Palawan News March 2014

From Philippines
Jump to navigation Jump to search
→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Create Name's page

Regions | Philippine Provinces | Philippine Cities | Municipalities | Barangays | High School Reunions

Palawan - Archived News
Ph seal palawan.png
Seal of Palawan
Please upload
Interactive Google Satellite Map of Palawan Province, Philippines
Palawan philippines map locator.png
Map locator of Palawan
Palawan map.jpg
Map of Palawan Island
Map of Palawan
Palawan provincial capitol 01.jpg
Provincial Capitol of Palawan

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.

Palawan underground river.gif
Undergroud River in Palawan
Palawan underground river.jpg
Underground river in Pureto Princesa, Palawan
Palawan baracuda lake.jpg
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.
Palawan 001.jpg
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

Literacy caravan in Palawan

(The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Insular Foundation brought its Literacy Caravan to Puerto Princesa in Palawan in partnership with the Department of Education Region IV-B to bring a free storytelling workshop for elementary level teachers, 100 storytelling sessions to 10 public elementary schools, and a book party for underprivileged school children.

Leading Filipino publisher Adarna House also lent its support to the activity.

The workshop, facilitated by Adarna’s Jay Menes, aims to develop teacher’s storytelling skills to better engage students and inspire them to read. A total of 69 teachers participated in the activity.

The storytelling caravan, meanwhile, was held at 10 schools: Puerto Princesa Pilot Elementary School, East ES, West ES, Gregorio Oquendo ES, Mateo Jagmis ES, WesCom ES, San Pedro ES, Tiniguiban ES, Francisco Ubay MES, and Tagburos ES. Adarna House storytellers read 100 select Filipino children’s stories, including Insular Foundation’s Wishing Well, to grade school students.

As tokens, the participants of the storytelling sessions, their advisers and their school’s principal received their own copy of Insular’s storybooks, Wishing Well, Bisnesboy Minggoy, Christmas in February and Luckiest Girl in the World.

A book-themed party for 30 underprivileged students of Tagburos Elementary School capped the caravan.

Aside from the activities, Insular Foundation turned over 500 copies of each Insular Foundation storybook and assorted children’s books to DepEd Puerto Princesa.

Through the caravan, Insular Foundation hopes to improve students’ reading and financial literacies.

PH top 5 dive sites still world’s best

By Alya B. Honasan (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Scuba divers will never stop telling you: The Philippines is one of the best places in the world to dive. Just ask dedicated locals as well as visitors from all over the world, including award-winning underwater photographers and marine biologists, who come for stuff big and small.

While sightings of large animals and pelagics are getting more and more rare because of habitat destruction and human consumption, you can still count on memorable encounters, as well as an abundance of the colorful little critters that divers like to look out for.

Here are five prime dive destinations in the country:

Tubbataha, Sulu Sea

The pinnacle of Philippine diving in every way and considered the “Last Frontier” of our waters, the Tubbataha Reefs, 182 kilometers southwest of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan province, and the neighboring Jessie Beazley Reef make up the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

It’s a Unesco World Heritage site, a hotbed of biodiversity that hit the headlines most recently when a US Navy ship ran aground there in January 2013. Our guess is that the Americans tried to get some diving done.

Tubbataha is only for experienced divers, though, as the currents can be treacherous. The rewards are great, however—sightings of white and black tip reef sharks, whale sharks, mantas, turtles and hammerheads.

Legendary sites like Shark Airport, Black Rock, Seafan Alley and Washing Machine are accessible only by live-aboard dive boats in the summer. Any other time, the waters of the Sulu Sea are too rough, and it’s an overnight trip from Puerto Princesa to the site for at least five days of diving in over 10,000 hectares of reefs that are home to half of the coral species on earth, some 500 species of fish, 11 kinds of sharks and more.

It will cost you, but every diver should visit at least once.

Getting there: Fly to Puerto Princesa and get on a live-aboard boat that must be booked in advance.

Anilao, Batangas

The new scuba diver’s first classroom in Anilao, Batangas province, is also one of the country’s most popular sites, only two hours by car from Manila.

With locals now taking care of the gold mine that is the dive tourism industry, reefs have managed to thrive. You can count on lots of fish, occasional sightings of turtles, sharks and barracuda, lovely soft coral and the tiny, colorful macrophotographers’ favorite subjects, such as shy pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs, which look like sea slugs in psychedelic colors.

There’s a wide range of resorts with good food and facilities, excellent roads and some of the most colorful diving this side of the archipelago.

Getting there: Get in a car and drive, and don’t forget to stop for bulalo or tawilis on the way!

Coron, Palawan

This one’s for the diver hankering for history and exploration, as Coron is home to several World War II wrecks, Japanese supply ships that were sunk by American forces in the battle of Coron Bay in September 1944. Vessels like the Akitsushima, Iraku and Olympia Maru are big, ghostly and fascinating to visit, but some degree of experience is required so you don’t kick up the sand and mess up the entire dive.

All wrecks are accessible by banca from Coron resorts in a wide range of budgets.

Make sure you dive the otherworldly Barracuda Lake, where you climb through Tagbanua ancestral areas (read: be respectful and don’t litter) before plunging into the warm water and meeting the resident barracuda.

Don’t miss the beautiful Gunter’s Cathedral, a chamber with a skylight carved in the rocky ceiling and water so clear, you’ll feel like you’re swimming in air.

Getting there: Fly to Coron and book at any of the good resorts and dive operators’ haunts, including the still-gorgeous Club Paradise.

Apo Reef, Mindoro

The Apo Reef Natural Park is a 27,469-hectare natural marine park between Mindoro and Palawan provinces, home to the world’s second largest continuous coral reef, and the largest atoll in the Philippines.

Apo Reef has been battered a bit by typhoons and climate change, but clear water, corals, colorful fish, turtles, schools of jacks, mammoth tuna and manta rays still entice the adventurous traveler.

The best way to get there is via live-aboard boats again, usually huge souped-up bancas comfortable enough to sleep in. The Park Rangers’ station, with its white sand beach and stunning views, is a good stopover.

Getting there: Fly to San Jose, Mindoro, and set up base at any resorts that offer diving in Apo Reef, such as the Apo Reef Club.

Apo Island, off Dumaguete

This is a successfully managed marine reserve that is the laboratory of nearby Silliman University, a center for marine biology education.

Apo Island (sometimes confused with the reef, which is between Mindoro and Palawan) boasts of speedy currents and dense fish life. There’s fun shallow diving, as well as trips into the depths in spots such as Mamsa Point Dauin and Coconut Point.

Downtime in the city is always something to look forward to.

Getting there: Fly to Dumaguete, stay in the city or book with any of the many experienced dive operators in the area.

Plus: One site where you don’t need scuba gear: Donsol, Sorsogon province, where you can swim with whale sharks in an environmentally sound, sustainable way (read: you don’t mess with nature by feeding the animals). Summer is the best time to encounter these gentle giants, but as always, be a responsible tourist and maintain a respectful distance from the animals.

Nido terminates sale of oil, gas contracts in Palawan

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Nido Petroleum Ltd. of Australia has terminated the sale of non-core assets in the Philippines to Colossal Petroleum Corp., after failing to secure the approval of government regulators.

Nido said in a disclosure to the Australian Securities Exchange the sale was supposed to include the company’s participating interests in Service Contract No. 54A and Block A, Block B, Block B Retention and Block D Retention of Service Contract 14.

It said the sale was “terminated due to the failure of the parties to secure relevant joint venture and government approvals.”

“Nido will therefore retain its interests in these service contracts and will provide further updates to the market if there are any material developments,” the company said.

Nido earlier said Miro Advisors assisted the company with the sale process.

The company was supposed to receive Au$3 million for the divestment of the assets, and Colossal Petroleum will assume Nido’s share of oil producing wells, infrastructure and oil field platforms as well as the liabilities in the relevant blocks within SC 14.

“This transaction is part of our stated strategy to divest and realize value for our non-core assets and the sale price reflects a fair market value for these assets. The successful conclusion of the sale will allow management to focus on the development of our key assets while the funds obtained will be applied towards Nido’s forward work program,” Nido managing director Phil Byrne said.

Byrne said the company was looking at drilling four wells this year—three in Indonesia and one in the Philippines, including service contract 63 in the northwest Palawan Basin.

“The focus of this year is four well drilling program which will form the cornerstone of our activities. We got three wells in Indonesia and one well in Philippines, SC 63,” he said.

Byrne said Nido, together with joint venture partners, expected to start exploratory drilling at SC 63 by end-May or early June.

SC 63 covers 10,560 square kilometers including the East Sabina block southwest off Palawan. The area extends to the south towards Brunei through Sabah, Malaysia.

SC 63 is estimated to contain 676 million to 977 million barrels of oil.

Nido earlier signed a farm-out agreement with Dragon Oil Plc, which is majority-owned by the government of Dubai for SC 63.

The farm-out will be completed as a two-stage process, with Dragon Oil initially acquiring a 40-percent participating interest in SC 63 from Nido’s current 50- percent participating interest in SC 63.

Planning workshop aims to increase level of people's awareness on importance of Tubbataha

By Celeste Anna R. Formoso [(PNA), FPV/CARF/JSD]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 28 (PNA) – Strengthening the people’s awareness on the sustainable protection, conservation and preservation of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) and World Heritage Site (WHS) off the island town of Cagayancillo in Palawan is “very important,” according to Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) head Angelique Songco.

This is the objective of the TMO conducting a planning workshop for the effective and efficient information, education and communications (IEC) campaign of the protected marine park which will be implemented for five years.

Attended by 23 participants from different local government agencies, Songco said the workshop, which started Wednesday, was facilitated by Analeh Patindol, special project coordinator, and Sheryll Tesch, both from the Coastal Conservation Education Foundation (CCEF) based in Cebu.

A German funding agency, she said, helped to make the IEC campaign workshop happen for the protected marine site.

Meanwhile, TMO information officer Glenda Simon shared with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the result of the planning workshop will be shared primarily to the sectors of legislator, donors, students, youth, fisherfolks, educators, dive operators, and tourists, who can bring the key message of the conservation awareness the extra mile to others.

Dive operators will also be included in the priority sectors, and most part of the IEC program in the past will be continued, especially in educating the marine park’s media partners.

She added that due also to lack of time and enough funds, only the impact of the previous IEC campaigns they conducted to students, the youth, and fishermen, are being evaluated and analyzed by the CCEF.

Although evaluation of the past IEC program is not yet concluded, Simon said it is not also a hindrance to the next they want to do for this year until 2019.

The new IEC campaign program will specially include the marine park’s media partners, expecting them to spread the goals for protection to the international community.

“The primary goal of the IEC program is to raise the level of awareness of different sectors on the importance of Tubbataha in the environment, in food security, in respecting the law that protects the marine park,” she said.

Puerto Princesa enjoying tourism boom, says mayor

(The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Tourism has boomed in Puerto Princesa City in just seven months under the leadership of Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

Bayron cited records of the city’s tourism office showing that a total of 367,001 foreign tourists visited Puerto Prin-cesa from July 2013 to January 2014, a difference of 11,196 to the 355,805 foreign tourists recorded from July 2012 to January 2013.

In a statement, Bayron said he suspects that politics was behind the negative reports on tourism and the alleged increase of criminality in the city following the recall petition filed against him.

But Bayron said the “demolition job” against him by his political rivals does not bother him at all, adding that he is confident that the residents have full confidence in his leadership.

Bayron assured city residents that security and peace and order would be intensified to attract more foreign tourists.

WESCOM ready vs leftist group retaliation in Palawan

(PNA)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Western Command (WESCOM) is prepared against any retaliation plan of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) following the arrest of husband and wife Benito and Wilma Tiamzon in Cebu City recently.

Speaking to the press in this city, Lt. Cherryl Tindog, spokesperson of the WESCOM, said the military in Palawan “has always been ready” even before the capture of the chairman and secretary general of the Central Committee of the CPP-NPA.

Tindog added the arrest of the Tiamzons “is proof that there is now strong cooperation among the people, the military, and the government to work together to end the armed struggle.”

“This event is something that means not only for the military, but for the people that there is a chance really, for peace,” she said.

She said the arrest of the rebel couple, however, does not mean everyone, particularly the military, should rest easy on their toes.

“History should tell us that they do resort to this (retaliation) tactic. Whenever their organization is hurt by events like this, they re-group, they re-plan and they do everything to retaliate, to discredit the government,” Tindog said.

She added “Palaweños have nothing to be alarmed because the AFP is doing its best to take care of the province against rebel attacks.”

But Tindog also called to the people to be attentive and watchful against people, who are planning to disturb the province’s peace and order situation.

“Instead of being alarmed, we should all be alert because honestly, the rebels are already feeling the effect of the stand of the government that we should all be together for peace. That peace is very important to the people,” she said.

Palawan provincial health office conducts training on HIV counseling

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

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 25 (PNA) -- Recognizing that the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a serious disease of the human immune system, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) of the Palawan government has started moving in the revival of the HIV/AIDS Core Team (HACT).

Eileen Grace Macabihag, manager of the PHO’s HIV/AIDS, Leprosy and Rabies Program, said Monday that they just recently concluded a training on Provider-Initiated HIV Counseling and Testing (PICT) that were attended by doctors, nurses, and medical technologists from the Adventist Medicare Center, MMG Cooperative Hospital, Ospital ng Palawan, Southern Provincial Hospital, Northern Provincial Hospital, Western Command Hospital and Puerto Galera Rural Health Center in Oriental Mindoro.

On March 19, Macabihag said they conducted the training for the second module of the HACT Orientation/Planning Workshop which was revived on January 29 this year.

She said the second module training was part of their request at the PHO to set up a treatment hub for HIV/AIDS in Palawan due to several cases in the country, and recorded cases in Puerto Princesa.

In the second module, the participants were trained on what they should know as counselors of HIV/AIDS, including tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted disease (STD); AIDS-Defining Illnesses and Opportunistic Infections, Risk Continuum, Sex, Gender and Equality, Key Elements of Counseling and Behavior Change Communication, Suicide Assessment and Counseling for Suicidal Clients, Pre-HIV Test Counseling and Group Information, Incorporating Voluntary Blood Donation Information, Post HIV Test Counseling, Post-Diagnosis Support Plan, and Grief, Loss and Bereavement.

Macabihag said that a role playing activity was also done during the training to give the participants a semblance of what their responsibilities will be. They acted in the role as client, counselor and observer.

The second module training for the HACT and the planned treatment hub for HIV/AIDS, she furthered, was made possible with the help of the Department of Health (DOH) Disease and Control Bureau, National HIV/AIDS STI Prevention and Control Program through the DOH Regional Office–MIMAROPA.

Forest heroine: Gerthie Mayo-Anda puts law to work in defense of Palawan

By MA. CRISTINA S. GUERRERO

In honor of women’s many contributions to forestry, Forests News (of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), has published stories from readers about their “forest heroines” — women who have devoted their lives into making a difference for the world’s forests and the people who live in them. GMA News Online is reposting the piece below with the permission of the author and CIFOR as part of a series for Women's Month.

After her father — a well-respected prosecutor — was shot on the steps of the justice hall in Puerto Princesa, the capital of the western Philippine province of Palawan, Grizelda “Gerthie” Mayo-Anda made it her business to extend justice to more people.

She earned a law degree, then turned her focus toward environmental and social justice in Palawan, a heavily forested archipelago designated a U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) biosphere reserve in 1990.

She worked to protect the rights of indigenous peoples, building her own environmental defense unit called the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), where she is now executive director.

Gerthie’s energetic spirit and commitment galvanized many communities to protect forests, both upland and coastal, through the creation of citizen watchdogs, forest guardians, and multisectoral advocacy networks.

They stopped mining in almost 200,000 hectares of forest in Palawan, secured the passage of village and municipal watershed ordinances, supported the establishment of mangrove sanctuaries, and pushed for the cessation of mining activities in forest areas.

When a coal power plant was proposed in a southern municipality, home to precious birds and local people, Gerthie and her colleagues worked to stop it. The project has been moved to another municipality, where advocacy efforts against it are ongoing.

The mayor of Puerto Princesa and international travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller honored her with environmental awards in 1998 and 2000, respectively. Soon after, “Bandillo ng Palawan,” Palawan’s environmental newspaper, honored her with the Palawena of the Year award for her efforts to protect Palawan’s natural resources.

There is probably not a single town in mainland Palawan that has not been touched by Gerthie’s hard work. She has displayed a great deal of courage and determination amid the pressures and difficulties of winning legal battles and advocating for the protection of the environment and communities.

As founder of ELAC, Gerthie is the personification of the organization’s motto: “helping communities defend the earth.” Her optimism is contagious, and her persuasive style in negotiating her position on any given topic is unmatched.

She has joined multi-stakeholder initiatives, boards, and contributed to radio programs in her aim to protect the last frontier of the Philippines from wanton destruction. In addition, Gerthie has also taken up the cause of women and gender issues.

Although large-scale natural resource extraction and agro-industrial development are changing the landscape of the province, the pace of change could have become stronger, faster and uglier without her.

As an environmental lawyer, Gerthie has been consistent in her advocacy and fearless in her quest to protect the environment and empower marginalized communities.

Palawan’s Paradise in the North

(Manila Bulletin)

There is more to Secret Paradise Resort in North Palawan than just its crystalline waters. Here are a few more things you can do when you’re in the mood to explore.

THE VIEWPOINT is a well-marked 20-minute hike that’s moderately steep but more than worth the effort. The highest point on the hills behind the bay was cleared to give you a spectacular view of Turtle Bay and its emerald waters. A basic wooden perch was constructed beside the telephone company’s repeater so this is a cool place to literally hang out, and perhaps call someone to share the moment with. Cost: Free

THE NATIVE SAUNA is a wooden shed that doesn’t look like much from the outside. Inside though, it’s every spa addict’s dream. Well-constructed wooden benches line the sides of this shed and the entrance is sealed with a clear plastic sheet, letting in sunshine while giving you a view of the beach. The room is fed by steam from wood-burning boiler that is filled with water and at least six kinds of herbal and fragrant leaves from the area.

That day, our mix of leaves was composed of lemongrass, mango, kalamansi, lagundi, sambong, and guava. Cost: P300 per person for a minimum of two for 30 minutes

WOODEN KAYAKS FOR TWO.The resort has four of these small boats for guests to use to paddle to further snorkeling areas or go to Hideaway Beach, a small cove nearby that was recently included in the marine reserve. Cost: Free

SNORKELING. There is a bonanza of marine life living in the shallow reefs around Turtle Bay. During just one swim, I saw a large turtle amongst the seaweed, a stingray, lionfish, puffer fish, sea snake, a school of jacks, swordfish, and beds of anemone. Cost: Free if you bring your own snorkeling gear. To rent, inquire at the restaurant bar

EATING. Yes, eating is necessary, but during our stay there, Chef Rommel elevated it to an activity. Given that SPR is remote and most ingredients are transported from Port Barton, I was impressed with the menu. It had a fairly extensive selection that was acceptable to guests from all around the world, but it’s the daily specials that had us interested. It was squid season while we were there so we had grilled stuffed squid and spicy squid sambas. One day when a 4++kg tanigue was brought in, we had kilawin for lunch and tanigue steaks for dinner. Whole steamed lapu-lapu, pork medallions, and pasyak (shellfish broth) were otherstandouts. Cost: Very reasonable

For more info, visit www.secretparadiseresort.com or like www.facebook.com/SecretParadiseResort Article from InFlight, April-May 2013 Issue

Filipino film on Palawan tribe inspires Lao cinema

By Lorie Ann Cascaro

VIENTIANE, Laos (MindaNews/21 March) — An independent film that depicts the indigenous tradition and beliefs of the Palawan tribe in the Philippines opened a curtain with new light in Lao cinema. Young Lao filmmakers and audience, including Filipinos and foreign expatriates saw last week the movie Busong, which means “fate” in Palawan dialect.

The director, award-winning Mr Auraeus Solito, a.k.a Kanakan Balintagos (which means Hunter of Truth), visited Laos and showed his film, which is first part of a trilogy based on Palawan province. It won the Grand Prize at the National Geographic All Roads Film Festival in the US and was selected for Director’s Fortnight in Cannes Film Festival. The second part was “Baybayin” or Philippine indigenous writing.

“The Lao filmmakers saw the possibilities of indigenous cinema,” Kanakan said, having attended the screening during the annual film fest Vientianale and by the Philippine Embassy here. He received compliments from the audience, especially from Lao filmmakers like Mr Lee Phongsavanh who won an award for his short film.

“Filmmakers are cinematic visual people who can see. Perhaps the feeling is similar when I saw Okinawan filmmaker Takamine Go’s film “Untamagiru” as a blooming filmmaker. His film opened my mind’s eye on the possibilities of a culturally strong indigenous cinema,” Kanakan said.

Exploring the four corners of Pha That Luang in Vientiane where he was enchanted by a solitary Ganesh ring that perfectly fits on his finger, Kanakan said he might be coming back to Laos for possible cooperation with Lao filmmakers. 21kanakanFilipino indie filmmaker Kanakan Balintagos strikes a yoga position in front of Pha That Luang in Vientiane, while a monk passes behind him. MindaNews photo by Lorie Ann Cascaro

“I would love to share what I know to this young breed. The Laos filmmakers should be inspired by the emerging new wave in neighboring countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. There has been a great indie film movement in South East Asia the recent years. I’d also love to have a Laos-Philippine co-production in the near future,” he noted.

During the Busong screening, Philippine Ambassador to Lao PDR, Ms Maria Lumen Isleta observed that young Lao filmmakers who were among the audience expressed hope that they could learn more from Kanakan. She added that others wished that workshops would be conducted so that they could learn more about many facts of filmmaking including screen writing.

“Others wondered how the director was able to film the butterfly scene which they found quite interesting but possibly difficult to execute,” the ambassador said. She was referring to a scene showing butterflies coming out of Punay’s (Alessandra de Rossi) wounds.

Ms Isleta cited that a foreign diplomat was very impressed by the film. “He fully understood why foreign directors had chosen it and made the grade for screening at the Cannes Film Festival,” she added.

Kanakan had met with Lao filmmakers in Vientiane and seen a “very inspired movement, especially that digital technology has revolutionized cinema and has leveled the playing field.”

Citing that Lao film industry is very young with one or two local feature length films a year, he said Lao cinema is in the “cusps of greatness” as the young filmmakers are talented and open to experiments. “It reminds me of our generation when digital technology began in 2004 and gave us true freedom in expressing ourselves, our stories, and our beliefs through cinema,” said the renowned director.

Kanakan said he loves all his works, composed of two short films in 16 mm, a music video, two documentaries and six feature fiction films. “But perhaps, Busong holds dear in my heart as it is based from my mother’s stories to put me to sleep,” he added.

“My indigenous relatives’ stories and my own personal story of rediscovery of my tribal roots were all interwoven into a form that is so different from western forms. I have told our story to how my tribe tells story and that is a story is born out of another story that is born out of another but in the end they all somehow interweave into one story!” he said.

Kanakan is working on the third part of his Palawan trilogy titled “Sumbang” (Deluge) which is about the time of the shaman-chieftains and how they lost their great magic. He explained that Palawan shamanism is about respecting the environment and fellow human beings. “When man is one with nature, magic happens. Magic is simply respect for nature. Nature follows man when man respects nature. When man and nature is one, anything is possible.”

As an experimental director and wanting to explore possibilities of cinema, Kanakan is inspired to go back to his documentary roots. He is doing a documentary film on Sugar Pie Desanto, a forgotten pioneer of Blues in the US who is half Filipino-half Afro-American. She rose from the ranks with Etta James, her best friend. She was named after “ampalaya”, a bitter vegetable that Filipinos love. “That is why the title of the documentary is “BitterSweet”, from ampalaya to Sugar Pie,” he said.

Asked to describe a good movie for him, he said, “A good movie not only makes you laugh or cry, but makes you think and rediscover your humanity.”

Although he is yet to see more of Lao culture and indigenous communities in his future visit, this artist noticed the similarities in texture of the clothing and fabric in Laos and the Philippines.

3,000 scholars in 2 Palawan universities to graduate this year

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

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 21 (PNA) -- Around 3,000 scholars of the provincial government’s educational grants program, Programang Pang-Edukasyon Para sa Palaweño (PPP), are expected to graduate this month and in April.

PPP program manager Orphy Ordinario said Friday that scholars from the last administration of former governor Abraham Kahlil Mitra, who are worrying that they will not be able to march due to unpaid tuition fees at Palawan State University (PSU) and the Western Philippines University (WPU) are included in the program.

He said the administrations of both universities and the provincial government have already sat down and reached an agreement that will allow Governor Jose Alvarez’ administration to settle the unpaid tuition fees on installment basis.

This include P11 million unpaid tuition fees at the PSU, and P4 million at the WPU, making the scholars anxious that they would not be included in the list of graduating students for the current school year.

“Based on orders by Governor Alvarez, and the agreement signed, the provincial government will pay the unsettled tuition fees in installment manner so, that the scholars of the past administration will graduate this March and April,” he said.

With the graduation of the said number of scholars out of 16,000 educational grant beneficiaries, they are again expecting to open up scholarship opportunities to the same number of graduates or more before the opening of classes in June.

“Since many will graduate this year, the PPP will accept again this year around 3,000-4,000 applicants for scholarship,” Ordinario said.

Ordinario said the provincial government does not expect so much in return, except that the scholars would do their best to study well and finish their courses to be able to carve bright futures for themselves.

“Study well, and do not waste the opportunity that they’re given; be truthful to their commitment to finish. Their help is needed by their families,” he said.

Palawan Rep. Hagedorn spearheads donation of 17,000 books, computers

(PNA), PDS/CARF/EBP

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Mar 20 (PNA) --Palawan Rep. Douglas Hagedorn (Third District) on Wednesday spearheaded donation of books and computers to better equip his constituency to take on challenges of the province’s growing economy, and the overall task of nation-building.

Partnering with Children International Philippines (CIP), a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to alleviating the burdens and effects of poverty on Filipino children, and the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), a non-profit organization engaged in social development projects in the country, Hagedorn led the donation of 17,000 books to 40 elementary schools in Puerto Princesa and the town of Aborlan under the third district.

The computer sets, on the other hand, were donated to the San Miguel Elementary School in this city, and another school in Aborlan.

“I have always subscribed to Jose Rizal’s principle that the youth is and has always been the hope of our nation. Thus, I have endeavored to look for ways to address the needs of Palawan’s school children, especially the underprivileged,” Hagedorn told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Through a joint venture with CIP and MBFI, the project, dubbed “Mulat na Kabataan, Pag-asa ng Palawan” hopes to encourage youth empowerment by raising their level of consciousness through donations of educational materials and equipment, which could uplift their quality of life, particularly in the middle of global competition.

CIP’s book donation of a 40-footer container full of brand new books and reference materials from publishers and donors in the United States was delivered to the Puerto Princesa Port on March 14.

Hagedorn said that to ensure that the new books will have decent storage in the schools where they will be donated, he also plans to have new shelves made before they are officially distributed.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Fuellos, CIP’s chief of programs, said the books will cover all grade levels in elementary since education in the Philippines is already K12.

“We started actually, in 2004, when DepEd saw what we’re donating – textbooks and library references – they liked what we are doing and donating,” she told the PNA.

Fuellos what the CIP hopes is that the schools would encourage their pupils to use the books.

”I hope that the books will not just be in the shelves, will not just be kept; they should not be afraid that the books would get destroyed eventually. It’s ok that the books become worn out as long as they’re being read,” she said.

For the teachers and principals, there are instructional materials and references that they can use in teaching the students. “We have in our donation materials that they can use,” Fuellos added.

Hagedorn expressed his gratitude to the generous donors, hopeful that the endeavor is just the beginning of a longer partnership with the humanitarian organizations and the people of Palawan.

”Palawan is also fast becoming a world-renowned eco-tourism destination. To ensure the sustainability of the growing tourism industry, I think we should back it up with a competent and well-informed citizenry,” Hagedorn added.

Palawan focuses on anti-trafficking, violence against women and children

(PNA), PDS/CARF/MEC

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Mar 19 (PNA)--Special focus is given by the Palawan government on the prevention of human trafficking and violence against women in children based on an executive order that Governor Jose Alvarez issued last November.

Provincial Information Officer Gil Acosta said Tuesday that currently, the provincial government is holding meetings and dialogues to expand the implementation of the executive order, and to increase the number of the members of the Provincial Committee that was organized to concentrate on the two problems.

On March 14, Acosta said that a meeting was conducted by the said committee with Vice Governor Dennis Socrates representing Alvarez. In this meeting, the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) presented the current situation of Palawan in terms of human trafficking and violence against women.

Milma Sangkula, senior administrative assistant IV of the PLO, presented that Palawan is now being considered as a “province” where human trafficking is happening because it is a popular tourist destination.

Based on a study conducted by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office (PPO), Sangkula presented reportedly that since 2009 until present, Palawan has already recorded 51 cases of human trafficking and illegal recruitment. Some of the victims are now under the custody of the PSWDO.

Out of the figure, eight cases of human trafficking in the province have been submitted for initial investigation while 11 similar cases are pending at the Palawan Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Puerto Princesa.

The municipalities where the cases happen are El Nido, Taytay, San Vicente, Roxas and Cuyo in the northern part of the province. In the south, they have been recorded to have occurred in Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza (barangays Buliluyan and Rio Tuba), and Balabac (barangays Mangsee, Bugsuk and Bangkalaan).

Cases have also been found in the island town of Coron in the Calamianes Group of Islands; and Puerto Princesa City, the center of commerce and trade in the province.

As part of the expansion and increasing the campaign against human trafficking, Acosta said an orientation on Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and Republic Act 10364, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking Act, a series of planning and orientations have been conducted by law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders since October last year.

Out of these, it has been gathered that the province and local government units (LGUs) need to focus together on resolving some constraints to effectively implement the anti-trafficking act.

These are lack of reliable communication facilities, limited funds, lack of strict security measures and conduct of inspection in piers and other entrance-exit points, and lack of an organized task force in the municipalities and barangays to mind the problem and to handle human trafficking cases.

Acosta said that to resolve these inadequacies, the Provincial Committee has created the Municipal Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (MIACAT) and Barangay Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (BIACAT).

The members of MIACAT and BIACAT are scheduled to undergo thorough training on what they have to do to be able to effectively handle human trafficking cases within their levels.

On advocacy, or drumbeating the campaign, he said that regular activities will now be held, such as a fun run in December 12.

10-foot saltwater crocodile rescued in Palawan

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

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 18 (PNA) -- A large saltwater crocodile that got caught in a fisherman’s net and could not swim back to safety in Quezon, Palawan was rescued over the weekend by a team of experts to keep it safe from the public and vice versa.

Salvador Guiron, spokesperson of the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC), said in an interview Monday that the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), measuring roughly 10 feet, got caught in a fish net on March 14 probably while hunting for food along a river in Barangay Isugod, Quezon town.

The crocodile was transported during the weekend to the PWRCC, where it is now undergoing stress intervention and medication for minor wounds, according to Guiron.

Crocodile sightings in Isugod, a small enclave in the historical town of Quezon in the southern part of the province, have been earlier reported to the PWRCC and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS).

In fact, Isugod residents have been reporting that the population seems to have grown over the years, and large ones have been preying on the residents’ domesticated animals.

“Residents have told us that there are many crocodiles in the river, and they’re requesting us to help manage and control them. They understand the importance of the wildlife, but their lives might also be at risk,” he said.

The saltwater crocodile, known too as "saltie" and estuarine crocodile, is said to be “the largest of all living reptiles, and the largest terrestrial and riparian predator in the world.”

The males of this species can reach sizes of up to 6.7 m (22 ft)[2] and weigh as much as 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). However, an adult male saltwater crocodile is generally between 4.3 and 5.2 m (14 and 17 ft) in length and weighs 400–1,000 kg (880–2,200 lbs), rarely growing larger.

Females are much smaller, and often do not surpass 3 meters (9.8 ft). As its name implies, this crocodile can live in salt water, but usually resides in mangrove swamps, estuaries, deltas, lagoons, and lower stretches of rivers.

WESCOM chief signs deal with PCSD for environmental protection

(PNA), LAP/CARF/CIC/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 17 (PNA) -– To fulfill its mandate in environmental protection in its area of responsibility, the Western Command (WESCOM) signed Monday a memorandum of agreement with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSC) for the purpose.

WESCOM chief Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, as committee chairman of the PCSD Committee on Security and Safety, signed the agreement with PCSD as a reorganization of the Environmental Enforcement Program (EEP) mandated to provide immediate action on reported illegal activities involving violations of environmental laws, rules and regulations and information dissemination.

The program is intended to address the rampant and continuous illegal activities and environmental violations in the province of Palawan, Deveraturda said.

The PCSD-CSS, he said, is specifically tasked to coordinate and implement enforcement and information education dissemination related activities.

Among the notable accomplishments of the PCSD-CSS, are the apprehension of 4,304.76 board feet of assorted lumber along the seashore of Sitio Sader, Barangay Bantulan, Taytay; the discovery of illegal shipment of illicitly caught fish aboard MV Asuncion offshore Sitio Talaanen and Sitio Timburan, Brgy. Pularequen, Taytay; massive mangrove debarking in Balabac; apprehension of 300 heads of hill mynah between the territorial waters of Coron and Busuanga; discovery of illegal trafficking of endangered sea turtles of different species, three live sharks and nine containers of formalin; and the seizure of more or less of 335 flitches of illegally gathered lumbers.

“The increasing awareness and vigilance of the community are a great help towards environmental protection,” Deveraturda said.

Preserving the gains

By Mary Ann LL. Reyes (HIDDEN AGENDA, The Philippine Star)

What’s happening with Puerto Princesa in Palawan?

Once full of promise. a model city, and a prime tourist destination especially with its close-to-zero crime rate, Puerto Princesa has become less fun.

There used to be around 26 daily commercial flights to Puerto Princesa, full of foreign and domestic tourists who would like to see the world’s longest underground river as well as the province’s pristine waters and unparalleled dive spots.

These days, however, only eight planes arrive daily though the number of flights was increased to 10 because of the coming summer months.

But with a non-existent manufacturing sector and an economy that is dependent on tourism, the future is bleak for Puerto Princesa, and the whole province as well.

According to Region IV tourism director Becky Labitinforms, tourism growth has dropped to five percent in 2013, from close to 30 percent in the previous year.

Less tourist inflow means less business for local hotels and restaurants, tour operators, local transportation, and the like. Newly built malls are wanting of locators while empty store spaces. The few in existence are either closing or planning to close shop.

Even big investors from Manila who have committed to invest in Puerto Princesa are shelving their plans until the city makes a recovery.

The resulting joblessness has resulted in unprecedented spikes in criminality. The MIMAROPA Police Regional Office revealed that from a monthly average of 36 reported crims in 2012, incidences of crime rose to 283 per month in 2013, an 800 percent increase.

Reportedly driving the sharp increase in crime rate are “non-indexed” crimes, which include drugs, vice, and violence against women and children. Crimes against persons and property have also gone up.

Sta. Monica barangay chairman Rene Godoy said that the drug problem has reached alarming proportions. Meanwhile, in the three-kilometer stretch of Sta. Monica’s busy Regino Avenue, garbage has not been collected for weeks and continues to pile up.

It seems that strict enforcement of the city’s anti-littering ordinances has been virtually abandoned.

The new city administration led by Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron has cancelled major international events such as beauty and sporting competitions as well as tree-planting and ecological fiestas that helped shape the tourism equity of the city.

Observers say that lack of local government programs to promote Puerto Princesa as a worthwhile destination is killing tourism in the city.

Palawenos can’t help but be saddened when they remember how the province and Puerto Princesa where when Edward Hagedorn, former city mayor, was still calling the shots.

Hagedorn was first elected mayor of Puerto Princesa City in 1992. At the time, the city was the rustic capital of the island province of Palawan. But soon after, Puerto Princesa outgrew the province and became independent in 2007 as a highly urbanized city.

By his own admission, Hagedorn was Palawan’s former gambling kingpin and an illegal logger. But he turned his back on a life of crime and vowed to rebuild the city’s ecology.

Hagedorn planted over two million trees and restored the city’s mountain cover. Today, Puerto Princesa’s forest cover stands at 70 percent.

Fr. Jose Villarin, Ateneo de Manila president and member of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has certified Puerto Princesa as the first carbon neutral city in the country and the whole of Southeast Asia.

Fr. Villarin’s study concluded that, because of its vast forests, Puerto Princesa is removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the city creates. 

But the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is probably Hagedorn’s biggest legacy. PPUR was first turned over to the city in 1992 by then Agriculture Secretary Angel Alcala. Its old name was St. Paul Subterranean River National Park. As early as 1999, PPUR has been inscribed as a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The inscription confirms the outstanding universal value of the park and its well integrated state of conservation.

Aside from its most famous tourist destintion, Puerto Princesa under Hagedorn had other things to be proud of.

From only three flights, this increased to 122 flights a week. In 1992, there were eight tourist accommodations in Puerto Princesa. This grew to 146 top quality hotels and inns. In 1994, there were only four travel and tours operators in the city. This has increased to 122. Tourist arrivals swelled from 14,249 in 1992 when Hagedorn took over to 515,148 , a staggering 3,515 percent jump. Capital investments have risen from P37 million in 1992 to P28 billion.

More than two decades ago, Puerto Princesa’s natural resources were in the brink of extinction. It took one man with unwavering drive for environmental protection to lead the way to regain its lost glory, and 20 years to rally the people of Puerto Princesa into actively participating and committing themselves to the noble cause of preserving, protecting and restoring what was left of the city’s natural resources.

It would be such a huge waste if these gains cannot be preserved.

For comments, email at philstarhiddenagenda@yahoo.com

Ipra’s power questioned in Coron

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

MANILA, Philippines—The Indigenous People’s Rights Act (Ipra) is being blamed by a local official in the island of Coron, Palawan, as being a tool for corruption by some officials of the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Coron Vice Mayor Jim Gerald Pe said in a recent interview the NCIP is conducting indiscriminate claims on islands in the Calamian areas that were known to have no basis on their assertion.

“Basta kung saan po nakita nila, kahit wala pong batayan na mayroon talagang claim ang isang grupo ng tribo dyan ay parati pong kukunin yan (Anywhere they find one even if there’s no basis that a tribe has the right to claim, they will acquire),” said Pe.

The second highest official in the municipality also said the map on the ancestral domain as basis of the NCIP’s claim has not been shown to them.

“Sana po ay mabigyan kami ng mapa na ‘yon, kung hanggang saan yung claim nila. Hindi yung taon-taon, buwan-buwan, nadadagdagan po yung claim. Hindi po yung everyday, every month, every year, tuwing magbabalik sila dito, padagdag nang padagdag. Baka po isang araw pati yung lupa na kinatitirikan ng bahay ko, baka lupaing ninuno na rin (We’re hoping they could show us the map so we’ll know up to what point their claims are, so that it’s not every year, every month, their claim adds up. Everytime they come back here, their claims keep on increasing. We’re afraid the day will come the lot where our houses are built turned out to be under ancestral domain),” said Pe.

He added the more detrimental effects by NCIP’s indiscriminate claims in the area are the halted billions of pesos of potential investments in Coron alone. Incoming and established business entities are both being festered by extortion incidents.

“…Aantayin po nila ang investor na magtayo ng apat na poste bago sila mag-claim para makakuha sila ng pera. Ito po ay nagiging grounds for extortion na sana ay hindi po natin payagan (They will wait for investors to erect their business establishments and impose their claims in order to get money. This [practice] has become grounds for extortion which we shouldn’t allow).”

Within this month, Vice Mayor Pe will be calling for a consensus to be made among the members of the Vice Mayor League in the whole province of Palawan to condemn NCIP’s moves.

He is also calling the attention of the legislative department to immediately look into possibly repealing or amending the Ipra law, which he says is too powerful, yet, too unclear as to its interpretation and implementation.

Divisiveness and hunger among IPs

Due to a claim by a minority of the tribe on Barangay Bulalacao, in the municipality of Coron, a Temporary Testraining Order on the pearl farm operated by Hikari SSP, Inc. was handed down abruptly causing a stop in its operations, affecting the employment of several hundreds of Tagbanua Tribe members.

Affected members of the tribe are now asking for financial and relief assistance caused by the closure of the pearl farm.

Rodolfo Garcia, the Tagbanua tribe spokesperson said that their members are now in the recourse of eating “kurot,” a poisonous root crop just to fill their empty stomachs.

Bulalacao Barangay Chairman Ben Flores supported this claim with teary eyes, adding that his constituents’ late night knocks on his doors are now getting much often, asking for food and concrete actions to prompt the higher officials of the municipality and even of President Benigno Aquino III, to dip their hands to permanently solve this dilemma as this situation is getting more and more of his constituents uneasy that the fear of in-fighting incidents within the tribe is much more possible, causing divisiveness in this once peaceful paradise island.

Rural-based organization forum held in Palawan

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

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 14 (PNA) -- The provincial government of Palawan held Thursday the “Rural-Based Organization Forum” with a theme “Matatag na Samahan Pang-Agrikultura, Kaagapay sa Pag-Unlad ng Ekonomiya” attended by various groups of fishermen, farmers and women groups from different municipalities.

The forum held at the VJR Hall, Provincial Capitol Complex was aimed at letting them know about the programs that the provincial government is implementing through the Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAO) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) that can help them and their sectors.

It also gave them the opportunity to ask authorities that questions they have been longing to ask so that resolutions to their problems can be given.

In his message, Narciso Nery, the provincial coordinator of the HUCDP, said the holding of the forum is very important as it will give them the leverage to know what the farmers, fishermen and the women’s groups needs in planning for programs and projects with them.

Nery told the sectors that they can depend on the provincial government for the support they need in their livelihood.

He added that through the Infrastructure, Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of the Environment (IHELP), the provincial government is going to be an effective partner in agriculture because it is serious in considering the development of their lives.

Under IHELP, their sectors will get help through the implementation of infrastructure projects, such as farm-to-market roads that they need for their products.

For their children, Nery told them that the educational support the provincial government provides under IHELP can assist, particularly those who lack the means to send them to school.

“In livelihood, we are focused on providing technical support to the farmers and fishermen. For example, training and loans without interest that can help,” he said.

He also stressed to the participants that it is important for them to help in the protection of the environment in Palawan as it is where their livelihood mostly depend.

“The protection of the environment is of course, very important. Much of your livelihood is dependent on them and protecting them is a must for sustainable development in your sectors,” he informed.

Goodyear Philippines to open 10th autocare services shop in Puerto Princesa City

(PNA), PDS/CARF/EBP

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Mar 13 (PNA) --Significant development in this city and the province of Palawan has emboldened Goodyear Philippines, Inc. (GPI), the Philippines’ leading warehouse facility for tires and other products, to put a stake on a new autocare shop investment to serve the Palaweño motorists.

Samantha Dominguez, marketing communications manager of GPI, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Wednesday that the autocare shop they are set to open on March 21 hopes to provide quality auto maintenance services to the Palaweños in Puerto Princesa and municipalities in the province.

Their 108th store in the country, Dominguez said the autocare shop will be opened with Iloilo- and Bacolod-based partner F&E Enterprises, Inc. (FEEI).

“Among the auto care services it will provide are tire replacement, wheel alignment, wheel balancing, and anything related to car maintenance because we know that like other car owners in the country, people here value their cars as one of their biggest personal investments,” she said.

The marketing communications manager said Puerto Princesa was chosen as the next site of their autocare services shop because of the strong development potentials it has, and that the investment would mean for GPI a success in being able to serve nationwide.”

“With Goodyear, we saw that car use here in Puerto Princesa and Palawan have become modern, and that has needs that we want to help serve,” she said.

Construction of additional classrooms begins in Palawan

(PNA), PDS/CARF/JSD

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Mar 12 (PNA) --The provincial government of Palawan has started the construction of additional classrooms in a bid to fulfill its commitment of upgrading the standard of education under Governor Jose Alvarez’ IHELP agenda.

Engineer Saylito Purisima said a total of 101 new classrooms will be initially constructed by the provincial government under the Infrastructure, Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of the Environment (IHELP).

Many of them, he said, were constructed in late 2013 base on the plan of Alvarez to add 900 more classrooms in three years.

The funds for the construction of more classrooms depend on the availability of funds of the provincial government for IHELP, and the number is based on the needs of the municipalities.

According to the program of the Infrastructure Division of IHELP, new classrooms have started constructions in the towns of San Vicente with a fund of P 3 million; Dumaran with a fund P4 million; Narra with P 3.5 million; P 1M for Araceli; P 1.5M for Agutaya; P4M for Roxas; P 2.5M for Sofronio Española; P 3M for Brooke’s Point; P 2M for Aborlan and P 3M for Quezon.

Meanwhile, he clarified that each municipality has counterpart in the completion of the additional classrooms project, which is half of the budget required.

“The municipalities will have to share what is half of the fund provided. If the government has P 3.5 million, the municipal governments will have to add half of that to increase the fund,” he said.

Purisima said Alvarez expects that with this, more students in distant areas can now be given the opportunity to study, and have bright futures.

Palawan governor, mayors ink agreement on new residential free patent act implementation

(PNA), LAM/CARF/UTB

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 11 (PNA) -– Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez and mayors of different municipalities in the province have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of the new Residential Free Patent Act (RFPA) or Republic Act 10023.

The MOA aims to speed up the implementation of the said Act through the effective partnership of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the provincial government of Palawan, and the municipal mayors.

It also aims to put into order the titling of small lots in the province. The MOA was signed during the Land Management Summit on Monday.

In his message during the opening of the event, Alvarez said the new Act can greatly help in the development of the livelihood of the Palaweños, and is a better way of providing security to residents, who occupy lands for the longest time and yet have not worked to have them titled.

The governor also supplicated local government units in Palawan to do their best to transfer residents living near coastal areas to safer grounds or communities that have been declared as residential areas.

He reminded municipal assessors and barangay chairmen not to issue tax declaration to land classified as timberland or forest.

“Timberlands are owned by the government and these can’t be sold by the people who reside in them based on the tax declarations they hold, if they are holding them. They can plant crops in timberlands, but these should only be for the consumption of their families, not to become their businesses or sources of income,” the governor warned.

For his part, DENR Regional Director Oscar Dominguez, thanked Alvarez for the help he has committed to the implementation of the new Act.

Dominguez said that with the partnership with the provincial government and the local government units, as well as other stakeholders, land titling in Palawan can be smoothly facilitated.

He announced that the DENR will be assigning deputized public land investigators to help the provincial government in the implementation of the New Residential Free Patent Act.

The deputized investigators, he explained, will come from employees of the municipal governments, such as the municipal assessors. They are expected to help speed up land titling processes in their respective towns.

Dominguez encouraged residents who will receive free patents to make them as productive as possible. “Make your lands productive; I encourage you to join the administration of Governor Alvarez to help in the progress and development of Palawan,” he said.

Under the new Act, “any Filipino citizen who is an actual occupant of a residential land may apply for a Free Patent Title. That in highly urbanized cities, the land should not exceed two hundred (200) square meters; in other cities, it should not exceed five hundred (500) square meters; in first class and second class municipalities, it should not exceed seven hundred fifty (750) square meters; and in all other municipalities, it should not exceed one thousand (1,000) square meters; provided that the land applied for is not needed for public service and/or public use.”

DENR steps up cadastral survey in Palawan

By Victoria S. Mendoza (LBR/VSM/PIA4B/Palawan)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan, March 10 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 4B or MIMAROPA region is stepping up its 10 cadastral survey projects in the province with the promise to complete the process within 2015.

This was revealed today by its Regional Executive Director Oscar C. Dominguez in his message at the opening of the Land Management Summit in this city.

“The cadastral survey of the province of Palawan will be finished by 2015 in support to the commitment of President Aquino to complete the cadastral of the entire country and his campaign for inclusive growth,” Dominguez said.

Cadastral survey refers to the survey of a municipality, city or province to determine its metes and bounds or political boundaries. It also covers the identification and delineation of individual lots of all landowners and claimants and the establishment of survey control points, popularly known as “mohon”.

“This is a very important activity because from this the government can determine land titling, taxation, land use planning, and internal revenue allotment (IRA) which benefits the local government units and its constituents,” added Dominguez.

There are presently 10 cadastral survey projects in Palawan which began in the second half of last year, that includes survey to establish project control points, political boundaries and lot ownerships. These are in Culion, Coron, Linapacan, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Dumaran, Sofronio Española, Balabac, and Kalayaan. Barangay Cabayugan in Puerto Princesa City is also being surveyed to determine purely lot-ownerships in preparation for land titling.

During the summit, Memorandum of Partnership Agreement (MOPA) was signed by each Municipal Mayor present with the DENR in support of the land survey and titling activities and providing administrative, technical and logistical support to implementers.

Municipal Mayors from Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Brooke’s Point, Roxas, Taytay and Cagayancillo signed the MOPA, witnessed by the Vice Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates and Palawan Governor Jose Chaves Alvarez.

“The collaborative approach through this MOPA will upgrade land administration and management as well as facilitate land survey and titling activities in an effort to also accelerate countryside development,” Dominguez said.

Citystate Bank adds three new branches in 2014

By Genivi Factao

Citystate Savings Bank Inc. (CSB) said it is opening three branches this year to support its growing consumer loans business.

CSB President Rey Delfin said three more branches will be opened this year, bringing to 30 the number of its branches from the current 27.

He said the branches that will open pertain to Urdaneta in Pangasinan, Puerto Princesa in Palawan and Santa Rosa, Laguna.

“There are potentials for growth, as shown by the investments happening, while small and medium enterprises [SMEs] are being put up in those areas,” he said. “CSB’s new branches will offer products such as jewelry loans, auto, housing, seafarers, pensioners as well as business loans,” he added.

CSB is focusing on consumer lending and the SME market.

“About 60 percent of our revenues are derived from consumer and business loans, while the rest or 40 percent come from investment, government securities and fee-based income,” he said.

“Actually, we have a specialized jewelry lending. The jewelry contributed 30 percent of total loans,” he added.

“We’re helping small businessmen for their jewelry capital needs. The bulk is gold because it’s stable but there are also diamonds,” he said.

He said pawnshops typically charge interest rates of 3 percent to 5 percent, unlike the banks that charge only 1 percent.

CSB’s loan portfolio has grown to P1.877 billion.

“We saw a tremendous growth in resources,” he added.

Total resources rose to P3.6 billion as of end-December 2013.

As the country gears toward the envisioned regional integration by 2015, the bank will focus on its niche SME market and would endeavor to add value to existing and new products like its popular seafarer's loan.

The bank also caters to the needs of corporate, mid-market and retail clients. The bank operates a total of 35 automated teller machines installed on- and off-site.

Among CSB’s affiliates and sister-companies are AAA Southeast Equities Inc., ALC Realty Development Corp., ALC Industrial and Commercial Development Corp., ALC Fortune Corp., Citystate Tower Hotel Inc., Aliw Broadcasting Corp., Aliw Publishing House Inc., Brown Madonna Publishing Inc., Eternal Group of Companies, Filipinas Pawnshop Inc., Fortune Insurance Group of Companies, Gencars Inc. and Fortune Medicare Inc.

It reported total capital adequacy ratio of 31.61 percent, while tier-1 CAR averaged 31.1 percent.

Palawan gov't marks International Women’s Month with cow-girl inspired parade

By Celeste Anna R. Formos [(PNA), CTB/CARF/PJN]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 8 (PNA) -- Officials and personnel of Palawan's local government marked the celebration of International Women’s Month on Saturday, attired with multicolored cow-girl inspired outfits for the parade, signifying they can ride through any challenges before them as employees serving the public for the province’s development and progress.

Provincial Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point Norma Arrieta, also the officer-in-charge of the Provincial Budget Office (PBO), said they picked the theme as hats and cowboy boots are iconic of strength and vigor, and never go out of style in fashion.

The occasion themed, “Juana, ang tatag mo ay tatag natin sa pagbangon at pagsulong,” which literally mean in Filipino, “Juana, your strength is our strength and progress and development,” said the women employees of the provincial capitol that started the celebration by attending a concelebrated Holy Mass officiated by three prelates.

The parade immediately followed, taking the women employees in their cow-girl attires outside the Capitol Compound towards Fernandez Street, Rizal Avenue and back to the Capitol Complex, ending at the Telesforo Paredes Pavilion for the program.

At the pavilion, Vice Governor Dennis Socrates, who represented Governor Jose Alvarez, was joined in by board members Sharon Abiog-Onda, chairperson of the Committee on Women, and Cherry Pie Acosta, to formally begin the month-long celebration.

In a message by Governor Alvarez relayed through Vice Gov. Socrates, he inspired the women employees by citing historical female leaders, who shined in historical times for the strength and confidence they showed to fight for the Filipino people, and for which they should be emulated.

These are Teodoro Alonzo, the mother of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who was known to be a disciplinarian, a dedicated, courteous, and hardworking mother; Melchora Aquino, the Filipina revolutionary leader, who was called “Tandang Sora” and the “Grand Woman of the Revolution,” as well as the “Mother of Balintawak,” and Gregoria de Jesus, also known as “Aling Orang” and wife of Andres Bonifacio, the founder and one of the leaders of the Katipunan of the Philippines women’s chapter.

The three and other women in history played important roles that show women in the Philippines and anywhere else in the world that cannot be underestimated for the physical power and the emotional toughness they had, which in one way, or another, supported the nation.

“We believe that Palawan will develop more because it has the Palaweña woman, whose vitality and intensity is very important,” he said.

Civil Service Commission (CSC) Dangal ng Bayan and ABS-CBN Bayaning Filipino Awardee Dr. Welthy Villanueva, who too, is a medical specialist of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), was the guest of honor invited to grace the opening of the celebration.

In her speech, Villanueva narrated the hardships she had to go through to succeed in life, and how she had to leave a promising high-income earning career to become a missionary doctor for the indigents of Palawan.

In all the sorrows she had and has to go through every day considering she has cancer, she said God is continuously giving her strength to go on and push forward so she may be able to serve indigenous residents of the province in the high mountainous hills of Brooke’s Point and Roxas towns to open a school.

“I am a living example of a woman who should never lose hope amidst the trials. Women today should not be afraid to be of courage, to face any challenge because at the end of the day, there are always blessings that await you. Be an inspiration to other women too, so, together, we can make a developed and progressive Palawan, where women not only thrive as homemakers but as leaders,” she stressed.

Kiteboarding finals today in Palawan

(Manila Bulletin)

Newly-crowned Asian freestyle champion Dylan Van der Meij headlines the elite field vying for top honors in various divisions in the first ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour final leg today at the Emerald Playa beach in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

The 19-year-old Van der Meij is expected to use his vast repertoire of stomped tricks he showed in ruling the Kiteboard Tour Asia freestyle event in Boracay recently in the three-day event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

The event, capping the inaugural four-leg circuit that drew some of the top kiteboarders here and abroad, will also feature Asian freestyle men and women champions Reynard Gajisan and Paula Rosales.

Ukrainian champion Andrey Salnik, who topped the tour’s kickoff leg in Boracay last January, has also confirmed participation, looking to crowd Van der Meij and Gajisan in the centerpiece men’s Freestyle.

PKA president Jay Ortiz said other tour campaigners from Manila, Puerto Galera, Caliraya, Boracay and Davao will also be competing in the event backed by Boracay Greenyard, the official distributor of Cabrinha equipment, Stoked, Dakine, Aloha Boardsports, and supported by Tanduay Ice, Colt 45 and Summit Water.

Others seeing action in the event, supported by local sponsors Printhub, Kuyba Almoneca, Hotel Centro, Blue Palawan, Inc., Fluidsurf and Puerto Princesa City Government, are the leading and upcoming kiteboarders from Australia, Switzerland, Estonia, Sweden, Russia, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Germany and Norway.

Ortiz is also expected to seek for a third straight victory in the Twin Tip Race Masters Category, which he ruled in the Ilocus Sur and Laguna legs of the tour.

Palawan & Labuan, Malaysia forge stronger ties

By Celeste Anna R. Formoso [(PNA), FPV/CARF/JSD]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 6 (PNA)-- Business prospects and initiatives between Palawan and Labuan, Malaysia reached another step closer to achieving the vision of the BIMP EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East Asian Growth Area) after 49 officials and businessmen successfully ended their Labuan Trade Mission in Palawan recently.

Provincial Information Officer Gil Acosta told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Wednesday that Datuk Rozman Isli, member of the Labuan Parliament, led the Labuan Trade Mission in the province on February 25 to the first week of March.

He said Isli and the rest in the trade mission group expressed that “a good path was provided in forging a stronger friendship between Labuan and Palawan, which could benefit both sides towards economic growth and an even bigger achievement for Malaysia and the Philippines.”

Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez feted the delegation with a warm reception and a colorful cultural presentation where the Labuan traders learned more about the people, culture and history of the province that are believed to be connected to the neighboring Asian countries through land bridges.

“Governor Alvarez, who is known to be a man of few words, did not deliver a long-winding welcome message but stressed that a warm and sincere handshake is more meaningful than so many words,” Acosta said.

Isli reportedly commended the governor and the province for the first class treatment it accorded the delegation.

“He remarked that he is a lucky person to have a brother in Palawan, Governor Alvarez, who has visited Labuan twice and is seriously working out the cultural and trade linkages between Labuan and Palawan,” he stated.

Isli was quoted in saying that “the earnest desire of the Palawan governor in attaining the business linkages with Labuan can be measured in the serious way he is taking care of us while in Palawan.”

In line with this trade mission, the Palawan BIMP-EAGA Business Council headed by Commodore Nick M. Hernandez, coordinated the business matching activity. The visitors and their business counterparts in Palawan were grouped into five clusters namely governance, trade and investment, logistics and stevedoring, construction and development and port management.

The participants had an informative discussion and free exchange of facts and figures with their business counterparts in Palawan who presented their products, business profile and contact information.

Lawyer Joselito Alisuag, head of the Palawan State University BIMP-EAGA Unit facilitated the business matching activity. Brooke’s Point Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano hosted the dinner for the Labuan trade mission after the business matching activity.

On the third day of their visit, the Labuan trade delegation had a tour of the pride of Puerto Princesa City, the Underground River with no less than City Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron accompanying the group to one of the world’s wonder of nature.

The Labuan trade delegation flew back to Malaysia via MASWings with the assurance that business deals between the administrative region of Labuan and Palawan will be concretized as soon as all trade requirements for the smooth flow of goods and services are in place.

Since November last year, MASWings of Malaysia has been flying thrice a week between Kota Kinabalu and Puerto Princesa City, a positive indication of the partnership between Malaysia and Palawan to finally attain the vision and mission of BIMP-EAGA.

PNOC-EC allots P7.187 billion for 2014 oil, gas projects

By Lenie Lectura

PNOC Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) has set aside a working budget of P7.187 billion this year to finance various oil and gas exploration activities.

Bulk of the budget allocation will be used for investments in petroleum exploration and development amounting to P3.23 billion.

PNOC-EC President Pedro Aquino said earlier that drilling for Service Contract (SC) 37 in Cagayan and SC 63 in southwest Palawan will commence this year.

“We’re starting [SC 37]. For SC 63, [we will begin] may be toward the third quarter,” Aquino said.

PNOC-EC’s budget will also allocate P2.291 billion to continuously fund its 10-percent stake in the Malampaya gas-to-power project in northwest Palawan.

Investments in coal project will amount to P591.77 million. The company is pursuing the development of two mine-mouth coal plants in Isabela and Zamboanga Sibugay with a combined capacity of 200 megawatts.

PNOC-EC said it will also allocate P347.11 million for its other projects and P722.23 million for operating expenses.

The total budgetary allocation is slightly higher than the P7.043 billion allotted in 2013.

PNOC-EC is the upstream oil, gas and coal subsidiary of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. A government-owned and -controlled corporation, it was incorporated in April 1976 and is mandated by the government through the Department of Energy to take the lead in exploration, development and production of the country’s oil, gas and coal resources.

At present, PNOC-EC has seven petroleum service contracts and seven coal operating contracts. It also owns and operates a private commercial port, the Energy Supply Base, in Mabini, Batangas which provides berthing, cargo handling, storage and warehousing facilities to clients.

Trans-Asia wants contract extension for northwest Palawan oil prospect

By Lenie Lectura

TRANS-ASIA Oil and Energy Development Corp., a unit of the Phinma Group, is seeking an extension of its service contract from the Department of Energy (DOE) for five more years for its prospect in Palawan.

“The SC 6 Block B consortium elected to enter into the second five-year extension period of subject service contract which starts on March 1,” the listed firm said. A work program and budget for the extension period will be submitted to the DOE by March 31.

SC 6 Block B is situated in offshore northwest Palawan. The consortium recently completed geological and geophysical studies under the first five-year extension period.

Trans-Asia Petroleum, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans-Asia, has 14.063-percent participating interest in SC 6 Block B. It earlier took control of its parent firm’s 2.334-percent stake in SC 6 Block A, 4.2189 percent in SC 6 Block B in offshore northwest Palawan, 6.67 percent in SC 51 in northwest Leyte and 6 percent in SC 69 in the Camotes Sea.

Trans-Asia Petroleum earlier changed its primary purpose from power generation to oil and gas exploration and development.

Trans-Asia is developing a 54-megawatt wind power project in Guimaras and a 135-MW coal project with the Ayala Group. Last month it reported a net income of P572 million for end-2013, up from P471 million a year ago.

The company also reported earlier that it has allocated P165,605,000 from proceeds of its stock rights offering (SRO) in 2012 to finance the construction of a wind farm project.

The wind energy project is currently under construction in San Lorenzo, Guimaras, by its subsidiary Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corp.

The DOE earlier confirmed the declaration of commerciality of Trans-Asia’s wind project under Wind Energy Service Contract (WESC) 2009-10-009.

“The DOE confirmation affirmed the conversion of said WESC from predevelopment to development/commercial stage and a full term of 25 years or until October 22, 2034,” said Trans-Asia Senior Vice President Raymundo A. Reyes Jr.

Palawan G12 Churches Hold First Mentoring of the Year

(mikem, Diary Sheets)

The network of G12 churches all over Palawan under Ptr. Carlo Panlilio, held the first G12 mentoring of the year 2014 at Puerto Princesa. It was attended by several churches from the north of Palawan to the south as far as Rio Tuba.

The first part of the Mentoring was held at CAP building, San Miguel Puerto Princesa City on February 8 at about 6PM to 10Pm. Cornerstone Community Church hosted the first session which was announced beforehand to be exclusively for the primaries with an estimated number of 120 persons. It was however attended also by other non-primaries. The estimated attendance has increased to more than 50%, overwhelming for awhile the workers of the host church, who with haste made a way to add chairs, arrange the venue and double the amount of food that was prepared.

The program started on time. Ptr. Jun of Cornerstone Community led the opening prayer which was followed by a worship intro video then the Praise and Worship led by the Cornerstone Community Music team. The giving of offering followed after which was led by Ptr. John of Jesus Touch. Ptr. Zhaleen leading the congregation in Prayer during the G12 Mentoring @ CAP bldg., Puerto Princesa on February 8, 2014.

Ptr. Zhaleen leading the congregation in Prayer during the G12 Mentoring @ CAP bldg., Puerto Princesa on February 8, 2014.

The first session which was for the Primaries of the G12 churches was started and introduced by Ptr. Carlo. He mentioned that he and his wife came up with this program to equip and empower the primary 12 of the Pastors under their network. In the Bible, Jesus had spent time with the disciples, training, teaching and modelling to them how discipleship is, in the last three years of His stay on earth. In the same way, the primary 12 must be fully equipped to lead the cell groups and the multitudes that is about to come. Ptr. Carlo quoted in the book of John 17 about Jesus mentioning that His time had now come. This chapter according to him revealed the reason why Jesus was ready to be crucified – It was because He knew that the primary disciples were formed, and that they are ready to continue what Christ has started. Jesus ultimate task was not the crucifixion itself but includes the forming of the 12 who will lead the movement that followed. Pastor Carlo encouraged the primaries to value the privilege of being chosen as one of the 12. When Jesus chose his 12, he knew their capability and though they were not highly regarded by the society, they were to become great men who will disciple many more, who will proclaim the gospel throughout the world, as long as they will obey and follow Jesus.

The next session was divided into two sub-sessions. Pastor Carlo and his wife shared the verse in Psalms 78:70-72 which was about two things that David had, and in the same way is what it takes to be a shepherd of God’s flock. The first thing, which was shared by Ptr. Zhaleen was the HEART of a shepherd. In Psalms 23 which was her main text, she shared about the characteristics of a sheep that each cell leader needs to know and understand, and the Heart of a shepherd that each cell leader must possess. The second thing was the SKILL, which was shared by Pastor Carlo again. He shared that besides having the right HEART of a shepherd, each one should also possess the necessary skills in order to win the hearts of the unbelievers. They both shared many practical applications and testimonies how they started with their cell groups and discipleship under the G12 vision. They shared their struggles as well as victories that they experienced in their journey. It was such a blessing to listen to their hearts as they pour it out in the crowd who were from the beginning were excited and hungry for the Word of God. The topic they shared was also shared by Ptr. Carlo in one of the G12 gatherings in 2012.

The Primary’s mentoring ended with an altar call of commitment.

The second day was an open-for-all mentoring. The venue was at the Skylight convention hall and started at about 8am.

The first hour was intended for the Primaries again. Elvie, one of the primaries of Pastor Zhaleen shared in the first session. She talked about how it is to be a primary. She shared how Pastor Zhaleen has discipled her. She had some ups and downs in her relationship with God, and as becoming a cell leader of many. She shared her struggles and how she overcame those through the mentoring of her leaders. G12 Mentoring at CAP bldg., Puerto Princesa City on February 8, 2014. Deo Tambong on keyboards.

G12 Mentoring at CAP bldg., Puerto Princesa City on February 8, 2014. Deo Tambong on keyboards.

The main session was started by Pastor Carlo. The theme for the entire day was Awakening. It was an awakening from deep slumber. He mentioned three things that each believer must be awakened from in order to fulfill God’s purpose with an unfading strength and power. These were: (1.) Awakening of origins – we need to be awakened from the truth that we are God’s creation and are created in His image. (2) Awakening of identity – we need to know who we truly are in Christ because this leads to – (3)Awakening of our purpose.

Ptr. Carlo shared the first point about awakening of Origins. He mentioned about the different concepts of the world regarding the beginning of the universe and humans. He iterated that we did not evolve from monkeys and that we need to hold on to the truth that the universe is created by God. Believing the wrong concept (that we evolved from an animal) leads to inhumane behavior and acts.

The second point – Awakening of Identity, was again shared by Ptr. Zhaleen. She mentioned that we are God’s own special treasure and with that identity, we must get rid of all evil actions, walk in obedience to God and not associate with worldly affairs.The next session was again handled by Elvie and she talked about promotion. Her topic centered on the truth that every living being grows and that we need as disciples to also grow. She shared important points on the DNA for promotion.

Ptr. Zhaleen talked about the keys to promotion during the last session. She shared three points in the acronym PAA which stands for, Plan – Attitude and Action that each disciple must have and do in order to be promoted.

Ptr. Carlo ended the the mentoring with a challenge and a prayer. The mentoring session was dismissed at about 4:30 in the afternoon. About more than one thousand attended the first G12 mentoring.

Gov’t studying ways to ease burden of increased power rates

By Genalyn Kabiling

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Aquino administration is drawing up some schemes to ease the burden of power consumers in case power rates are increased.

“The DOE (Department of Energy) is talking, for instance, to Meralco (Manila Electric Co.) to reduce the increase, if ever they really must increase the rates,” President Benigno S. Aquino III said in Filipino in a media interview last Friday night here.

“Number two, we would seek to spread out the period of payment of consumers for a very long period,” he added.

“We are also considering, if we have the finances readily available, to take care of the interest charges of Meralco,” he said, for it to spread out the collection of the increase over a long period – not just for one or two months but perhaps for a year or two.

The Supreme Court recently extended its Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the increase of P4.15 per kilowatt hour in electricity charges of Meralco for 60 days. The TRO is in effect until April 22.

Pending the SC decision on the power rate issue, the President said the DOE has started an investigation into the alleged collusion among power generators that led to the sudden spike in Meralco’s power rate.

He said the power plants should have prepared for the regular maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas plant. Instead, these companies had to produce power at high costs, to the detriment of the consumers.

Mindanao Power Problem

Meanwhile, Luzon and Visayas can expect a stable power supply this summer but Mindanao may have to take a little sacrifice.

President Aquino said the government is taking steps to augment the power supply of Mindanao, including the construction of more power plants as well as tapping the Malampaya funds for energy development.

Aquino, however, said the additional power plants in Mindanao may only be completed only in 2015.

“In Luzon, Visayas, I don’t think there’s an issue (on power supply) but in Mindanao, there’s a prediction for instance that this is an El Niño year. El Niño has an impact on hydro and hydro is a very substantial portion of the power of Mindanao,” the President said in an interview Friday night.

Aquino issued the remarks after the recent power blackout in many parts of Mindanao.

“In effect, there’s a short circuit in the grid. Then all the power plants will go offline to protect themselves. Now, you will have to restart the power plants, reintroduce them to the grid one-by-one,” the President said.

Aquino expressed support for a bill filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that allows the use of Malampaya funds to repair energy infrastructure damaged by natural calamities.

He noted that a recent Supreme Court decision limited the government’s use of Malampaya funds for energy exploration. He said it was “unworkable” for the government to enter energy exploration but it is banned by an old presidential decree from going into power generation and distribution.

“That is why there is this law that will correct the presidential decree that governs how to utilize the Malampaya funds,” he said.

Largest PH solar power plant to rise in Palawan

By NORMAN SISON

PALAWAN will soon be home to the Philippines’ largest micro-grid solar power plant, generating 1.3 megawatts of clean renewable energy.

Costing P325 million, the plant will have 5,000 solar panels that will provide power to over 600 customers — homes, businesses and hotels — in Puerto Princesa City’s Sabang district. It will also have a battery pack, the largest in the ASEAN region, that will release stored energy during heavy cloud cover or bad weather.

To put that in perspective, a mobile phone battery has about 4.6 watthours, while the Sabang plant’s battery pack is 782,000 times bigger, packing 3,600,000Wh.

To provide nighttime power, the plant will also be equipped with diesel generators that can produce 1 MW of electricity. Atem Ramsundersingh, chief executive officer of Singapore-based WEnergy Global, said the generators will run on diesel fuel for the meantime. WEnergy has a 40-percent stake in the project.

“Hopefully these machines will run on biodiesel in the near future to get a full clean system. We cannot use biodiesel now as it is much more expensive than normal diesel,” said Ramsundersingh. “But the power plant is designed in such a way that we will use about 50 percent solar/battery and 50 percent diesel which brings our power plant close to carbon neutral: no pollution!”

The plant will be operated by Sabang Renewable Energy Corporation, a joint venture between local company Delta-P Inc., a company that runs diesel power plants in Palawan, and WEnergy, which provides the solar energy expertise.

Ramsundersingh said they are currently in the final stages of doing the necessary paperwork. The plant, which will provide power to Sabang via a 15-kilometer micro-grid, is expected to be completed by September. The grid will have “smart” meters and offer low and high tariffs to encourage users to use solar power more than diesel at night.

“This project came to us through our good relations with local and national leaders who are aware of global warming and want to keep the Philippines’ contribution to climate change relatively small,” said Ramsundersingh. “It is a lucky confluence of local green and clean awareness and national/international action-leadership against global warming that initiated this project.”

Home to pristine beaches, sea turtles and the world famous Puerto Princesa Underground River, about 50 kilometers north of the provincial capital, Palawan is often seen as the Philippines’ last eco-tourism frontier. It is also the jump-off point for scuba divers traveling to Tubbataha Reef, 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa.

However, despite being a top tourism destination, Palawan is beset with a power shortage, with daily outages that sometimes last up to 10 hours. The irony is that Palaweños pay double for electricity — P12 kwh compared to P6 kwh in Metro Manila. Because Palawan is not connected to the national grid, power is produced by diesel plants.

Despite the power shortage, local residents, aware that the province relies heavily on eco-tourism, have protested against a planned coal-fired plant by DMCI Power Corporation in Aborlan town.

With the island’s ecosystems and climate change in mind, Palawan’s provincial government is aiming to produce 100 percent of its energy needs from green renewable sources.

That can be done, said Ramsundersingh, citing Germany as one bright spot in the drive to use solar power. In 1998, only five percent of Germany’s energy needs came from clean renewable energy. In 2012, that has grown to 22 percent, with solar plants producing up to 45 gigawatts. Coal use went down from 22 percent to 19 percent.

“It truly requires clear decisions and leadership at all levels to make such shifts to remove political, economic and financial obstacles, and to put in place new rules and regulations that would create an enabling environment for renewable technologies to grow and to create thousands of new jobs. This has enabled Germany to enjoy on a bright sunny day the 45 percent of power in the grid to be solar power,” said Ramsundersingh.

Another factor that makes solar power plants attractive for Palawan is that they are faster to build. “For example, a 30-MW solar power plant can be built in less than six months, while its equivalent in hydro or geothermal power could require more than six years,” he said. “Its diesel or gas equivalent could be installed in a short period of time, while a coal-fired plant would require two to three years.”

WEnergy is currently looking into the feasibility of a 4MW solar power plant in Davao City, as well as other similar micro-grid projects in other areas of Palawan.

According to WEnergy, global investments in renewable energy increased 17 percent to a new record of $257 billion in 2011. Emerging economies made up 35% of this total investment, compared to 65% for developed economies. “So we are certainly seeing a green growth trajectory in the power sector, even if we have quite some way to go to achieve an energy mix that is truly sustainable,” Ramsundersingh said.

It takes political will and money to shift to solar power, but Ramsundersingh said their “biggest challenge is to shift the minds of government and corporate decision-makers and academia towards understanding that renewable energy can be done and must be done.”

Retrieved from "https://zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Palawan_News_March_2014&oldid=711270"