11 – 15 May 2009 The miracle of the golden pearl When we saw mariculture listed amongst the subjects WWF wished us to document, my first thought was Jewelmer. For many years, we have longed to photograph a pearl farm to see how the famed South Sea Pearls came to be. An organic jewel made by a living [...]
9-10 May 2009 Palm-fringed beaches, bright white sand, turquoise waters and, of course, a little sunbathing cabana in Pangalusian Island Lunch in a resort such as MIR and LIR means you are spoilt for choice. When asked, “Where would you like to have your lunch, ma’am?” I'd scratch my head and ask, “Where would you [...]
7 May 2009 We first visited the El Nido Town to pay a visit to the dynamic Woman Mayor Leonor Corral. Mayor Corral took the time to give us an overview of her conservation efforts and initiatives and reiterated more than once the value of collaboration with NGOs such as the El Nido Foundation, the Philippine Rural [...]
6 – 8 May 2009 Miniloc Island Resort - El Nido's idyllic haven amidst limestone cliffs Shifting gears from on-the-ground land subsistence activities to first class tourism, we travelled from eastern Taytay islands to the posh Miniloc Island Resort in the western part of Northern Palawan. We have had to rough it for a full [...]
2 – 4 May 2009 Finally, we have good Internet connection! We're back in Manila, and can backtrack and report on the last three weeks of our Palawan adventure. We'll start with rare dolphins . . . We could not imagine going to Malampaya Sound for just a few days, thinking we would need a couple of [...]
By Alya B. Honasan Angelique Songco manages the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan with a lot of passion It's late one summer morning, the sun is illuminating the crystal-clear waters of the magnificent Sulu Sea—and it’s a fierce war zone in the 4,737-hectare lagoon of the North Atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan, the Philippines. [...]
2 May 2009 By Alya B. Honasan The sting Expedition writer Alya Honasan (middle) with the Freund Factory It's been over a week since I got back from the first leg of the WWF Coral Triangle Initiative Photographic Expedition of J�rgen and Stella Freund to Tubbataha in the Sulu Sea, but it took a while to [...]
27/28 April 2009 We spent an enlightening day and night on Green Island, Palawan. About 2,000 people, children included, live there. There are 360 households, and if you do the math, that’s about an average of 5.5 people per household. One family has 14 children! Underwater flashlight! You could walk this small, elongated fishing village from [...]
26 April 2009 Many thanks to Boy Bonoan and Ofie Rondina of the Palawan Provincial Government, our land transport to Northern Palawan was all organized. Once in Roxas, a scenic two-hour coastal ride north from Puerto Princesa, our guide Albert Ladica met us at our Pension. Albert is the Fisheries Technician of the Department of [...]
21 April 2009 Luli Arroyo infected with our COTS quest The guests onboard Oceana Maria joined in gathering COTS. Among them was Luli Arroyo, the Philippine President’s daughter and Southeast Asia Policy Officer for WWF Coral Triangle Programme. The fervor did not abate and as the stabbing sticks were not enough, rangers watched [...]
