Palawan News May 2012

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 Province

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.
Nophoto.gif
Provincial Capitol Building 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 marks 110th founding anniversary

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- Palawan marks 110th founding anniversary of its civil government through a month-long festival dubbed “Baragatan” beginning June 1.

Baragatan is a Cuyuno word for convergence or the coming together of the locals from all walks of life from all over the province bringing their music, dances, and arts and crafts.

This year’s event promises to be as colorful and fun as the past years with cultural presentations, trade shows and exhibitions, garden show, talent shows, float parade, skills competition, and street dancing.

The soft opening tomorrow will begin with a Eucharistic mass in the afternoon at the Don Pedro Vicente Park to be followed by the blessing and opening of the trade fair booths, and “Caraenan sa Baragatan” food courtyard.

Tomorrow’s opening will also start the nightly entertainment shows and concerts at the park.

The grand opening of this year’s Masiglang Baragatan is scheduled on June 16 and will end on June 23.

In June 23, 1902, the Americans established the civil government of Paragua with Major John Brown as the appointed governor. In 1905 pursuant to Act No. 1363 of the Philippine Commission, the name Paragua was changed to Palawan and the capital was transferred from Cuyo to Puerto Princesa.

DAR-Palawan personnel asked to extend working hours to reach target

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Palawan have enjoined its personnel to extend and give their extra service beyond office hours and even on weekends, if necessary, to ensure that the their agency’s targets and commitment are met.

The directive was issued as a result of the recent three-day Claimfolder (CF) Review and Processing Workshop wherein numerous concerns surfaced needing timely attention and intervention to fast-track land acquisition and distribution (LAD).

Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Conrado Guevarra said that the workshop is part of fresh strategies implemented by the administration of DAR secretary Virgilio de los Reyes to introduce innovations aimed at accelerating the LAD component of the government agrarian reform program which is expected to be completed by 2014.

He pleaded for understanding, support and patience of the employees saying that the current workload of the agency require extra effort to move compensable lands, which entails careful handling as it has to undergo tedious and complex processes.

Claimfolder is a compilation of vital and critical documents concerning compensable lands and is a pre-requisite in the LAD and in the just compensation by Land Bank of the Philippines to land owners.

DAR-Palawan remains to be the top performer in the Mimaropa region in land acquisition and distribution and in the delivery of support services to about 29,500 CARP beneficiaries in 21 agrarian reform communities in Palawan.

ASEAN invites young artists in drawing contest

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) is inviting all young artists to participate in the 2012 ASEAN Drawing Contest in celebration of its 45th anniversary with the theme “ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny."

The contest aims to raise awareness about ASEAN among its youth and encourage their participation in the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN on August 8.

The ongoing contest is open to all young nationals in two age categories: (1) between 6 to 12 years old and, (2) between 13 to 18 years old.

Entry must be an authentic and original drawing of the participant. Each participant can only submit one entry.

The work should represent the values of unity and solidarity and the caption of which should not exceed two lines and written in the registration form.

The drawing should be on an A3 sized paper and should be one-sided in full color. Water colors, crayons, colored pencils, etc. may be used.

All submissions should be sent to the ASEAN National Secretariat through the Office of Assistant Secretary Teresita V. G. Barsana, Office of ASEAN Affairs, Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City.

Participants should attach the registration form to the drawing with complete details of the participant – all must be written in block letters.

Copies of the mechanics of the contest and the registration form have been distributed to various public and private elementary and secondary schools in the city in time for the opening of the classes next week. Other interested parties may get a copy of the mechanics and registration form at the Philippine Information Agency, PEO Compound, Bancao-Bancao in this city.

Study cites ways to boost PPUR tourism potentials

There’s still more room to enhance the potentials of the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) as a tourist destination, according to government study.

For one, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, whose main attraction is the 8.4-kilometer PPUR that flows directly into the sea, can hold about 1,400 tourists a day if it is managed properly.

The park, considered one of the country’s important protected areas situated 76 kilometers northeast of Puerto Princesa City, used to be visited by only about 145 people a day.

Following the PPUR’s proclamation as one of the world’s New Seven Wonders of Nature, the number of local and foreign visitors has considerably increased to about 900 per day.

By 2020, it is expected to have more than 2,100 visitors a day, as projected by a research team of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB).

Headed by director Marcial Amaro Jr., the ERDB is DENR’s research arm based at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

The ERDB study, titled “Tourism Capacity Carrying of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park,” was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The study was done to determine the park’s carrying capacity, or the allowable number of visitors and corresponding activities that the place could accommodate without harming its natural beauty and ecological integrity.

The researchers were Alicia Calderon (project leader), Lope Calanog, Ma. Lourdes Reyes, Pedro Atega, Lorlina Calderon, Salvacion Orobia, Juanito Sapin, and Rafael Sibal.

The PPUR, according to the researchers, is expected to attract five times more tourists in the next 11 years.

To boost the influx of tourists visiting the park, the researchers recommended the following measures: beefing up anchorage in the place to accommodate more boats; re-evaluate boat capacity (from eight to 20 people per boat so it can carry more visitors in one cruise into the underground river); increasing the number of tour guides; and improving the size and number of tourist facilities.

Recreational activities, “monkey tours,” and paddle boating should be also provided, so visitors would not get restless while waiting for their turn to tour the subterranean river, the researchers also suggested.

Moreover, they said there should be a video presentation to orient visitors on the do’s and don’ts in the park, particularly in the PPUR.

Palawan police, Navy rescue human trafficking victims

The Palawan military and police personnel intercepted a motor launch carrying six women believed to be victims of human trafficking.

Naval Forces West Public Affairs Officer Lt. Karen A. Abulon of the Philippine Navy disclosed that joint elements of Naval Station Del Rosario (NSNDR) and Balabac Philippine National Police (PNP) intercepted a motor launch at Calandorang Bay, Balabac in Palawan carrying six women believed to be victims of human trafficking on May 12 around 5:30 p.m.

Abulon said the operation was a result of a tip from a concerned citizen to NSNDR. The concerned citizen said that at about 10:00 a.m. of May 12, a motor launch named KT Kudat Transport, painted with blue on its freeboard and pilothouse, will be departing Brgy Bancalaan, Balabac, Palawan to transport six women to Kudat, Malaysia.

With the information, the Commanding Officer of NSNDR immediately coordinated with the Balabac police and a joint operation with elements of NSNDR conducted a navigation patrol to preempt the illegal intention.

At around 5:00 p.m. of the same day, the joint team of NSNDR and Balabac-PNP spotted and intercepted a motor launch matching the description at the vicinity of Calandorang Bay, Balabac in Palawan.

The team found the six women on board namely: Neriza Balmeo Y Palyvos, 37, single and a resident of Guiguinto, Bulacan; Marcichelle Reyes Y Lucas, 27, and a resident Brgy San Antonio, Plaridel, Bulacan; Sadhie Lazaro Y Lucas, 27, and a resident of Plaridel, Bulacan; Alma Sevilla Y Salvacion, 27, single and a resident of Marilao, Bulacan; Christine Jaud Y Garcia, 24, single and a resident of Brgy. Matugbong, Isugod, Quezon, Palawan; and Jopelyn Calaogao Y Jaud, 31,single and a resident of Brgy Matugbong, Isugod, Quezon, Palawan.

The said motor launch was skippered by a certain Rumi Bin Mamura with six other crew members allegedly all from Brgy Bancalaan. Further inquiry revealed that the said motor launch is owned by a Chinese businessman based in Kudat, Malaysia. Authorities found out that the motor launch has no pertinent documents except for a mayor’s permit with declared identification and classification as F/B Isle Fortune and is for fishing only.

On the same day, the six women were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Balabac while M/L Kudat Transport remained in custody of the Balabac-PNP for proper processing.

After some documentation procedures, the women were released by the DSWD as the six were already of legal age. Further, the agency filed a case against their alleged recruiter from Malaysia and against their recruiter from Brgy. Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City who fetched them from the airport and accommodated them before they leave for Brgy. Bancalaan.

Ian Somerhalder arrives in Palawan

American actor and model Ian Somerhalder arrived in El Nido, Palawan on Sunday noon.

The “Vampire Diaries” heartthrob arrived at the popular tourist destination on board a chartered flight.

He arrived in Manila last Saturday.

Somerhalder is in the country to endorse the men’s line of local clothing brand Penshoppe, placing him alongside Hollywood actors Zac Efron and Ed Westwick, and Thai superstar Mario Maurer.

In his latest tweet on Monday morning, Somerhalder expressed awe at the beautiful sights he has seen so far in Palawan. It was also reported that he rode the jeepney, the most popular mode of public transportation in the Philippines.

“Reporting live from some beautiful island in the Philippines where it's,on my time schedule, impossible to sleep past 5AM :( SO beautiful here,” the actor tweeted.

Somerhalder is expected to do a photo shoot for his endorsement of the clothing line.

He and his group are reportedly staying at Lagen Island.

Gabuco is world champion!

JOSIE GABUCO pulled off what could be improbable in a hostile environment at a time when a pint-sized Philippines is battling for sovereignty over a dot of an offshore territory against a giant of a country that is China.

Gabuco, playing deaf to the rowdy and thunderous cheers of a hometown crowd for her opponent Xu Shiqi, scored a 10-9 squeaker in the light-flyweight finals to crown herself as the first Filipino world amateur boxing champion.

The 25-year-old single mother of a five-year-old son from Puerto Princesa City bucked the odds in registering the close win at the International Amateur Boxing Association World Women’s Championships in Qinhuangdao where all her teammates could not make it to the medal rounds.

The Chinese, whose credentials in the tournament included a victory over world No. 1 Lynsey Holdaway of Wales, was ahead in the first three rounds, although never comfortably—2-1 in the first, 5-3 in the second and 8-7 in the third.

It took some doing before Gabuco could pull off the win that etched her name in the portals of Philippine boxing.

“It was like fighting thousands of opponents,” said Gabuco in Filipino. “The crowd definitely got to me at first, so I was very cautious and tried to come up with an antidote to my shifty opponent.”

Xu was as wily, tying up Gabuco several times and then dropping to the canvas as if she was wrestled down. The female Hungarian referee, however, recognized the antic and issued a warning to the Chinese in the third round.

Gabuco then started cutting off her opponent’s exit points, allowing her to deliver some damaging straights to the head and uppercuts to the side of the body.

The fourth round saw the Chinese constantly backtracking but getting cornered and being hit, thus convincing four of the five judges to give the fight to Gabuco. The fifth saw the round even.

Team Manager Karina Picson was in tears when the decision was announced.

“No one deserves it more. Josie worked long and hard despite personal tribulations, including the sudden loss of her mother last year after a brief struggle with cancer. She was unlucky in the Asian Championships in Mongolia last March but rebounded with a vengeance here,” said Picson, an Aiba international technical official and Asian Women’s Commission member.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) President Ricky Vargas was as euphoric.

“We in Abap are happy for Josie and we salute her. Her triumph is a testament to hard work, dedication, determination and faith. Josie believed and we, in turn, believed in her. To have had a humble part in the making of the first Filipina world champion is a privilege. As our [Abap] Chairman Mr. Manny Pangilinan keeps reminding us—we would like to change the lives of our athletes for the better.”

“We in Abap and all your fellow boxers thank you Josie, for giving us all the motivation to continue with the dream,” added Vargas.

The other members of the team are boxers Alice Kate Aparri and Nesthy Petecio, coaches Elias Recaido Jr. and Mitchel Martinez and Abap Executive Director Ed Picson.

Unfortunately for Gabuco, her weight class is not on the London Olympics program.

Palawan disaster council prepares for rainy season

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office (PDRRMO) in Palawan is preparing for the rainy season with the installation of Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) instruments and the geo-tagging of flood-prone areas.

This was disclosed recently by Atty. Winston Gonzalez, Chief of Provincial Legal Office and concurrent PDRRMO Chief in a meeting of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Officers.

FEWS instrument is a solar-powered automatic water-level sensor that would enable people to prepare and react quickly and effectively through its two alert systems.

Gonzalez said that they are aiming to finish installation of 20 more FEWS before June in flood-prone barangays in Aborlan, Quezon, Roxas, Bataraza and Brooke’s Point. Barangay Elvita in Narra municipality is the first to receive the instrument.

The PDRRMO is also geo-tagging areas that are vulnerable to floods, landslides or flashfloods through the use of modern technologies like mobile phones, tablets and computers. The information recorded in the “geo-tagging” of target areas will improve disaster management and coordination, as well as and develop its situational awareness capability.

The essential equipment for rescue and evacuation like motorized rubber boats and dinghy boats have already been pre-positioned in strategic areas.

Simultaneously, the PDRRMO is also prioritizing the distribution of anti-dengue solution in public schools in time for the implementation of Brigada Eskwela in support of the campaign against dengue.

RLC opens first full-service mall in the Philippines' top eco-tourism destination

Robinsons Land Corp. is opening on May 24 the first full service mall in Palawan to cater both residents and tourists visiting the country’s top eco-recreation destination.

“Robinsons Place Palawan is the 31st in our ever growing chain of malls,” said RLC president Frederick Go noting that the Puerto Princesa mall will boost the city’s capacity to serve a rising number of visitors who want to enjoy its natural wonders.

Located along the National Highway, Robinsons Place Palawan sits on a sprawling 16-hectare-lot and is just 15 minutes away from the city’s bus station, airport and seaport. It is also very proximate to the public markets, the provincial capitol, city hall and the state university.

Go said Robinsons Place Palawan is also en route to popular tourist attractions like the Butterfly Garden, Honda Bay, Crocodile Farm, Salakot waterfall, and the Puerto Princesa Underground River making it a convenient stop-over for tourists to load up on food and supplies, and to unwind after a hectic day.

Being the only full-service mall in the island, Robinsons Palawan will cater not only to residents and tourists of Puerto Princesa but also those from the neighboring towns of Aborlan, Narra, and Española in the south, as well as Roxas and San Vicente in the north.

The two-storey mall will have a gross floor area of approximately over 58,000 square meters (sqm) and a gross leasable area of over 27,000 sqm. It also has a spacious parking area that can accommodate over 500 cars and 100 motorcycles.

Robinsons Place Palawan will feature Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, Handyman, Robinsons Appliances, Robinsons Bank and Saizen as anchor tenants.

The mall also houses a 300-seat food court, al fresco dining outlets, fashion boutiques, specialty shops, banks, an amusement center, service outlets and cellphone and gadgets shops. Mall tenant line-up includes Jollibee, Max, Chowking, Hainanese Delights, Pancake House, Alberto Shoes, Geox, Human, Folded & Hung, National Book Store, Mercury Drug, Collezione, Time Depot, Tom’s World, Speedo, All Flip Flops, Bench, Bratpack, Nothing But Water and Bayo.

AFP chief inspects Palawan troops

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief (AFP) Gen. Jessie Dellosa inspected military installations and the readiness of the troops based in Palawan.

“He was here to inspect our installations and also see for himself the status and readiness of our troops,” Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the Puerto Princesa City-based Western Command (Wescom).

Sabban said Dellosa assured him that Wescom would be getting the biggest share in the ongoing military modernization program.

Wescom has operational jurisdiction over the hotly-contested Spratly Archipelago, a region in the West Philippine Sea being claimed in whole or in part by five other claimant countries including China, Vietnam, Malaysia Taiwan and Brunei.

Of all the Spratlys claimant countries, all but Brunei, have forward troops deployed in the region.

Along with the recent discoveries of oil and natural gas deposits in the region is increased security concerns brought about the aggressiveness of the Chinese government in laying its territorial claim over the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Since early this year, several Chinese vessels intruded into the Philippine waters, specifically in the vicinity of the Reed Bank Basin to drive away civilian vessels engaged in oil and natural gas exploration in the area.

Reed Bank Basin, being claimed by China as part of its territory, was reported to contain what military sources have all described as “unimaginable” oil and natural gas deposits.

Up north of the hotly-contested Spratlys archipelago is the Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) where a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and that belonging to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) are currently locked in more than a month of tense territorial standoff with Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) vessels.

Panatag Shoal, located 124 nautical miles from mainland Zambales, is also being claimed by China as part of its maritime domain.

JICA considers Brooke’s Point as candidate port for ASEAN RO-RO route

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is considering the port of Brooke’s Point as one of the eight potential roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) routes in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

Ronald G. Sison, Implementability Assessment Expert of JICA, disclosed this recently in a meeting at the Capitol initiated by the JICA team with Palawan Governor Baham Mitra and other concerned agencies involved in the BIMP-EAGA program.

The RO-RO project is part of the bigger vision of building an ASEAN Community of continued growth, reduced development gaps and improved connectivity among and between member countries and the rest of the world.

Sison said that the team has been commissioned to do the master plan and feasibility study on the Establishment of an ASEAN RO-RO Shipping Network and Short Sea Shipping with Brooke’s Point in the south of Palawan as a potential port with the possibility of linking it to Labuan, Malaysia and Muara, Brunei Darrusalam.

In his remarks in the meeting, Mitra said that he was grateful to JICA for considering Brooke’s Point as a candidate RO-RO port under the masterplan.

He said that the establishment of ASEAN RO-RO route in the south of Palawan comes at an opportune time when the province is transforming its thrust into becoming the number one tourist investment area in the country.

The other potential ASEAN RO-RO routes identified are Zamboanga City (Philippines) – Muara (Brunei D.); Davao City (Philippines) – General Santos (Phils.) – Bitung, Indonesia; Johor, Malaysia – Sintete, Indonesia; Tawau, Malaysia – Tarakan, Indonesia – Pantoloan, Indonesia; Dumai, Indonesia – Malacca, Malaysia; Belawan, Indonesia – Penang, Malaysia; and Phuket, Thailand – Belawan, Indonesia.

The JICA feasibility study commenced in March this year and will be completed in March 2013.

Palawan gives tribute to partner institutions

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The local government of Palawan and its social welfare office has recently given tribute to its seven partner institutions.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) acknowledged the efforts of the Western Command, Coast Guard District 4, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Puerto Royale Bus Express, Milagrosa Shipping Corporation, Puerto Princesa Methodist Children’s Shelter and Bahay ni Nanay Magdalena Starace Inc. that have consistently and “unselfishly” supported them in their various programs particularly those pertaining to individuals in crisis at the Provincial Capitol.

The Western Command was cited for its many free medical and dental services and missions in remote barangay in the province. It was recognized for its assistance in evacuation of affected families in times of disaster and for accommodating PSWDO’s poor clients in the C-130 flight.

Coast Guard District 4 and Milagrosa Shipping were recognized for its intervention and assistance in the transporting of the PSWDO’s clients to Cuyo, Iloilo and to Manila. Puerto Royale Bus Express was also recognized for accommodating its poor clients to ride in their buses for free to destinations outside of the city.

PCSO was also given recognition for giving assistance and free medical care providing to the less fortunate clients of PSWDO.

Puerto Princesa Methodist Shelter and Bahay ni Nanay Magdalena were two institutions that helped in provide shelter, care and educational assistance to juvenile delinquents and children who are in difficult circumstances.

PSWDO head Polly David and provincial administrator Atty. Ellen Rodriguez led the recognition and the distribution of awards. The ceremonies were witnessed by the employees of the provincial government and invited guests.

Cloudy with some rain, says Pagasa

Most of the country can expect cloudy weather on Sunday as a low pressure area (LPA) swirls off Oriental Mindoro, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The LPA is embedded in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) affecting Palawan and Mindanao. The ITCZ is where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres converge and which is a breeding ground for tropical storms.

As of 2 p.m. Saturday, the low pressure area was spotted 500 kilometers west of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, according to the weather bureau. Pagasa also said the tail end of a cold front was affecting southern Luzon.

The western sections of northern Luzon, southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao can expect mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of Luzon would have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Coastal waters throughout the archipelago would be slight to moderate, Pagasa said.

DENR, Birdwatch Palawan mark World Migratory Bird Day

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- To raise awareness on the protection and importance of migratory birds, the Department of Environment & Natural Resources and Birdwatch Palawan Ornithological Society (BPOS) are spearheading the celebration of World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) on May 12 in this city.

Amateur and professional bird watchers are joining the bird-watching trip tomorrow to the Iwahig area to celebrate this year’s theme - “Migratory birds and people – together through time."

The WMBD is celebrated every second weekend of May each year since its inception in 2006 by the United Nations Environment Programme through the Convention on Migratory Species. This year’s theme stresses the indispensable relationship between birds and people.

“Palawan is in the map of patterns of avian migration and Iwahig is part of this as well as other swamplands, islands, and coastal areas in the province and within the city,” said Vivian O. Soriano, biologist of DENR-Palawan.

Although DENR-Palawan has collaborated with BPOS in its other projects, Soriano said that this is the first time that they are working together to promote and observe WMBD in the province.

She said that there are many species of migratory birds found to be sheltering in province and these are found in Ursula Island, Rasa Island and Lake Manguao in Taytay town in the north.

Among the migratory birds that are commonly found in Palawan are Cattle Egret, Greater Sand-Plover, and the Chinese Egret.

Palawan firm on “no touch” order on grounded barge till Indonesia settles damages

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) stands firm on its “no touch” order on the grounded coal barge in Balabac until a letter of guarantee to pay for reef damage is received from the Indonesian owner.

Atty. Adelle Villena, PCSD Legal Officer said that this decision is contained in a resolution of the PCSD Adjudication Board (PAB) issued in a recent meeting attended by officials of the local government of Balabac and the Indonesian owner represented by Mr. Caballero of Omega Steel and Marine Services (OSMS).

The decision was reached after reports from the officials of the local government said that the coal on the grounded barge was being transferred to another barge of the OSMS.

“Without the coal and the barge, there would be no more urgency for the owner to answer for the liability of damage to the coral reefs,” said Villena.

The PAB resolution orders no movement at the barge and no one to be allowed on board. This suspends the salvage permit issued to the OSMS by the Coast Guard District IV on March 28.

Villena said that the PCSD is waiting for the letter of guarantee coming from the owner’s insurance company that they will pay for the damages caused by the barge’s running aground.

“A similar incident happened before in Palawan, no payment for the reef damage was received. Ayaw natin matakasan at maulit ito,” Villena said.

In the question & answer hour of the sangguniang panlalawigan yesterday, Caballero, representing the owner of OSMS said that the Fresnel Insurance from New Zealand, the insurer, is looking for protection and indemnity insurance (P&I) in the Philippines that will cover the claims for environmental damages. The P&I will provide the letter of guarantee.

PCSD has initially placed the value of the reef damage at P28 million. This does not include the claims of the local folks for the damages to their seaweed farms and fishing grounds.

Meanwhile in early February this year, a Manila-bound barge, Trustline 707 Manado, loaded with 7,400 metric tons of coal ran aground in Barangay Sibaring in Balabac. The tug boat towing the barge cut the towing line and abandoned the barge at sea in the midst of bad weather.

MASwings Set To Fly Kota Kinabalu-Palawan Route By End October

Buoyed by the successful first phase of its direct international flights to Tarakan and Pontianak in Indonesia and Brunei Darulsalam, MASwings will embark on its second phase of international route expansion by end of October this year.

In announcing this, its chief executive officer Datuk Captain Nawawi Awang said the new MASwings' international air service would cover the routes of Kuching-Balikpapan (Indonesia), and Kota Kinabalu-Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Phillippines).

MASwings, a fully owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, plans to operate the routes three times a week.

"We are still in the process of getting approval and clearance from the relevant authorities (in the Philippines), and if everything goes well, we are targetting to commence operations of the Kota Kinabalu-Puerto Princesa sector by end October.

"This is going to be our first service on the Philippines' shore. We in MASwings hope to become a bridge, in terms of air connectivity, for the people within the BIMP-EAGA (The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area) member countries," he told reporters here Wednesday.

P120M earmarked for Palawan potable water system

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- A total of P120 million has been earmarked for the provision of a potable water system for waterless communities in Palawan under the Aquino administration’s "Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat" Program or Abundant and Safe Water for All.

The program is a grant facility to be administered nationwide by the Department of Health through its Center for Health Development (CHD) in partnership with the Dept. of Interior and Local Government and the National Anti-Poverty Council (NAPC).

There are 12 priority municipalities identified in the province for the program which were chosen for its high percentage incidence of water-borne diseases; highest percentage of households without access to safe water; and highest number of population of conditional cash transfers recipients.

The municipalities are Araceli, Balabac, Bataraza, Cagayancillo, Cuyo, Dumaran, El Nido, Linapacan, Magsaysay, Rizal, Roxas, and Taytay. The local government units shall identify its recipient barangay and provide 10% counterpart in kind.

Each municipality will receive a grant of P10 million to fund the development of Level I water system in areas where Level II is not feasible, or construction of Level II water system, or the rehabilitation of an existing Level III system.

Level I water systems are stand-alone water points or communal wells like hand pumps while Level II is piped water with communal faucets. Level III is individual household connection.

Presently, detailed engineering designs of the water system project are being finalized. The municipalities of Dumaran, Magsaysay and Roxas are now bidding the projects after submitting all the technical and administrative requirements which include a feasibility study, Memorandum of Agreement, and compliance with DILG’s Full Disclosure Policy.

Ille Cave in El Nido gets support of legislator as heritage park

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- Ille Cave in El Nido is getting the support of Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero in its bid to be recognized and designated as one of the country’s heritage park as proposed in a Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution.

The resolution to declare Ille Cave as a heritage and national park, according to the senator, needs immediate joint government action in local and national levels in order to preserve the pieces of evidence unearthed from the site which are very useful to science and the study of the evolution of humans.

“Archaeological information of this kind in Southeast Asia is also still limited and this could provide us knowledge on the significant ecological changes in the past that could provide a glimpse of our future,” he added.

He said “the presence of animal and human remains in there is significant. Animal bone assemblages (remains) provide invaluable information on the origin, dispersal, and evolutionary history of humans and animals.”

Escudero is also asking Malacañang and the National Museum to investigate reports of looting by some foreign nationals, who took the bones found inside the cave on the belief that the remains belonged to their relative-soldiers who went missing during World War II.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Palawan recently passed a resolution seeking the help of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the Department of Tourism in the declaration of Ille Cave as a heritage park pursuant to Republic Act 10066 known as the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

Ille Cave in Barangay New Ibajay is the site of a continuing archaeological excavation project entitled “The Palawan Island Palaeohistoric Project” by the University of the Philippines-Archaeological Studies Program (UP-ASP) in collaboration with the National Museum of the Philippines and the Solheim Foundation.

Dr. Victor Paz, who leads the UP-ASP excavations has reported various cases of looting of human remains in the area to the National Museum since last year, and Escudero said this underscored the need to step up cooperation in the local and national levels in order to prevent such incidents in the future.

2GO Freight IPC’s Shipping Partner

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) staged a road trip to one of the country’s premier destinations — the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan — in introducing the 2012 Isuzu Crosswind Special Edition.

In the event dubbed “It’s more fun with the Isuzu Crosswind in Palawan” that was held from April 18-20, 2012, IPC reinforced the proven strengths and exciting new features of the latest Crosswind in a way that showcased some of the Philippines’ unique scenic attractions, and allowed access to no less than Palawan’s underground river that was newly included as among the world’s Seven Wonders of Nature.

In the event, IPC shipped over to Palawan five units of the 2012 Crosswind Special Edition via 2GO Freight, which was the official event shipping line that afterwards also brought the vehicles back to Manila. This made it possible for the province’s various destinations to serve as a fun venue in which the latest Crosswind demonstrated its tested capabilities and new features.

Abused Cebuano workers rescued in Culion, Palawan

THEY went to Palawan last week to earn a living.

But on Sunday, 43 male construction workers from the town of Pinamungajan, southern Cebu, had to be rescued.

They were clamoring to go home after being served bad food and being made to stay in poor accommodations by their foreign employer.

Pinamungajan Mayor Geraldine Yapha sought the help of Culion, Palawan Mayor Emiliano P. Marasigan Jr. to rescue the Cebuano workers .

She said the Cebuano workers are now safely with the Culion police and waiting for their transportation back to Pinamungahan.

However, the logistics of bringing home 43 persons is difficult, said the mayor. She said the town is asking a private vessel owner in Palawan to let the workers ride for free but the schedule set is still a week from now.

“Their families want them back already. We cannot wait for a week for the private vessel’s scheduled trip,” she said.

She said the Pinamungahan government is working with Culion local officials, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale’s Office and Provincial Social Welfare Office, “The only way, aside from the airplane, to transport them back here is through a vessel or pumboat that would bring them to Iloilo. From Iloilo, they could travel to Negros where they could board a barge bound for Toledo city . We are considering all options,” she said.

Yapha said she did not know about the mass recruitment until the workers’ families pleaded for help. The workers accepted to work for a foreigner who wants to build a beach resort in an island in Palawan, she said.

They were promised decent wages and accomodation.

Vice Governor Magpale said a complaint for illegal recruitment and traffickcould be prepared against the foreigner.

She said that aside from working to transport the Pinamungahan workers home, authorities are gathering data about the recruiter and the employer.

“We can consider this trafficking because when they reached the island, the salary was not given. The agreement was not satisfied,” she said.

Aviation authority sets another public hearing on airport terminal fee hike

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has scheduled another public hearing on the proposal to increase the terminal fee of the Puerto Princesa Airport on May 10 at 9:00 a.m. at the Asturias Hotel in this city.

This is the second public hearing to be conducted for the purpose of informing the public of the proposed terminal fee hike and to obtain the opinions and recommendations of the public regarding the increase.

The public hearing will be attended by top officials of the CAAP and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

The airport terminal fee in Puerto Princesa City as well as in other domestic airports in the country is proposed to be increased from the current P40 to P200 in a bid to generate more funds for the maintenance and improvement of the terminals.

The proposed hike was met with objections by the business sector, some local officials, and the media especially those who were not informed of the proposed hike on the first public hearing that was held April 26.

The P40-terminal fee has been imposed to all departing passengers since 1998 by a department order.

After undergoing a complete makeover and renovation, the passenger terminal building was inaugurated three years ago. Its check-in and pre-departure areas were designed to cater to a maximum of 700 passengers.

3 mining firms question Aquino cancellation of FTAA in Palawan

Amid the debate over mining, three firms have petitioned the Court of Appeals to reverse its resolution, which upheld President Benigno Aquino III’s authority to cancel the “midnight deal” they entered into with the Arroyo administration that allowed them to conduct large-scale mineral exploration in Palawan.

In a joint 34-page petition, McArthur Mining Inc., Narra Nickel Mining and Development Corp. and Tesoro Mining and Development also asked the appellate court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the Office of the President from implementing Aquino’s April 6, 2011, order.

The President’s decision voided the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA), which the mining firms had secured from then outgoing president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which covered the towns of Narra, Bataraza and Rizal towns in Palawan.

The FTAA was signed by then Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza on April 5, 2010, barely a month before the presidential elections.

In seeking for a reconsideration of the court’s February 28 ruling, the mining firms insisted that they were not afforded due process when the President cancelled the FTTA.

They also questioned the authority of Malacañang to unilaterally void the mining permit without their consent “based on a non-existent ground.”

“The Office of the President had no jurisdiction to unilaterally cancel, revoke or terminate the FTAA in violation of the clear terms of the FTAA, including the latter’s arbitration clause,” the petition said.

“The FTAA is a valid, binding contract between the government and the petitioners which deserves respect and breach of which by the government exposes it to significant liability,” it added.

The mining firms argued that the President violated the provisions of the Mining Act of 1995 and the FTAA, which allowed “a dispute resolution mechanism on issues relating to the validity of the FTAA.”

The mining firms also urged the appellate court to stop the Mines and Geosciences Bureau from granting the request of their rival company, Redmont Consolidated Mining Corp., for an exploration permit for the same areas.

Aquino’s order stemmed from Redmont’s complaint, which claimed that the mining permit given to McArthur was approved with grave abuse of discretion.

But McArthur et al. said Redmont’s petition raised the same legal issues, which the Supreme Court has yet to resolve in a pending petition for review that McArthur filed in the high court.

In that petition, McArthur asked the high tribunal to set aside the appellate court’s October 2010 ruling, which sustained the decision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to annul the exploration permits because of the ownership issues of the Canadian mining firm.

In its February 28 resolution, the appeals court said McArthur and its partner mining firms “give us the impression that the Office of the President cannot cancel or revoke the FTAA because it is one of the contracting parties to it… We beg to disagree.”

“The petition is bereft of merit… (I)t may be stated parenthetically that the right to appeal to the President reposes upon the President’s power of control over the executive departments,” the court ruled.

Retrieved from "https://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Palawan_News_May_2012&oldid=389676"