U.S Embassy to the Philippines Deputy Chief of Mission John C. Law will officiate the turnover on Friday of field gears to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) and the Bantay Palawan Task Force (BPTF) for enhanced wildlife and environmental law enforcement.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Protect Wildlife communications manager Lawrence San Diego said the field gears are comprised of boots, backpacks, tents, hammocks, ponchos, first aid kits, and tablets.
“This is just a small part of the USAID Protect Wildlife’s technical support for the enforcement teams of the PCSDS and Bantay Palawan Task Force. Since the project started, we provided them with training, mentoring and coaching on enhanced enforcement of wildlife and environmental laws,” San Diego said.
The PCSD, he said, will also present to Law two ongoing projects by the Protect Wildlife: the Philippine pangolin study and the development of the Biodiversity Resources Assessment Information Network (BRAIN), a system to step up the drive against illegal wildlife trafficking in Palawan.
Through capacity building, the BRAIN system, and other strategic assistance, San Diego said the USAID Protect Wildlife hopes to contribute to a shift to a more proactive approach in combating wildlife crimes in the province.
He said the tablets will be used by the PCSDS enforcers to access the BRAIN system for improved monitoring and enforcement on the field.
BRAIN is an electronic management tool that the USAID Protect Wildlife and PCSDS are currently developing.
“Mag-pre-present lang po ang PCSDS ng activities supported by the USAID. Then afterward mag-turnover na siya ng boots, backpacks, tents, tablets, etc. sa enforcers ng PCSD at Bantay Palawan Task Force na mga gamit sa field ops. The field gears we are turning over is our tangible way of showing support to enforcers of PCSDS and Bantay Palawan Task Force,” San Diego added.
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