The City Council has approved a resolution requesting City Mayor Lucilo Bayron to consider including in the 2021 budget the proposed aid to Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) amounting to P500,000.
City Vice Mayor Nancy Socrates told Palawan Daily News (PDN) Tuesday, June 23, this is aimed at assisting PWRCC further carry out its tasks as a center for wildlife rescue and conservation.
Vice Mayor Socrates said this amount may be used for facility’s maintenance or in however PWRCC deem necessary to spend toward its improvement.
“Pag-punta namin doon napakaayos naman, talagang ‘yong protocols mahigpit din sila, ‘yong sa mga safety precautions. Noong nandoon na kami, ang ganda pa pala ‘yan sa likod. Tapos sa may likod may area pa na they plan to turn into a park. Nandoon ‘yong mga endangered species na iba na kanilang nase-save,” said Socrates.
“Ang nakita lang namin kailangan na ring ayusin ‘yong kanilang mga trails,” she added.
Vice Mayor Socrates said while PWRCC receives some financial help from the national government, it will be much better when the city government extends to it an aid as well.
Socrates stated PWRCC mostly depends upon its own income to finance its operation, however with the situation brought about by COVID-19 pandemic, makes it necessary for the City Government to extend this assistance.
“For whatever they need to improve, kung saan mas magandang gamitin. Kasi although they get a certain amount from the national government, mostly they survive on their own income, so ‘yong mga entrance fees, ay siyempre noong dati maganda naman ang kanilang pangita, kaya lang ‘diba since January halos wala silang income,” said Socrates.
“At saka I think kahit na may regular income sila maganda rin na may kaunting ayuda from the city para name-maintain. At saka kasi nga it is a Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center so para mas magawa nila ‘yong trabaho nila talaga na rescuing and then at some point ‘pag-okay na is i-release again the animals into the wild, so para kahit papaano may ayuda rin ang city sa kanilang mga ginagawa, para mas mapaganda,” she added.
Socrates further stated that while they invite the locals to patronize their own tourism sites including PWRCC, it is necessary to abide to every established health safety protocol.
City Councilor Matthew Mendoza, Chair of the Committee on Tourism also told Palawan Daily News Tuesday that they encourage Puerto Princesans and Palaweños to support this local destination provided they strictly observe all the standard protocols.
“Noong last week nag-usap-usap kami at siyempre si Vice [Nancy] ang nag-spearhead na mag-support sa ating mga local destinations na nag-o-open na, nagre-re-open for tourism, para mag-serve as example na it is safe to go out basta mag-observe lang ng mga guidelines ba as standard protocol natin,” said Mendoza.
“Noong nandoon kami sa Crocodile Farm, ‘yong mga kasama namin, sila Councilors Oliveros [and] Ventura natuwa sa facility dahil malinis, well-maintained, pero talagang aminado sila (PWRCC) kailangan nila ng extra, [ng] assistance. Just like ‘yong ating Palawan Museum diyan sa Mendoza Park, may aid ‘yan from the City Government. Doon nabuo, I think kung hindi ako nagkakamali si [Councilor] Victor [Oliveros] or si [Councilor] Roy [Ventura], hindi ko maalala basta any of them two, nag-suggest na, ‘Oh para makatulong tayo mag-propose tayo, gumawa ng isang resolution na mag-bigay ng aid sa Crocodile Farm’,” said Mendoza.
City Councilor Mendoza reiterated that this invitation is directed only to Puerto Princesans and Palaweños, and not yet to domestic tourists from outside the province.
Councilor Mendoza added the request is now subject to the approval of Mayor Lucilo Bayron.
