Ang Pistang Kulambo ay nagsimula pa noong Nobyembre 1999.Ito ay naging lokal na tradisyon na inaabangan sa bawat taon nang mga tao sa El Nido. Ang pista bilang bahagi ng pagsugpo ng malaria ay nakaktulong sa pagbaba ng mahigit 60%  sa bilang ng kaso ukol sa malaria halimbawa nito ay ang pagbaba ng kaso mula  1,219 sa taong 2000 hanggang sa naging 22 kaso sa taong 2010.

Ang pagdiriwang ay ginanap sa Covered Court ng Munisipyo, mayroong 18 barangay na nakilahok sa mga eksibisyon at kompetisyon.Isa sa highlight ng Pista ay ang makulay na parada kung saan ang mga nakilahok ay nagsusuot ng mga makulay na kasuotan na gawa sa kulambo at lokal na materyales. Mayroon ding Tarabuan para sa Caayadan, kung saan iba’t-ibang produkto ang itinampok sa bawat booth.

Ang taun-taon napagdiriwang na ito na siyang bumubuong Community-Based Malaria Control Program na ipinatupad ng Lokal na Pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng Rural Health Unit, El Nido Foundation Inc., at iba pang ahensya na kaagapay ng El Nido.

Ang programa ay nahati sa dalawang bahagi; ang unang bahagi ay sinimulan alas-otso ng umaga (8:00 A.M) hosted by: Mr. Roman de Jesus at MaricelBriones. Sa bahaging ito ginanap ang iba’t-ibang paligsahan.

Una ay ang “Bring Me Contest” kung saan lahat ng manonood ay pinapadala ng mgabagay na makikita sa kani-kanilang booth, kasabay din nito ang pag-iikot ng mga hurado sa pagpili ng “ Natatanging Booth” base sa pagkamalikhain at orihinal na gawa, paggamit ng local na materyales, mga produkto paninda at maging ugali ng nagbibinta. Kung saan mula salabing-walong (18) barangay labing-lima (15) lang ang nakilahok. Sumunod ang “Jingle- Singing Contest” na naglalaman ng mensahe ukol sa selebrasyon na nilahokan ng mga mag-aaral ng elementarya, sekondarya at kolehiyo. May “Eating Contest” din na ginaganap,mayroong para sa mga nanay, tatay at mga bata, “Poster Making Contest” at “Trivia”.

Sa ikalawang bahagi naman ng programa (1:30) hosted by: Mr. Arvin Acosta at Pattie Jean Lumbania ginanap ang parade at “street dancing” na kung saanlabing-pitong barangay ang nakilahok para magpakita ng gilas sa pagiging malikhain mula sa kasuotan at maging sa hatawan. Pagkatapos ng parada, pormal na sinimulan ang programa ni Dr. Cesar Rivera, El Nido Municipal Health Officer, kanyang ipinahayag na lumiit na ang bilang ng mga nagkakasakit ng Malaria sabayan. “Sa taon 2007 mahigit 400 kataoang may kasong malaria at sa kasalukuyan siyam hanggang labing-isa nalang ang kompirmadong may sakit.” Sa mensahe ni Edna Gacot-Lim, Municipal Mayor of El Nido, ipinahiwatig ng Mayor na ang bayan ng El Nido ay umuunlad sa larangan ng makabagong teknolohiya. Dagdag pa nito, inaanyayahan niya ang lahat na patuloy na pagbutihin, tulung-tulong at sama-samang paunlarin ang bayan ng El Nido.

Ayon naman kay Dr. Peter G. Cumareng, Provincial Malariologist, Province of Palawan; “dapat bawat lungsod/barangay may aktibong grupo ng tao na mangangasiwa sa kaligtasan at kalusagan ng mga mamamayan. Ipagpatuloy ang pagtataguyod ng mga programang pangkalusugan ng bayan hinggil sa KALUSUGAN NG ISLA at KALUSUGAN NG MIMAROPA”.Bago matapos ang programa,binigyan ng parangal ang mga nanalo sa paligsahan gaya ng:Jingle- Singing Contest: (1st) Bucana, (2^nd) Teneguiban, (3^rd) Manlag;On the Spot Poster Making Contest (HS Level): (1^st) El Nido Nat’l High School, (2^nd) Bucana, (3^rd) Teneguiban; Elementary Level: (1^st) Manlag, (2^nd) El Nido Central School, (3^rd) Aberawan; Natatanging Booth Contest:(1^st) Pasadeṅa, (2^nd) Bagong Bayan, (3^rd) New Ibajay;Most Creative Group during the parade(Buena Suerte). Maliban ditto, may mga nakatanggap din ng espesyal na parangal ang tulad ng Gawad Pangkaunlaran(1st) Barangay San Fernando, (2^nd) Barutoan, (3^rd) Sibaltan; Best Community-Managed Marine Area (CMMA): Masikhay Award- Barangay Masagana at Sambisig Award- Barangay Sibaltan; Best Performing Barangay Health Worker (BHW) Group- Barangay Villa Libertad  Microscopist ; Conservationist- Lia Cheek; ETDF Collector- Romeo Capones

Ang Pista ng Kulambo at Tarabuan ay tunay na magandang halimbawa ng isang matagumpay na community based efforts dahil narin sa local na pamahalaan, suportang mga publikong organisasyon, lokal na mamamayan at iba’t-ibang pangkat ng El Nido tungo sa iisang hangarin at adhikain.

Mabuhay ang Pista ng Kulambo at Tarabuan para sa Caayadan ng El Nido…….

[Maria Fe Sajor, OJT, VSU]

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,300 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 55 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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]

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.

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]

The fishing boat, F/B Alvin Jay is owned by Susan Esparagosa, a resident of San Jose, Mindoro Occidental. The boat captain, Leonardo Codillera, and its twenty eight (28) crew were brought and turned over to El Nido Environmental Law Enforcement for appropriate filing of charges. It was further learned that the F/B and its crew has no appropriate/pertinent documents and appropriate fishing permit.

On the basis of the plea of guilty, the Quasi- Judical Body of El Nido Environmental Law Enforcement Council has found that the respondent clearly violated the Municipal Fisheries code of El Nido as amended by section 80 and 82 of Municipal Ordinance no. 01-A, series of 2003 and thus, were ordered to pay a total of Seventy Two Tousand Five hundred pesos (72,500.00). Likewise, the four (4) compressors, two (2) compressor tanks, three hundred meters of compressor hose and assorted fish catch were confiscated in favor of the government.

It can be recalled that on 16 August 2011 the Maritime Task Group Malampaya (MTGM) apprehended F/ B Angel Liam at the Exclusion Zone of the MNGPP with similar violations and was also given the same penalty and fine totaling to Seventy two thousand five hundred (72,500.00) pesos.

The Municipal Council of El Nido once more lauded the efforts and congratulated the Joint Task Force Malampaya for their support in thwarting the destructive method of fishing and helping the municipal government preserve the marine life of El Nido, Palawan. [CDR MICHAEL J. ORDOñO, PN, JTFM]

The fishing boat, F/B Angel Liam is owned by Norie V. Esparagosa, a resident of San Jose, Mindoro Occidental, the boat captain, Juan Resulta Jr., Radin Cha, the master fisherman and Nelson Chan, the chief engineer of the said vessel and manned by twenty nine (29) others, they were brought and turned over to El Nido Environmental Law Enforcement Council for appropriate filing of charges. It was further learned that the said F/B and its patron/crews have no pertinent documents/licenses to operate.

On the basis of the plea of guilty, the Quasi-Judicial Body of El Nido Environmental Law Enforcement Council have found that the respondents clearly violated the Municipal Fisheries Code of El Nido as amended by Section 80 and 82 of Municipal Ordinance no. 01-A, series of 2003 and thus, were ordered to pay a total fine of Ninety Five Thousand (Php. 95,000.00) pesos. Likewise, six (6) compressors, four (4) compressors tanks, three thousand five hundred (3,500) meters of the compressor hose and assorted fish catch were confiscated in favor of the government. The Municipal Council of El Nido had lauded the efforts and congratulates the Joint Task Force Malampaya for their support and thwarting the destructive method of fishing and helping preserve the Marine life of El Nido, Palawan. [LT COL VIRGILIO P. BALATAYO, PA, JTFM]

Tale or truth, questions of unbelief could immediately crop up on one’s stirred imaginations as to what form of human beings were the two pretty ladies; and what would they do at the uninhabited islets. Or what really was there at Kabigsing?

Yes, that maybe was almost an eon ago if one would, at the equilibrium of change, set the balance and see how time flew away so fast. And the tale that was almost curbed to be passed on, if at all, to the new generation, established a rather more outstretched barrier that defined Kabigsing’s folkloric past versus its forgotten now.

Physically, Kabigsing portrays a kind of perfect innocence and naivetté until the same was defiled by the onslaught of migration and development. She used to recline upon the emerald green waters undisturbed by ruthless human intervention as in the case of cyanide fishing that kills not only the butterfly fishes but directly poses extinction to a natural habitat; She used to sleep with her serene environment unadorned by the artificial glow of evening light; unharmed by the hasty excavations and drillings effected by industrialization. Likened to a shy daughter of the towering limestone cliff at the background, she owns to herself a string of simple yet touching memories long before Bacuit became EL Nido, and long before El Nido came to be known as a world class tourist destination.

Now, what was left of Kabigsing after half a century ago? Wasn’t it raveged by time and utilization? Or was it just forgotten in lieu of better developed islands, islets and beaches- with all their imposition and lucrative promises?

Half a century ago, the well exposed atoll of Kabigsing at low tide served as homage to clannish picnics or rendezvous of sort, venue for outdoor get-together parties, or shelter to fishers trapped in a storm, or just a common place for everyone to unwind while sitting along the sandy perimeter of kabigsing, or waiting till the sun goes down.

Surrounding her pristine majesty are a diversified species of marine life converging to share the colorful biotech community; freer to expose more of themselves at the tidal reef when the receding water is at its lowest level; or allow themselves to be gathered by the shell-fishing folks for one native dinner course.

Remember the cerragras(ranga-ranga) sprawled in reef crevices; the rock crabs (saguyawan), the reef crabs (dawat), and the clamps of various sizes plus cone shells on different colors? Have you watched the sea urchins (tirik, apungan, tayong) hiding from beneath the thicket of sargassums (kulapo); the shrimp fish (mamba) on holes; the various sea cucumber (balat, batunan, bitot); or the cluster of seaweeds (lato, paket-paket, agar- agar) and the sea grasses (baryaw- baryaw) where siganids (samaral) or both the pelagic and demersal species share that extensive cohabitation with sessile genera? Or have you gone down to the northern slope in an old way of frog dive? That was a nesting ground for a species of squid (baybayanin) and the lobsters (banagan).

Kabigsing crags flourished with forest tress that formed the karst greenery, complemented by the coastal flora below. The hillock composed of limestone and sand was a paradise to the birds of the air such as the wild doves (balud), the hornbill, and the reef egret; and sanctuary to the creepers of the land. It was alleged that a phyton as big as an adult male thigh and about five meters long was spotted in the area, one time when a group set a bonfire to pass the night away. Tale or truth combined isn’t at all magnetic that even boys would tempted to trail the rocky circular coast; throw a line with which catch half breaks (baritos) or pull the seine for the mullets (gusaw) or slipmouths (sapsap).

At the foreground, some viewing distance from Kabigsing, there was an old port where young boys dive and splash freely and gaily. From the base of the port off to the point that paves the seaway to the Southern Coast, only three houses were built almost equally distant, almost dormantly peaceful. From the base, Kabigsing’s beautiful perspective reflects in the clearest bay water in May. Cool indeed!

Now the port may have been rehabilitated to facilitate loading and unloading of freights, but it cannot be denied that with the presence of the three storey building constructed for the Philippine Ports Authority; the widened port area, and a few more commercial structures, the panorama has been literally obliterated. Beyond the tidal reef across toward the majestic limestone cliff where houses cluster like rolling down from great towering steep wall, the idyll was diminished to the melodramatic artpiece in passé.

Yes, there were two pretty unfamiliar ladies who may still be living at Kabigsing’s other plane, beyond the visibility line of humans; and there was also a boy who was aware of all these – and in the passing of time, the boy who has already grown white hair and wrinkles; and a less steadier feet to tread upon sands and rock of Kabigsing, yet, still nurturing the old passion for natural beauty of his hometown – El Nido…  …at least, lonesome Kabigsing remains to be – KABIGSING!  [Sir Bong Sabenacio, LGU]

After the shipboard orientation tour, the ships set sail for the highlight of the activity: a joint air and sea capability and interoperability among Maritime Task Group Malampaya (MTGM), Air Task Group Malampaya (ATGM), and Special Operation Task Group Malampaya (SOTGM). Scenarios on anti- terrorism and search and rescue (SAR), stealth and quick response capability of the attack boat and the special operation, lead by LTJG. SAMUEL L. ROSETE PN, in handling anti-terrorism concerns were injected during the exercise for the visitors who were eagerly observing the event on board the viewing vessels. The SAR and fire at sea scenario also showcased the capability of S76 202, with CAPT ISAAC L. GOMEZ PAF as the pilot in command, in spotting and relaying information about the survivor in the water to the SAR vessel. The viewers watch how the Joint Task Force Malampaya did its best with their ability to conduct Maritime Interdiction Operation against lawless elements at the sea and search/rescue operation of ships in distress.

Likewise, the said activity showcased what the naval, air force and coast guard team are capable of. The mock scenario presented by the representatives of the task groups provided better understanding and profound appreciation to students and faculty members of ENHS on how to perform function in order to save lives and protect our maritime domain.

More so, the demonstration exercise displayed the capability of the said task groups to quickly respond in different situations involving threats to MALAMPAYA thru detection, interception, handling of apprehended persons, raid, patrolling, extraction, fire, and maneuvers. [LT COL VIRGILIO P. BALATAYO, PA, JTFM].

]]> http://talindak.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/joint-task-force-malampaya-conducts-capability-demonstration-exercises/feed/ 0 brokenform picx http://talindak.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/el-nido-environmental-law-enforcers-caught-wildlife-poachers/ http://talindak.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/el-nido-environmental-law-enforcers-caught-wildlife-poachers/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:10:36 +0000 brokenform http://talindak.wordpress.com/?p=427 ]]> After a well-planned and patient surveillance, rangers of El Nido Environmental Law Enforcement Council [ENELEC] caught 4 poachers trying to ship endangered wildlife at El Nido Port on August 6, 2011. This was a response to the information given by Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff [PCSDS] that there would be illegal shipments of wildlife from Quezon, Palawan to Manila.

At around 11:40 PM, the Seaport Inspection Team, led by Mr. Robert Jaboli, ENELEC’s Control Post Officer, arrested and turned over to the local police Phibe Arro Trujello, 45, of Baltan Street, Puerto Princesa City, Grace Morales Diaz, 31 of Quezon, Palawan, Nimfa Palma Cordero, 50, of Bgy. Liberty, Puerto Princesa City, and Aida Deblus Oas, 50, of New Buncag, Puerto Princesa City.  ENELEC also confiscated 71 talking mynas, 42 green parrots and 1 Philippine Cockatoo which were later turned over to a wildlife rescue center.

Mayor Edna Gacot-Lim ordered Mr. Raffy Cabate, Municipal Environmental Desk Officer, to file a case against the said poachers for violating Republic Act 9147 [also known as the Wildlife Act]. The Local Government Unit of El Nido commended the efforts of Roy Gabo, Francis Louie Dela Cruz the Rodolfo Dreo, membes of Seaport Inspection Team, for doing their duties well. The LGU also thanked the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Ports Authority for their help. [Arvin Acosta, LGU; Photos by Raffy Cabate]