20 August 2008
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Published on August 20th, 2008 @ 01:49:39 pm, using 649 words, 17 views
The New 7 Wonders of the World campaign was a resounding success, in which more than 100 million votes were cast and which took democracy to a new global level. Now, the second campaign organized by the non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, to choose the New7Wonders? of Nature, is off to a promising start: Some 200 nominations were submitted by some half a million people within the first few months of the campaign.
Voting for nominees will continue through 31.12.08. Then, a panel of experts will create a list of 21 candidates from which voters worldwide will elect the New7Wonders? of Nature. The New7Wonders? Panel of Experts, under the leadership of Prof. Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, will select the 21 Finalists from the top-ranked Official Supported Nominees (to ensure the fairness of the process, the names of the Panel of Experts will be released after their decision has been made). The 21 finalists will then be put to popular vote.
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I'm encouraging and inviting all Filipinos and nature lovers from around the world to vote all our Philippine entries and rule the New7Wonders!!! Show your support to our nominees and be part of our own global success by clicking the 'Vote' on every entries below.
CHOCOLATE HILLS - BOHOL, PHILIPPINES
"Chocolate Hills look like simply as ''herseys kisses chocolate'', an amazing and wonderful gift of nature. An inexplicable creation!"
The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines. It is composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills, all about the same size, spread over an area of more than 50 sq km The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them the name ''Chocolate Hills.''
TUBBATAHA REEF - PHILIPPINES
"This wonderful gift of nature reminds us that even underwater, there is a treasured paradise. So please vote Tubbataha Reef!"
Tubbataha Reef is an atoll coral reef in the Sulu Sea that belongs to the Philippines. It is a marine sanctuary protected as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park. The reef is composed of two atolls, North and South Reefs. Each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel 8 kilometers wide. Over one thousand species, including many that are endangered, can be found at on the reef. These include manta rays, lionfish, tortoises, clownfish and sharks.
PUERTO PRINCESA SUBTERRANEAN RIVER NATIONAL PARK - PHILIPPINES
"Inside this longest navigable underground river, you can explore distinct stalagmite and stalactite rock formations which are truly only one of their kind!"
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.
MAYON VOLCANO - PHILIPPINES
"Truly one of the most beautiful and perfectly made masterpiece that God had created to be proud of not just for the Filipinos but also the people around the world!"
Mayon Volcano is an active volcano on the Filipino island of Luzon, 15 km northwest of Legazpi City.It is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano). Its symmetric cone was formed through alternate pyroclastic and lava flows. Mayon is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted over 47 times in the past 400 years, and is a part of what is called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
18 August 2008
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Published on August 18th, 2008 @ 01:02:25 pm, using 449 words, 19 views
Source: WWF
Locusts of the sea, they come by the thousands and leave behind a watery graveyard of coral skeletons.
An enormous wave of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is wreaking havoc on Palawan's Green Island Bay, famed for harbouring one of the country's few remaining populations of Dugong.
The damage wrought by this year's outbreak is very alarming, said Sheila Albasin, WWF Roxas Population, Health Environment Project Manager. Live coral cover in one marine protected area dropped from last year's 70% to a mere 10% - due mostly to starfish predation.
Largest of its kind, the crown-of-thorns starfish or cots is a robust and voracious echinoderm that feeds exclusively on the tissue of living coral. A single adult can obliterate 10 square meters of healthy reef annually.
Unchecked, they pose a major threat to national food security - since a healthy square kilometre of coral reef can produce up to 30-tonnes of fish - or more importantly, food - yearly.
Cleanups Yield Thousands
Cots populations swell each summer, when the ocean is at its warmest. Outbreaks can reach plague proportions, with adults capable of laying up to 60 million eggs per batch.
To save remaining coral cover, a series of cleanup operations are being implemented by WWF-Philippines, the Local Government of Roxas and the Bantay Dagat, with help from the Western Philippines University, Community Environment Natural Resources Office of DENR and a growing army of local volunteers and fishermen.
Over 30,000 of the poisonous starfish have been collected since late March, a painstaking process in which divers armed with hooks literally gaff individual starfish which are then disposed of on land. In comparison, cleanups in Apo Reef, the country's largest, yielded just 6,000 last year.
Cots cleanup efforts continue in the seven Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of Roxas, covering the barangays of Tumarbong, Johnson Island, Malcampo, Rizal and Caramay.
Perfect Coral Predators
Growing to 40 cm, its sheer bulk, coupled with a dense coat of stinging spines up to 5 cm long, prove an effective deterrent against most cots predators. Predation of adults mainly falls to the Napoleon Wrasse (Mameng), Harlequin Shrimp, Giant Triton (Budyong) and larger types of pufferfish. Larval and juvenile cots are eaten by filter-feeders such as corals and tube worms. Sadly, much of the 25,000 square kilometers covered by Philippine reefs has been overfished: most of the predators that provide a natural control mechanism for the starfish are long gone.
WWF has been working for years to steward the rich marine resources of Green Island Bay in North Palawan, a critical component of the earth's Coral Triangle - an incredibly productive region that feeds a half-billion people yearly. Whilst cleanups continue, locals are starting to report smaller outbreaks in adjacent Honda Bay, near the famed Dos Palmas Resort.
12 August 2008
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Published on August 12th, 2008 @ 12:47:56 pm, using 390 words, 23 views
Source: WWF
Re-seeding programmes on over 50 reefs are securing the survival of the giant clam for at least another generation, according to WWF-Philippines.
The clams, the world's largest bivalve mollusks and the star of lurid but mostly imaginary literary and cinematic depictions of trapped divers, can live for over a century. They have been known to exceed 1.4 metres in length and weigh in at over 260 kilograms.
Once common throughout Philippine reefs, excessive hunting for the food, pet and curio trade all but depleted the wild giant clam population by the mid-1980s, prompting the IUCN to classify them as vulnerable.
An attempt to restore natural clam populations is now being spearheaded by Dr. Suzanne Mingoa-Licuanan of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in partnership with WWF-Philippines.
“Several species of laboratory-raised giant clams have been re-seeded in over 50 reefs nationwide, significantly bolstering wild stocks and ensuring their survival for at least another generation, said WWF Project Manager Paolo Pagaduan.
By way of example, a fresh batch of 40 true giant clams (Tridacna gigas) wrapped in watertight plastic bags made the journey last month from rearing laboratories in the west of the country down the coast to their new homes in Batangas province on Santelmo Reef, a prized snorkeling site being restored with the help of WWF and a nearby ecotourism development.
With an average length of 36 centimetres and weighing almost 10 kilograms, each of the 40 clams was painstakingly but successfully laid to rest “alive of course“ in pre-designated nooks and crannies. Some 102 clams were planted in the same area last November and another 35 are being grown for transplanting in coming months.
When we planted the first batch last November, all clam mantles were pale ochre. Now, each clam shows off electric hues of blue and violet “an indicator that the area is conducive to clam growth, said Pagaduan.
It is hoped that baby clam recruits will eventually appear to seed outlying areas in Batangas.
Giant clams are an integral part of the reef, serving as nurseries for a host of fish and invertebrate species including damsels, gobies and tiny commensal crustaceans such as shrimp.
Sedentary organisms like sponges, tunicates, corals and algae find giant clam shells perfect substrates for attachment. Giant clams also act as filter feeders, sifting planktonic debris from the water for food thereby improving overall water quality.
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Published on August 12th, 2008 @ 12:36:23 pm, using 1079 words, 23 views
Article by Martin J. Young © 2008
About a two-hour drive and an hour's boat ride south of the balmy, bustling streets of Manila loom the cloud-covered hills of Mindoro Island, its shoreline and some of the best diving in the Philippines. Puerto Galera and its surrounds have become popular in recent years because of their proximity to the capital and the variety and number of dive sites available. My week-long adventure took me to a rustic little tourist beach called Sabang, which is perched on the northeastern tip of Oriental Mindoro province. Access is via a 200 peso boat (banca) ride from the port town of Batangas on neighboring Luzon. Sabang is a quaint little place dotted with dive shops, small restaurants, and bars all connected by a series of narrow streets and walkways. It has yet to suffer the invasion of motorbikes, taxis and buses found in many dive and holiday resorts across the sea in Thailand, although there is the odd jeepney to take you into Puerto Galera town 10 minutes away.
The shoreline of the small bay is a kaleidoscope of colours and activity, with small dive tenders coming to and from the reef, local bancas bobbing in the waves, kids playing in the shallow, crystal-clear waters, and tourists ambling along the beachfront. The beach itself is not that impressive but I was not there to sample the sand and sun “ it is what lay beneath the waves that had my attention. The accommodation was good, and my chosen resort offered a pool, restaurant, bar and dive shop “ I could want for no more. The following morning on tracking down the dive staff, I was simply asked: When do you want to go? All of the diving is done directly from the beachfront resort, as the dive sites are all close, the furthest being about 20 minutes away. This was a novelty for me who, having done most of my diving in the past few years in Thailand, was used to a two-to-three-hour boat journey to get to the dive sites. We geared up at the resort, jumped in the tender, and were off across the bay as the brilliant sunshine glinted off the cerulean waters of the South China Sea. Ten minutes later we arrived at the dive site, a spot called Hole in the Wall, and rolled backwards into the blue.
The visibility was impressive at more than 20 metres, as was the marine life, with large schools of anthias, damselfish and fusiliers to greet us. The sloping reef dropped down below 30 metres, though we stayed relatively shallow, taking in the vibrant colours and fish life, which included butterflyfish, wrasse, triggerfish, hawkfish and boxfish. There was a small swim-through from which the dive site derived its name and some nice coral gardens in which to make the safety stop.
The next morning's dive took us to the wreck of the Alma Jane, a cargo vessel purposely scuttled in Sabang Bay to create an artificial reef and dive site. The visibility at 30 metres was still good as inquisitive schools of batfish circled the wreck and the divers. There was plenty to see here, with lionfish making their home in the dark corners of the hull, stingrays stealthily hiding in the sand, tiny blennies darting in and out of crevices and large schools of fusiliers and drummers gliding around the supports of the vessel.
There are three more wrecks in Sabang Bay itself, all conveniently close to one another and only two minutes from the beach. The aptly named Sabang Wrecks dive site makes a great afternoon dive when the light is good; all three wrecks are in about 18 metres of water and are all a haven for marine life, with camouflaged scorpionfish, reclusive morays, mantis shrimp and schools of striped catfish all resident. The wrecks themselves have disintegrated over the years, though one is still penetrable. There will always be something different lurking on the wrecks, and they also make a great night dive “ providing you don't surface at one of Sabang's two floating bars and get distracted first!
The Kilima Drift was an exhilarating dive invoking the feeling of flying as the current swept me across the reef bed at speed past seafans, whips and all manner of feather stars and other crinoids. There was no time to stop for photos on this dive “ I just lay back and enjoyed the ride. Towards the end of the dive the current has a tendency to pull you down to 20 metres and beyond, so care must be taken not to get literally carried away!
The Canyons is an impressive deep dive where three gullies at about 30 metres offer feeding opportunities for all manner of fish, including sweetlips, jacks, trevally and groupers. The often strong current here draws in the bigger fish, and morning is a great time as feeding on the reef is heightened. Large schools of hunters circled above us and some huge oriental sweetlips lurked below on this dive site.
Macro fans will not be disappointed either, as the sheer number and variety of nudibranchs found while diving around Sabang is astounding. Never have I seen such a large concentration of them. There were so many that it was often difficult to identify them all on the surface, certainly a number of species that I had never seen before. Sinandigan Wall is a good dive site for nudibranch fans, with no fewer than 12 different types noted on one dive. The usual reef critters were also in attendance, with the elusive ghost pipefish, cleaner shrimp, banded sea snakes and juvenile octopus all spotted and entered in the dive log.
Sabang provides a great base to explore the surrounding reef and wrecks. The coral is in good condition and marine life is abundant. There have been a number of efforts by local dive operators and authorities to preserve the reef, such as a clam garden seeded by a local university and a couple of sunken vessels to promote coral growth. One of the highlights for me was the fact that there are more than 20 different dive sites all within a 10-minute boat ride from the beach, which means you can spend less time traveling and more time diving. Sabang Beach is also a great place to hang out, with its novel floating bars, where I spent much of my after-dive time, a number of discos, and a few hostess bars for those looking for a bit of action above the surface.
09 August 2008
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Published on August 9th, 2008 @ 01:09:55 pm, using 1428 words, 46 views
An old news and article yet inspiring story that I really insisted to post here in our blog to share with you the story of an American guy who adopts the culture and traditions of the Mangyan, a people he didn't even know existed.
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CALAPAN CITY-The 46-year-old wears a G-string with ease, his teeth have been darkened by 15 years of chewing betel nut, and he speaks fluent Filipino.
The Mangyans - Photo by: Arj Muñoz
Frank Fischer arrived in Oriental Mindoro province in October 1978 with 30 other Peace Corps volunteers. Then 21 and a fresh graduate of economics from a university in New York, he never dreamed he would spend the next 25 years of his life on the island with the Mangyan, a people he didn't even know existed.
"Lubak-lubak pa ang kalsada noon mula sa Calapan pier papuntang Bongabong (The road from the Calapan pier to Bongabong town was still rough)," says Fischer, whom the townsfolk call Kiko.
In those days, the cost of a boat ride from Batangas province to Oriental Mindoro was only six pesos. That trip of three hours has since been cut to two (for 82 pesos), and even 45 minutes (on the Supercat, for 240 pesos).
To get from Calapan to Bongabong, his work area, Kiko paid 11 pesos.
"Akala ko, lahat ay dagat at bundok sa Asia," Kiko says, recalling his initial notion that it was all sea and mountains in the region.
He arrived in barangay (village) Batangan, a lively community with houses close to one another, and was soon taken by the ways of the Buhid-Mangyan tribe.
He donned a G-string as early as his second day. "I didn't speak English in order to learn and assimilate the soul and culture of the natives," he said in Filipino.
Kiko stayed in Batangan for three days, assisting in organizing the Community Nutrition Development Program for the Mangyan of Bongabong.
After a year, he was assigned to Batangan again, subsisting on a monthly meal allowance of 1,100 pesos.
He has since chosen to live there, and regularly seeks an extension of his stay.
After each term, he would fly to the United States where his family unfailingly urged him to stay put.
Lately, he has been visiting Europe where his mother and some of his siblings are based.
Kiko says he was attracted to the Mangyan culture "because it is very pure."
In contrast to the ways of foreigners, he says, the Mangyan ways of "pakikisama" (getting along with others) and hospitality are unconditional. Everyone knows everyone else, unlike in New York.
Kiko says an association--the Isang Samahang Buhid covering the towns of Roxas, Mansalay and Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro and San Jose, Rizal and other towns in Occidental Mindoro province--ensures the absence of conflict among the Buhid-Mangyan.
He says he has not seen anger, only mild "tampuhan" (misunderstanding), which, he notes, may be expressed by intentionally missing association meetings.
"I don't like trouble, and I used to mediate between my two elder brothers when I was a child," he says.
He leaves the area during election time. He says he does not want to meddle in the community's political affairs although some of its officials have become his friends, and even family.
Kiko admires the intelligence of the Buhid-Mangyan, and points out that their fear of the punishment of the spirits deters them from wrongdoing.
"That's why I respect their culture even if I'm an American," he says.
He challenges the notion that his adopted people are "uncivilized."
"Are they uncivilized, the Buhid-Mangyan who are always happy and where there is no killing?" he says, chewing on betel nut.
Kiko has a pair of pants and a good T-shirt to his name. He wears these when transacting with the government, private organizations, various church groups, and friends he has made (he already has a number of "kumpare" (fellow godparents) and "inaanak" (godchildren).
Otherwise, he is happy with three or four G-strings and a few worn-out T-shirts that, he says, are appropriate for day-to-day activities.
"The G-string is practical because it easily dries after getting wet in the river," he says.
The American is no VIP in Batangan. Like the rest of the community, he tills the land in the "kaingin" (slash-and-burn) way and produces corn and vegetables for daily consumption.
Like the rest, he is not spared the annoyance presented by pests like farm rats.
During kaingin time, he walks many kilometers and crosses dangerous rivers in the course of accomplishing his tasks.
Kiko considers his work as generic, informal, and low-key. He serves as an adviser, procures fruit seedlings, and assists in the marketing of produce, among others.
"My work is one of support," he says.
Because he speaks the language, Kiko has helped register the tribe with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He also translates documents that are written in English.
He has also taught the Buhid-Mangyan to use the kilogram in selling their produce, in order to guard against being swindled.
"There is always a new challenge and I don't get bored," says Kiko.
He calls some lowlanders "unscrupulous" for grabbing Mangyan land and poisoning their river.
On May 7, 1992, then environment secretary Fulgencio Factoran Jr. approved the Mangyan's use of 1,900 hectares. They were awarded a Certificate of Community Forest Stewardship, renewable after 25 years and granted under the government's Integrated Social Forestry Program.
This has made Kiko very happy.
But he is saddened by this fact: The number of dead Buhid-Mangyan in his adopted home is bigger than the number of persons he knows in the United States.
He feels sorry that most Mangyan die of respiratory diseases, like pneumonia.
He laments that the Mangyan have less access to medicine and proper nutrition. (He is helping a tuberculosis patient seek medication through government services.)
Kiko remembers being afflicted by typhoid fever and malaria. In both cases, he says, he was healed by a medicine man using traditional medicine.
He suggests that schools should not undermine traditional medicines and practices like those of the Mangyan.
And love?
Kiko admits falling in love--and being spurned--through the years of staying in Mangyan areas.
It appears that because the American has no relatives in the area, Buhid-Mangyan women fear the tremendous responsibility of caring for him in case he gets sick or injured.
Also, his height, skin color and general difference in looks make the women steer clear.
Kiko has paid court three times. He says he devoted 3-5 years in courting each Buhid-Mangyan woman whom he describes as beautiful and kind.
One time, he says, he slept in the house of the woman and was shouted at by her parents after only one hour. They feared responsibility for him, he says.
Thus, says Kiko, work has become his life. This is why he finds it difficult to describe himself without mentioning his work.
It appears that he has lost all time for love--or leisure.
His travels, for example, are always with a purpose. After all these years, he has not even been to Puerto Galera, the most popular tourist destination in the area.
Additional Info from Wikipedia:
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found in Mindoro island, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs.
The ethnic groups from north to south of the island are: Iraya, Alangan, Tadyawan, Tawbuid (called Batangan by lowlanders on the west of the island), Buhid, Hanunoo. An additional group on the south coast is labelled Ratagnon. They appear to be intermarried with lowlanders. The group known on the east of Mindoro as Bangon may be a subgroup of Tawbuid, as they speak the 'western' dialect of that language.
The total population may be around 100,000, but no official statistics are available because of the difficulties of counting remote and reclusive tribal groups, many of which have no contact with the outside world.
Mangyan are mainly subsistence agriculturalists, planting a variety of sweet potato, upland (dry cultivation) rice, and taro. They also trap small animals and wild pig. Many who live in close contact with lowland Filipinos sell cash crops such as bananas and ginger.
Their languages are mutually unintelligible, though they share some vocabulary. Tawbuid and Buhid are closely related, and are unusual among Philippine languages in using the /f/ phoneme. Tawbuid is divided into eastern and western dialects. Western Tawbuid may be the only Philippine language to have no glottal phonemes, having neither /h/ or /ʔ/.
Their traditional religious world view is animistic (Animism). Around 10% have embraced Christianity, both Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism. New Testaments have been published in six of the languages.
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Published on August 9th, 2008 @ 12:21:17 pm, using 427 words, 19 views
By Simon Rogerson
More than 7,000 islands make up this archipelago, with most of the diving taking place south of the capital city, Manila. Much of the diving is concentrated around the central islands known as the Visayas, but the nation's most popular resort centre is Puerto Galera.
Map of the Philippines
Situated just a short hop from the main island of Luzon, Puerto Galera offers good quality general diving. The reefs have deteriorated somewhat over the past decade (notably at the site called Coral Garden), but there's still enough fish life and even a few wrecks to keep divers occupied.
This is the place to come if you want to combine good, varied diving and the exotic nightlife that comes with a fully-fledged resort strip. You get all sorts here, from macro photographers to full-on technical divers.
To the south, there's good diving around the islands of Bohol and Cebu, where it's possible to stay in small tourist villages which hug the coast, such as Moalboal or Panglao Beach. Basic liveaboards are available for safaris to quality offshore sites such as Apo Reef and Tubbataha. As with many parts of Indonesia and the Philippines, dynamite fishing has taken its toll on many areas. But that which remains is more often than not spectacular, with soft and hard corals, anemones, crinoids and tunicates vying for every available inch of space.
The Philippines is even gaining a name for itself as a macro destination. Revered Japanese photographer Yoshi Hirata has been discovering promising new sites in Cebu, and European snappers are praising Puerto Galera for its array of frogfish and nudibranchs.
Some of the best shore-based diving is concentrated around the island of Palawan. As well as some impressive reefs, there is Coron Bay, with an array of Japanese Second World War wrecks to rival Chuuk Lagoon. The ships were sunk in 1944, when part of the the US fleet embarked on what was at the time the longest-distance air raid in history - their target was 350 miles away. At Coron Bay, 18 Japanese ships were sunk, some of which were rumoured to be carrying gold (which has never been 'officially' recovered). Visibility here is typically low - visitors have likened it to UK-style wreck diving with warm water!
Diving explorers, including Ron Holland formerly of Borneo Divers, have been on expeditions to the Sulu Sea and the Tawi-Tawi region in the extreme south of the Philippines. Those reefs which have not been dynamited are said to be amazingly rich, but the region is currently too politically unstable for any sort of travel.
06 August 2008
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Published on August 6th, 2008 @ 12:54:23 pm, using 276 words, 34 views
Text by: Positive News Media
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, May 30 (PNA)--The 7107 Island Cruise Ship is now conveniently servicing the Coron - Puerto Galera - Boracay for local and foreign tourists, according to First district Rep. Antonio Alvarez.
Alvarez said the luxury vessel owned by businessman Esteban c. Tajanlangit, Sr. offers 137 rooms that can accommodate more than 400 guests.
â€The guests will be pampered with all the luxury a five star hotel can offerâ€, the solon said, in an interview by DWRM-Radyo ng Bayan Palawan anchored by veteran broadcaster Ka Ernie Alcala.
Coron Mayor Marjo Reyes hailed the opening of sea route in Coron, saying that it continues to attract tourists in the country and the world due to its diving courses.
Reyes, a younger brother of Palawan Gov. Joel T. Reyes, said it this will add revenues and opportunities to local businesses and residents.
Gaining popularity among divers are the sunken shipwrecks in the waters of Coron where they can explore World War II vintage Japanese battleships and freighters at a depth of 10 to 40 meters.
For divers, a close-up view of the imperial Japanese fleet is like being in an underwater museum.
A total 34 warship wrecks and refuelling ships of Japanese fleet are lying most under the seabed accessible in the Calamianes Island Group (Coron, Culion, Linapacan and Busuanga). Some of the wrecks are comparable to other fabulous dive sites in the world.
Nearby island town, Busuanga is also one of the Philippine's best kept diving secrets that boasts of a dozen wreck sites for great adventure.
Busuanga, likewise, is also a zoo host without bars which is home to both African animals and Palawan’s endemic creatures. (PNA)
04 August 2008
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Published on August 4th, 2008 @ 09:03:14 pm, using 514 words, 39 views
Author: G. Deichmann
BREAKING NEWS...
I am very proud to announce that the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance is NOW affiliated and in support of the Reef Check-Philippines the local chapter of Reef Check International, a non-profit organization. please read below our very first article from Lee Goldman, Marine Biologist and a member of the Alliance with S.E. Asia Kayak Tours. Very soon we fire up our complete and restructured Alliancediving.com website...amazing what is in store...you just have to stay tuned with The Divers Choice or subscribe to our Blog.
See below the screenshots of the Reef Check brochure soon available as a download on our updated site.
GD
Hi Gunther,
A while back I wrote about an upcoming project concerning the Philippines, the Philippine chapter of an international conservation NGO (Non-Government Organization), and two members of the Alliance.
Well, we've finished the details and are ready to announce our project. Reef Check-Philippines is the local chapter of Reef Check International, a non-profit organization that designs coral reef monitoring protocols and conservation action plans. Monitoring our reefs is essential to caring for them, and helps to make assessments on reef health and diversity. Ideally, the best people to monitor the reefs are the people in the community and active divers who not only have a vested interest in the health of world-wide reefs, but interact with them on a regular basis. Reef Check developed their monitoring protocols based on accepted scientific methods, yet made it easily understood by and effective for non-scientific based participants.
Our 10-day expedition will survey the reefs around Puerto Galera and the Verde Islands group. Puerto Galera is known the world over for its amazing diversity and the nearby Verde Islands group continually makes the biodiversity spotlight for its potential to be the center of the center of fish biodiversity within the famed 'Coral Triangle'. For our base of operations, we chose Alliance partner, Asia Divers and El Galleon Resort in Puerto Galera. Of course, Asia Divers and El Galleon Resort are world class operations themselves offering top quality service, expertise, and professionalism as a PADI 5-star Resort. Pairing the location with an exceptional resort and diving service made for the perfect place to conduct our surveys to gather baseline data for continual monitoring.
This won't be the first time I thank Allan Nash, Asia Divers, and El Galleon Resort for their interest and help in bringing this expedition together. We hope it is a huge success, as not only will the participants gain valuable skills, have fun, and dive in world-class sites, but the people of Puerto Galera and the Philippines will benefit from this on an exponential level.
The other member of the Alliance Me, S.E.Asia Kayak Tours. My experience as a marine biologist and expedition leader was the perfect skill-set for the development of this expedition and I will continue to work with Reef Check Philippines on future expeditions around the islands of the Philippines.
For more information, please contact Lee Goldman at lee@asiakayaktours.com
Reef Check Philippines: http://www.reefcheckphilippines.org/
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