It commonly happens in any legislative chamber or policy-making body that matters are resolved fait accompli in backroom caucuses and that plenary procedures to formalize an agreement or a decision become mere optics. This makes it hard to second guess what had transpired before the plenary action of the resolution sponsored by Board Member Al Rama and to understand the context of the decision they had made.
Angelique Songco, endearingly referred to as Mama Ranger, and is the Tubattaha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) park superintendent, describes the condition of the islets as critical for the boobies and other birds that have long regarded them as a refuge and mating area.
At the onset of the Philippine summer, we set out to support Puerto Princesa City’s backyard gardening initiatives during the COVID-19 lockdown that began in mid-March. As we tilled the parched earth in our neighbors’ backyards, we realized there was little water to hydrate the gardens. In summer, there’s insufficient water for bath, laundry and dishes, let alone for vegetable plants.
According to Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (MDRRMO) Fernando Lopez, the project was a multi-stakeholder effort conceived in late March. The effort was put together by the Calamianes Resilience Network (CRN), which is composed of various stakeholders from the public and private sector in the island group.
