Sibaltan Youth Leads Tree Planting Activity

Santa Putenciana Parish Youth Ministry, the Sangguniang Kabataan and Sibaltan National High School led the community in a tree planting activity at the Barangay Sibaltan’s Water Reserve Area at Sitio Tumbod on September 11, 2011. Some 127 community members participated in the said eco-care activity and they were able to plant 130 seedlings. However, the they plan to do more and plant a total of 300 seedlings this year.

Before planting, there was a ceremony led by Rev. Fr. Eduardo Pariño, parish priest of Sta. Putenciana Parish. The priest explained to the youth the need to plant trees to combat global warming. He also explained its importance to the sustainability of water supply for farm irrigation and human consumption. He stressed to the community members gathered there that it is a sacred duty of every Christian to protect the environment.

The tree planting activity was part of the partnership between the Barangay Government of Sibaltan and Santa Puntenciana Parish in protecting and restoring the forests. Currently, the two organizations are actively campaigning against illegal logging ang kaingin. [Arvin Acosta, LGU]

Environmental Law Enforcers Score 3rd Blow Against Poachers

Palawan NGO Network Inc. [PNNI], led by Mr. Bobby Dantic, in partnership with the Philippine National Police [PNP] and the barangay law enforcement team of Sibaltan, caught 2 poachers at Sitio Mayetmet, Sibaltan, El Nido, Palawan on August 20, 2011, at around 2PM, as they try to ship wildlife illegally from Quezon, Palawan to Batangas.

The suspects, George Bolante  and Armando Llaneta, both from Quezon, Palawan, were arrested by SPO1 Jason Cahilig and PO3 Richard Rodriguez. They also confiscated 16 talking mynas from them. Unfortunately, 2 other poachers escaped into the forest of Sibaltan carrying 14 more mynas.

Afterwards, PNNI rangers filed a criminal case against the suspects for violating Republic Act 9146 [also known as the Wildlife Act]. PNNI once again thanked their partners in protecting East El Nido, the barangay environmental law enforcers under the watch of Rev Fr. Edgardo Parino, parish priest of Sta. Putencia Parish, for making the surveillance on wildlife piracy operation in Sibaltan. Barangay Tanods, headed by their Chief Benedicto Cabiguen, and Global Legal Action on Climate Change [GLACC] volunteer Perfecto Baluarte, Jr. are part of the said team.

Recently, on August 6, personnel of El Nido Environmental Law Enforcement Council apprehended 4 poachers and confiscated 71 mynas, 42 parrots and 1 cockatoo. The same team seized mangrove snakes on board a bus bound named Sweety on August 18. It seems the month of August was an unlucky month for wildlife poachers. Or maybe, they just thought that wildlife watchers in El Nido were not prepared for their arrival.

Cagbatang Launches Its Floating Guard House

The Barangay Council of Pasadena, in partnership with the community managing Cagbatang Marine Sanctuary, launched their floating guard house on August 20, 2011.

Members of El Nido Coastal Resource Management [CRM] Council and the community members of Barangay Masagana, led by Bgy. Captain Ernesto Lajallab, came to celebrate with them.

Cagbatang Community Managed Marine Protected Area was established in 2006. It has a total area of 60 hectares and is home to 85 species of fish. Dugongs are frequently seen by community members during reef monitoring activity and once filmed by marine scientists, Dr. Mark Erdmann and Dr. Gerald Allen, during reef assessment.

The increase of the number and sizes of fish delivered to the public market by the community fishermen of Pasadena indicates that they are already benefiting from the “spill overs” of Cagbatang Marine Sanctuary. Pasadena Bgy. Capt. Mateo Cantuba plans to provide more livelihood opportunities to the community, aside from fishery, by opening some parts of the site for tourism. He also plans to expand the marine protected area to more than 100 hectares. [Arvin Acosta, LGU; Photos by Lloyd Lumbania, ENFI]