

Earlier in the year ENR won the highly prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Awards (TTA), the “Oscars” of global ecotourism awards. Winners of TTA demonstrate exceptionally well that they can successfully balance their commitments to profitabililty, to uphold environmental best practices and to benefit local communities that host them.

The four resorts were collectively recognized for “demonstrating the power of tourism to address poverty alleviation, improve local livelihood, and protect the cultural and natural heritage for future generations.” ENR President Laurent Lamasuta disclosed that employees in Miniloc, Lagen, Pangulasian and Apulit are trained not only to meet the high service standards of global travelers but also to show them the spectrum of bird species, fish and marine invertebrates that thrive in the ENR properties. The pride of place demonstrated by ENR staff, combined with exceptional guest service levels, has garnered ENR a 95-percent guest-satisfaction rating.

PH beefs up maritime defense over West PH Sea

(ANC DATELINE PHILIPPINES)

MANILA - Two Philippine Air Force facilities will be built to upgrade the military's maritime defense over the West Philippine Sea.

The facilities are in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and in Sanga-sanga in Tawi-Tawi.

The Department of National Defense said these will support security and rescue operations at the Malampaya Plant, the Reed Bank and the future Sulu oil rig.

The project is part of the Armed Forces' modernization program.

Last week, the Department of National Defense signed a more than P800 million contract with an Israeli firm for 28 armored infantry fighting vehicles.

The department is also expecting deliveries of additional fighter jets and rotary aircraft.

'No excuse not to pursue fine for Tubbataha damage'

By Pia Ranada (Rappler.com)

MANILA, Philippines – Politics and questions of state immunity should not stop the Philippines from pursuing US government compensation for the damage caused by the Tubbataha Reefs grounding a year ago.

This was the demand of a petition filed by a group led by Puerto Princesa Bishop Pedro Arigo before the Supreme Court a day before the anniversary of the grounding of a US Navy ship into UNESCO Heritage Site Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Sulu Sea.

"Customary law and conventional international environmental law leave no room for questions of State immunity or jurisdiction. Nor is the case a political question subject to inaction by the Executive Department," according to the petition filed on Thursday, January 16.

The petition also called for Temporary Environmental Protection Orders (TEPOs) to prevent more damage to marine sanctuaries by US vessels.

Under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), US ships continue to make port calls in the Philippines, threatening sensitive marine resources in the area.

Despite saying it is "prepared to provide appropriate compensation" for the damage, the US has not paid the P58 million fine slapped by the Philippine government.

When the USS Guardian rammed into the world-famous marine park and protected area on January 17, 2013, it obliterated around 2,345.67 square meters of the reef.

But advocates say the damage goes beyond pulverized corals. The grounding also adversely affected the livelihood of fishermen who depend on the reef's abundant natural resources.

Moving past the SC case

In April that year, Arigo and company filed a petition before the Supreme Court demanding compensation and the prosecution of USS Guardian officials.

The pending case has been cited by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as the reason why ongoing talks with the US government on the issue were called off.

Communications Secretary Herminio Colomo Jr on Thursday echoed the DFA.

He said that after the US signified its willingness to pay the fine, "a Writ of Kalikasan was issued, requiring submissions to the Supreme Court, thereby resulting in the deferment of the resolution of the compensation issue."

But the new petition said that the pending SC case should not be an excuse to stop pursuing compensation. Greater laws compel the US to give compensation, it said.

The Polluter Pays Principle, for example, under international environmental law establishes that "the US Respondents must pay for the environmental restoration and reparation at the sites already damaged" and "they must assume responsibility for future environmental damage in the Philippines," according to the petition.

International agreements like the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment – both United Nations covenants – assert that it is the duty of all countries to avoid transboundary harm, or inflicting environmental harm to other nations or territories.

Revisit the Visiting Forces Agreement

Petitioners also asked the SC to stop US ships from docking into Philippine ports or conducting military exercises unless the VFA is modified to contain environmental guidelines and mechanisms to punish violators.

Guidelines should include the restriction of military exercises in areas with abundant marine reserves, a 24-kilometer safety zone from any blast or blast radius and responsive measures in case of environmental damage.

Philippine officials should actively pursue compensation and begin administrative and criminal proceedings against the US respondents, said the petition. The respondents include Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr, among others.

Anything less than decisive action is a form of surrender, wrote the petitioners.

If the USS Guardian is allowed to get away with the damage "then the Republic of the Philippines is sending a message to the world that any visiting State, clandestine entry or not, may be at liberty to cast aside internationally wrongful acts."

PRC officials to induct over 600 new teachers in Palawan

By Celeste Anna R. Formoso (PNA), LAM/CARF/LLN

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 15 (PNA) -- Representatives of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) arrived in this city Tuesday for the registration and oath-taking of new teachers who passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) last year.

The registration started January 14, and will end on January 16, according to the Provincial Information Office (PIO) of the Palawan government.

The oath-taking, on the other hand, will be held afternoon of January 16 at the Skylight Convention Center.

The PRC is holding the registration and oath-taking of passers here based on the request of Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez to save travel cost among examinees.

The oath-taking ceremony will be led by Paraluman R. Giron of the Board of Professional Teachers; Director Amelia T. Empaynado, PRC Lucena Regional Office; and Sharo B. Lo of the Office of the PRC Chairperson.

PRC chairperson Teresita R. Manzala is also expected to grace the ceremony.

Around 689 LET takers passed the examination held at the Holy Trinity University and Palawan State University out of a total of 1,808 examinees.

Those who will register have been advised to bring their 2x2 or passport size ID pictures with white background and collar, two pieces metered documentary stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and P1,050 registration fee.

Alvarez congratulated the LET passers and, through the provincial government’s IHELP, hopes to find employment for the new teachers for the development of education in Palawan.

Expansion of Puerto Princesa pier awaits DOTC approval

(PNA), FPV/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 14 (PNA) -– The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is still waiting for the approval of their expansion proposal for this city’s pier in Barangay Liwanag that would have the capacity and capability to welcome larger cruise ships and more than one at a time.

Manager Luis Cuizon of the PPA said in an interview with the local media here that the proposal was submitted last year to their higher office however its approval might take a bit more time since it needs to pass through the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Despite this, he said they remain hopeful that they can start the expansion project within the first quarter of the year along with the rehabilitation of the Coron pier in the Calamianes Islands Group that was affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

Cuizon disclosed that they have proposed for a budget amounting to P238 million for an expansion project that involves 9,000 square meters at the Puerto Princesa pier.

The expansion, he said, will make Puerto Princesa accommodate more vessels, including cruise ships, whose industry is fast becoming a part of tourism activities in the city.

“We’re still waiting if our proposal will be approved because it still needs to go through the DOTC,” he said, adding that the approval is not within their control.

The current city pier, he said, is not large enough to accommodate big cruise ships and vessels that now come to Puerto Princesa on a yearly basis.

At the start of the year, one cruise ship has already dropped anchor at the Puerto Princesa City pier, bringing nearly 2,000 tourists.

The port is the Palawan baseport of the PPA. It lies 558 meters from a coral reef on the southern portion of Barangay Bancao-Bancao.

It is a major port of entry in Palawan and serves as the hub of transport of goods and passenger activities for both the northern and southern municipalities of the province.

Coron municipal health office holds anti-measles vaccination

(PNA), PDS/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 13 (PNA) -–The Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Coron in the Calamianes Islands Group started its town-wide vaccination activities on Monday in a bid to prevent the spread of measles among children 9-59 months.

Dr. Alan Guintapan, chief of the MHO, said that on orders from the office of Mayor Clara Reyes, they would spread out to Coron’s 23 barangays to provide free vaccination against measles, where outbreaks in several areas in Manila have been reported.

Coron which is geographically near Manila, is prone to catch the rubeola virus due to the number of visitors that flock to the town to see its pristine beauty, he said.

Guintapan said they have enough vaccination supplies to keep Coron children from the rubeola virus, and the first barangays they will visit are Poblacion 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the center of the town.

The MHO announced its schedule of vaccination activity through a public address system for officials of the said barangay to inform their residents.

"Those who think they have the symptoms, such as redness of the eyes, reddish spots on skin, cough and runny nose, should already go to the municipal health office so we can give them medicine,” Guintapan said through the social networking site of Reyes.

Reyes, in her account, said she was able to obtain P2 million worth, or 10,000 shots of measles vaccine from the Department of Health (DOH) and her friends which families in Coron with children within the identified ages may avail for free.

She also ordered the municipal information office to conduct a massive information campaign against the disease to inform residents of Coron on how to avoid the disease, and what they must do the moment they observe the symptoms from patients.

“Measles can be contracted. We do not want our residents to suffer, especially the children this is why we are conducting preventive measures to avoid its spread. We will provide free vaccination, and we call on residents to help us so that Coron will not have an outbreak,” the mayor said.

Reyes said too, that those who will be visiting Coron but will see they have the symptoms will be attended also by the MHO, and will be given medicines to manage their ailment.

Costa Victoria makes maiden call in Puerto Princesa and Boracay

By Jacky Lynne A. Oiga

On Tuesday, January 7, 2014, Italian cruise ship Costa Victoria, made its first ever port call on the pristine shores of Puerto Princesa in Palawan. More than a thousand guests from all over the world disembarked from the 75,000 ton ship to see the Puerto Princesa Underground River, Honda Bay, Batak, and Puerto Princesa City.

The next day, the ship arrived in sunny Boracay where guests spent half a day frolicking on the world famous powdery white sand beach.

According to TravelPeople Ltd.Inc. president Maria Cristina Cortez, Costa Cruises is the only cruise brand in the world that has done a series of regular calls to the Philippines. From 2007 to 2010 Costa Victoria made 11 port calls in the Philippines per year bringing in over 25,000 foreign guests to Manila.

“In 2011, the company stopped including the country in their itinerary because of low demand but now they are back with a newly refurbished vessel and has even added Puerto Princesa and Boracay to its usual Manila itineraries,” Cortez said during Costa Victoria’s port call in Manila.

The maiden call will be the first of five calls of Costa Victoria in the Philippines. The return of the ship is a good indication that cruise tourism is really picking up in the country. The Department of Tourism (DoT) has been very vocal that cruise tourism is one product the agency really wants to support and promote.

Now that Puerto Princesa and Boracay are ready to welcome cruise ships on their shores, DoT Regional offices are also stepping in to make sure that the guests’ brief stay in their destinations will be fun and memorable.

“Costa Victoria arranges for the off shore excursions of the guests with the help of local travel agents, our primary role is to welcome them with colorful leis, sombreros (woven wide-brimmed hats), abanikos (native Philippine fan), cultural performances, and to make sure that they are safe and well taken care of during their stay,” said Ma. Valle Congzon, supervising tourism officer of DoT’s cruise-market development group.


First ever Easter fly-cruise from the Philippines

Another first for Costa Cruises and the Philippines is the launch of the first ever half charter cruise from the Philippines to China, Japan, and Korea. Cruise holidays are quickly growing on Filipino travelers as more and more Filipino families, honeymooners, tour groups are investing on the free and easy advantages of cruising from one destination to another.

“Cruising as a holiday option is steadily gaining strong ground in the Philippines so we take this challenge of bringing more Filipino travelers to experience the beautiful cities of China, Japan, and Korea,” shared Cortez. “As the preferred sales agent of Costa Cruises, we took a big risk by doing a half charter cruise this Holy Week, but we’re confident that we can bring a thousand Filipinos on board Costa Victoria because the market is undoubtedly getting very strong.”

Timely slated this summer, April 14 to 20, right smack the Holy Week vacation, TravelPeople’s charter cruise offers children 12 years old and below free of cruise fare when sharing a cabin with paying adults. The package includes: six-day cruise accommodation, airfare on economy class (Manila-Shanghai-Manila), visa processing, airport transfers, overnight hotel accommodation in Shanghai, and Shanghai City Tour.

Visa fees as well as shore excursions in Cheju in South Korea and Fukuoka and Kagoshima in Japan are not included in the package that starts at $1,345 per person.

For bookings and more information about the Costa Victoria charter cruise package contact 465 8890, 465 8895, 465 8896, 465 8800 or email tours@travelpeople.com.ph

Aziza Paradise Hotel: A new haven in Palawan

By Eleanor A. Leyco

Someone who’s been to Palawan will surely claim there is something enchanting and mystical about this place. The picturesque sceneries, the lush green forests and the majestic beaches that surround the island are indescribable. These are the things that make everyone want to visit Palawan.

Known as the country’s last frontier, Palawan is home to many untouched forests; unexplored caves, islands and islets that hide coral reefs and wildlife; breathtaking pristine bodies of water—waterfalls, beaches, lakes and rivers, splendid beach resorts; and, of course, delicacies such as lamayo and tamilok.

Recently, I had a chance to visit Puerto Princesa, Palawan, for the second time. Being a part of a prestigious newspaper, sampling the best food and dining in luxury hotels are usual scenarios, especially when covering events. Most of the time, hotel restaurants will offer prime steak, fresh seafood and gastronomies from different parts of the world. But sometimes, after being offered so many great-tasting and expensive food, you just want to go back to the basics or maybe fares with a twist that will excite your palate again.

And in Palawan, a new resort is serving the usual very “unusual” and it’s trying to promote the other side of Palawan.


Dining haven in Puerto Princesa

The Aziza Paradise Hotel is located at the heart of Puerto Princesa, only a few minutes from the airport. Though very new in Palawan, the owners of the resort have been in the hospitality management business for quite sometime.

The hotel is equipped with a fine-dining restaurant, Demeter Diner, with a seating capacity of 130 persons and serves delectable Filipino and Asian cuisines. It’s worthy to mention that its chef, Eugene Fernandez, is a master in serving healthy food.

Who could have thought of a Laing Pasta with Tinapa flakes? This dish is filling, yet very healthy because of the taro leaves. The sauce of the pasta is the laing and the tinapa flakes add more aroma and taste to the dish. Another exciting dish is the shrimp tempura. What makes this dish healthy is its coating, the batter used for coating is splattered with chopped basil leaves. The scent of basil leaves will make your palate crave for more.

And if you love burger, there is no reason for you to miss it. But because Aziza is very particular about the health benefits of the food it serves, the chef used puso ng saging as extender. You will still enjoy the full flavor of beef but the puso ng saging provides a texture that will make you wonder about the “mysterious” taste and texture.

According to Aziza Paradise Hotel General Manager Benedict Dy Tecklo, they are not just promoting their hotel but also they want to support and promote the whole of Palawan. Instead of getting ingredients from abroad, they are using locally grown ingredients. “World-class cuisine doesn’t have to be from other countries. It is how you prepare and serve your food, which makes it world-class.”

The hotel also has a coffee shop called Kahve Brew. Aziza Paradise Hotel Finance Head Maechelle Dy Tecklo said, “Our coffee shop has a seating capacity of 48 persons, located in front of Demeter Diner. This outlet gives you the freedom to indulge in our exquisitely prepared Filipino pastries and the aroma of comforting coffee.”

Aside from Demeter Diner and Kahve Brew, Aziza has two bars, the Viz Pool Bar and Voda Bar.

“Our poolside bar can seat 19 persons, and we serve refreshing cocktail drinks and many ice-cream flavors that are proudly mixed by our very own executive chef, Eugene.”

The finance head also added that Voda Bar has a state-of-the-art entertainment lounge with music especially prepared by their DJ music. “Voda Bar also serves specialty cocktails and signature food. It can accommodate almost 200 people, so you can also hold parties here.”

Tecklo, on the other hand, also stressed that aside from the offerings in the hotel, they offer tour packages to some great sites of Palawan like the Cowrie Island in the Honda Bay area, and Estrella Falls, which used to be one of the famous tourist spots in Palawan. “We want to bring back the glorious days of Estrella Falls by including it in our tour packages. Cowrie Island is also a great place to go to, very good for swimming, and it serves fresh grilled meat and seafood,” Tecklo added.

Aziza Paradise Hotel has a total land area of 7,778 sq m, with 125 rooms, which include 35 deluxe rooms, 39 family rooms, two family suites, 20 superior premier rooms, two honeymoon suites and 27 superior twins located in three different buildings, namely, Cliantha, which means “Flower of Glory,” Xylia, which means “Wood Dweller,” and Pomona, which means “Fruitful Abundance.”

To know more about Aziza call (048) 434- 2405, 0917-5801198, 0998-9833220 or e-mail aziza.palawan@gmail.com. You can also visit http://azizaparadise.ph for more information.


Trade link between Palawan, Malaysia expects brighter opportunities in 2014

(PNA), LAP/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 10 (PNA) -– Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez is expecting brighter opportunities to start concretizing this year between Palawan and nearby federal territories of Malaysia after seeking to strengthen again the foundations of a trade link through the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) last year.

With MaSwings’ regular weekly flights to Puerto Princesa, and the expected onset of a sea liner between Brooke’s Point and Kudat in Sabah, Alvarez is confident that January would instigate the exodus of trade and investment opportunities to Palawan, predominantly in agriculture and tourism.

Early in the week, the governor welcomed to the city members of the Labuan Chamber of Commerce (LCC) from Labuan, Malaysia, who arrived via MaSwings, for a trade mission.

Alvarez greeted on January 6 at his office at the Provincial Capitol the arrival of Datuk Yunus Kurus and Wong Kii Yii, who headed the members of the LCC in visiting the province.

He was accompanied by local businessman Edwin Tan, who is also the president of the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Palawan (FCCCP).

In the courtesy call, Kurus and Yii informed Alvarez that their purpose of visit is to explore business opportunities in the province to help their businesses expand to foreign countries.

Both said their visit is a way of allowing doors to open to mutually develop long-term trade and investment opportunities that might also be able to support efforts to provide employment breaks to the people.

In November, Malaysia-based MaSwings Sdn Bhd launched its weekly direct flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan from Kota Kinabalu Sabah via an ATR 72-500 aircraft that has a seating capacity of 68 passengers.

Palawan conducts massive immunization vs measles

(PNA), FFC/CARF/RTR/PJN

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 9 (PNA) -- The Palawan Provincial Health Office (PHO) will continue the implementation of its massive immunization against measles, particularly in far-flung areas in the province as a prevention effort against this contagious (easily spread) viral disease.

They will implement the move as measles outbreak was reported in several areas in Metro Manila.

PHO chief Dr. Ed Cruz said that despite the absence of measles case in the province, they will implement massive immunization, particularly in distantly-located areas as prevention and mitigation efforts.

Cruz asked parents not to be complacent that there is no reported measles case in the province, especially if their children have not yet been vaccinated, because the unimmunized are highly susceptible to get the disease.

Free immunizations, he said, are now being conducted all over Palawan through the municipal health offices (MHOs), and parents are encouraged to avail of the anti-measles vaccines to keep their children safe from this infection of the respiratory system.

He said that aside from massive immunization activity, information disseminations are also being conducted about measles and other ailments that are common during this time of the year.

He asked parents to cooperate and heed their health officers’ advises on how to prevent measles, which can be fatal if not immediately treated.

Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a generalized skin rashes.

Measles is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person's nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious—90 percent of people without immunity sharing living space with an infected person may reportedly catch it.

Palawan to go full blast on IHELP implementation in 2014

(PNA), JBP/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 8 (PNA) -– Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez said he will kick-start the Year of the Wood Horse by going full blast on the implementation of some infrastructure projects specified in the development agenda IHELP.

This year, the Infrastructure, Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of the Environment (IHELP) of the provincial government will start the construction of 900 classrooms per year for the current term in municipalities that lack enough accommodations for elementary and high school students.

He said this is part of the IHELP’s itinerary to support the development of education in the province, particularly in far-flung areas, where there remain shortages in educational facilities.

The rehabilitation of 5,530 kilometers of farm-to-market roads to support the transportation of agricultural and fisheries product, as well as to improve easy access to residents, will also begin this year, according to Alvarez.

New hospitals, he announced, will be constructed too, in the towns of Quezon, Aborlan, Sofronio Española, Cuyo, Culion, Roxas and Coron to bring health and medical services closer to Palaweños.

The fund for these, he said, will be allocated from funds of the Department of Health and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Alvarez further added that potable water systems will be installed in over 400 barangays in Palawan in 2014 onwards as part of his IHELP “health agenda” to provide clean drinking water to those who still do not have access to it.

Meanwhile, crop lands are now being prepared in southern Palawan, he said, to start the farming of rubber, cacao, and coffee as part of the memorandum of understanding he signed on November 21 with Rocky Mountain Arabica Company and Kennemer Foods International, Inc.

The governor believes that with the three high-value crops, Palawan would have more edge in terms of providing additional income to farmers, as well as uplifting their standards of living.

International cruise ship arrives in Puerto Princesa

(PNA), FFC/CARF/PJN

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 7 (PNA) -- M/V Costa Victoria, a Victoria-class cruise ship owned and operated by Costa Crociere S.p.A. based in Genoa, Italy, dropped anchor in this city Tuesday, bringing over 1,800 European tourists.

City Tourism Department (CTD) officer-in-charge Melinda Mohamad and other tourism stakeholders welcomed the motor vessel shortly after 1 p.m. at the Puerto Princesa City Pier with a short program, and proceeded to meeting the top executives of the cruise ship.

M/V Costa Victoria arrived here fresh from its sojourn to Singapore.

Mohamad told the media that the passengers of the cruise ship will visit several interesting sites in Puerto Princesa, including the New 7 Wonder site subterranean river at Sitio Sabang in Barangay Cabayugan.

However, entry to the underground river will be limited to only 150 cruisers due to early booking of many other tourists before the arrival of M/V Costa Victoria.

“They cannot maximize visit to the underground river because they lack the time. They have to be back by 6 p.m. to downtown here because they will leave after that. We prepared for a welcome reception for them – we have performers, drum and bugle corps that greeted them,” she said, adding the cruise ship will only stay for six hours.

Mohamad said two more cruise ships are expected to arrive in Puerto Princesa in February, namely M/V Europa 2 on February 7 and SS Adonia on February 21.

At the subterranean river, park management spokesperson Jan Elmer Badilla said 28 paddle boats will be on duty to cater to the tourists of the cruise ship and other guests.

Five lifeguards are also on standby to keep swimming safe at Sabang Beach. “We will be on yellow flag, which means swimming will be allowed only in shallower parts of the beach. But it still depends on the Philippine Coast Guard,” he said.

The tourism community in the city is also set to welcome the M/V Columbus in March and the M/V Clipper Odyssey in June.

Said to be the largest cruise ship to cut across Palawan waters, the M/V Costa Victoria features “the panoramic Concorde Plaza, an indoor pool; the ultramodern Pompei Spa, and the 7-deck Planetarium Atrium.

No place yet for DA’s proposed cold storage facility in Bataraza, Palawan

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

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 6 (PNA) -– No final location has been identified for the cold storage facility project that the Department of Agriculture (DA) will implement for Bataraza in southern Palawan that was mentioned in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III last year.

Bataraza Mayor Katrina Ibba confirmed this in a local radio interview Monday, after saying that it was initially planned at Barangay Buliluyan.

But Ibba said that according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Buliluyan is not “easily accessible” to the fishing communities.

She added that there is a probability that to be able to implement the project, the DA will transfer the planned cold storage facility to Barangay Rio Tuba, a mining community that is reachable by all forms of transportation mode.

Aside from the predicament in the location of the proposed project, Ibba said she has not heard about any other details regarding the cold storage facility that can greatly help the fishing communities in Bataraza.

Last year during his fourth SONA, President Aquino announced that a cold storage facility will be constructed in Bataraza to support initiatives to boost the “earnings” of fishing communities, as well as their standards of living.

He said that according to reports he received from the DA and BFAR, fish catch in Bataraza and nearby towns always end up in the market as “dried fish” due to the absence of a resource facility that can maintain their freshness.

With dried fish, President Aquino said the fishermen cannot command a good price for their fish catch since they cannot bring them to the market on time, and fresh.

Military starts deployment of troops in Spratlys

By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The military yesterday started its rotation of Air Force and naval contingents for deployments in Pag-Asa Island in the Spratlys.

Originally scheduled before Christmas, the airmen were not immediately relieved by their counterparts at Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Command (AFP-Wescom) headquarters in Palawan due to the prevailing weather system hovering over the region for the entire month of December.

Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. confirmed the deployment of fresh troops in the island municipality.

Since the sea around the island is very rough, Wescom has started shuttling new Air Force troops to the island town using a Navy plane, giving the islanders a chance to visit Palawan aboard the returning Navy aircraft.

Pag-Asa Island is located within the hotly contested Spratlys archipelago area but is closer by several miles to mainland Palawan than from the coastline of Vietnam, which is laying maritime claim over the region along with China, Brunei and Taiwan.

All claimant countries except Brunei have troops deployed in the region, with China becoming more aggressive in pressing its maritime claim to almost 80 percent of the entire South China Sea by deploying its warships and surveillance vessels to conduct regular maritime patrol over the area.

The other day, Beijing announced the completion of the training exercises of its aircraft carrier Liaoning in the region.

The training exercises almost resulted in a naval confrontation between a Chinese frigate and the US warship USS Cowpens in December.

Aside from the airmen who are deployed on rotation basis in Pag-Asa Island, the seat of Kalayaan Island town with a current population of almost 200 civilian inhabitants including children, contingents from the Philippine Navy are also stationed in the area to bolster the country’s territorial hold over the seven islets and two shoals in the region.

“We don’t monitor any naval activities of China out there because of the prevailing weather. The sea is very rough and it is very dangerous for any ship to venture out in the open sea for now,” Bito-onon said.

He added that he has yet to receive reports from local fishermen if the two Chinese maritime vessels have returned to Ayungin Shoal. The vessels left the area last month after taking up position near the shoal for several months.

Ayungin Shoal is located between Pag-Asa Island and mainland Palawan.

China, insisting that the shoal is an integral part of its maritime domain, has tried to dislodge a contingent of Marine troops stationed in the shoal aboard the grounded Navy logistic ship BRP Sierra Madre.

Palace: Gov't to continue pursuing compensation claims for Tubbataha Reef damage

(PNA), SCS/PCOO/RSM

MANILA, Jan. 4 (PNA) -- The Philippine government remains committed to continue pursuing its claims for compensation on the damages made by a United States minesweeper on the Tubbataha Reef last year, a Malacanang official said.

“We're committed to pursuing compensation for it,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan in an interview Saturday.

Valte said the Philippine government and US authorities had good discussions on the issue of compensation.

However, the Palace official said there is a third party who had filed a case before the Supreme Court. But she added that on the part of the government, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) was able to file a comment when it was ordered to do so.

She also said that since there is a pending case on the issue, it is in the best interest of the government not to comment further.

In July last year, environmental activists and militant groups filed an urgent motion to ask the Supreme Court for a series of Temporary Environmental Protection Orders (TEPOs) aimed at stopping US military exercises and port calls of US warships in the Philippines.

Prior to the motion, a Petition for the Writ of Kalikasan regarding the grounding case in the reef was filed by the group of Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo.

US minesweeper USS Guardian, coming from Subic for a regular port call, ran aground in the Tubbataha Reef on Jan. 17, 2013. The ship was on its way to Puerto Princesa, Palawan and then to Indonesia when it got stuck in the reef.

The Philippines fined the US government P58 million for the damage to the reef.

The incident damaged an estimated 4,000 square meters of coral reefs in Tubbataha Reef, the largest marine-protected area in the country at 97,030 hectares.

The Tubbataha Reef was included as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 1993. It is said to be home to some 500 species of fish and 350 species of coral as well as whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and breeding seabirds.

Deployed Marines’ kin get cheer

By Nikko Dizon (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines—The wife of a Marine sergeant deployed to the disputed Ayungin Shoal off Palawan thought the Marine officers who had pulled up in front of her home over the holidays had come to bring the news every soldier’s wife and family dread.

Verginia Galvan, married to Marine Sgt. Edwin Galvan Sr., prayed she would not be handed a Philippine flag, a military gesture of final respects to the family of a soldier killed in action.

But a flag was the last thing Marine Col. Edgard Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Navy’s Civil Military Operations Group, and his team had in store for Galvan’s family when they visited them in their home in Signal Village, Taguig City, on Christmas.

Instead, the military men had brought with them a surprise—baskets of food and Christmas gifts for the family that had to spend the holidays without Galvan, who is stationed on Ayungin Shoal, one of the Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea that China also claims.

In a press statement, Arevalo said Christmas gift packs were also handed over to the families of the other soldiers assigned to Ayungin.

Arevalo said the money to buy the presents for the Galvans came from the savings of the civil military operations group from its “toned down” Christmas party.

Arevalo said the Philippine Navy visited “fatherless” or “brotherless” families this Christmas and New Year’s in a show of solidarity to those “manning our isolated and distant posts.”

Galvan spent Christmas and New Year’s with a handful of colleagues on board the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty Navy hospital ship intentionally run aground on the shoal.

It is their job to guard the country’s territorial waters, undermanned and underequipped as they may be.

Last May, the Marines posted on Ayungin Shoal reported the encroachment of Chinese sailors on Philippine territory. The Philippines has filed an international protest against China’s territorial claims before a United Nations arbitral committee.

Arevalo said Verginia told him she was “in near tears thinking something bad happened” to her husband. It didn’t help that she had to wait for Arevalo and his team for hours after they were held up in heavy traffic. It was a “long and agonizing wait,” she said.

“What proceeded during the visit was an exchange of pleasantries and cordial conversation where (Verginia)… confided, among other things, the difficulties of being a soldier’s wife,” Arevalo said. Particularly heartbreaking was when the Galvans’ youngest son, Junior, asked Verginia why they had not picked up his dad from the airport for Christmas.

The visit of the Navy’s civil military operations group to the Galvan family was one of the several organized by the military, as well as private individuals, to bring cheer to soldiers and their families after a challenging 2013 that saw massive military mobilization.

These included guarding territorial waters amid growing tensions with China; responding to a daring revival of the Sulu sultanate’s claim to a portion of Sabah; responding to the siege of Zamboanga City by Moro rebels; and relief and rescue operations in provinces hit by calamities.

Arevalo noted that Twitter user @PinkOliveDrab used social media to collect gifts for the soldiers and their families assigned in Ayungin Shoal and also those guarding Philippine territory within the West Philippine Sea.

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