The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO) of Puerto Princesa initiated weeklong activities from March 21-25, 2022 at Robinson’s Place-Palawan to commemorate various environmental events and in an effort to intensify its awareness campaign to protect and conserve our environment.
The activities include exhibit display, puppet show, painting contest, and games.
The activities are in line with the celebration of the International Day of the Forest on March 21, and World Water Day on March 22.
Yesterday, the activities officially started with a ribbon cutting together with partner government agencies and organizations, and visitors.
Atty. Carlo B. Gomez, the City Environment and Natural Resources Officer lead the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Also present during the event were PENR Officer Felizardo Cayatoc and CENR Officer Pedro Velasco of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Forester Jovic Fabello of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), Edilberto Magpayo, Tandikan Project Officer of the Pilipinas Shell Foundation. Also present were representatives from AB Conservation, a non-government organization and children from Jesus Touch Church.
The event was highlighted by the showing of puppet show.
The puppet show entitled “Ginto sa Dagta,” is the story of two children belonging to the Batak community in CNCH locally known as “Puyos. They faced a problem on over-extraction of Almaciga resin considered as non-timber forest product, and rampant wildlife hunting and trade. They later realized the importance of forest protection to preserve their culture and ensure the sustainability of their livelihood.
Ginto sa Dagta (Gold in tree sap) underscores the Gold in tree sap refers to the highly valued resin extracted from Almaciga tree. Almaciga (Agathis philippinensis) is one of the timber species endemic to the different provinces in the country. It grows in mountainous forests in Palawan.
The actors that comprise the marketing system for almaciga resin in Palawan include the tappers, kapatas, ahente, concessionaires, traders, manufacturers, end-users and importers.
The gatherers usually receive Php 22.00 per kilo of almaciga resin from the kapatas. In some instances, the tappers sell the resins to ahente or directly to concessionaires and traders or to whoever will offer a more competitive price-according to the Value Chain Study for Almaciga resin conducted in 2013 by the Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) Task Force, a non-government organization.
NTFP study said that the concessionaires will sell the resin at P32 per kilo to provincial traders, while provincial traders will sell it to the national traders at P40-P60 per kilo price, while exporters sell it at P90 per kilo.
An article published by Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) said that the almaciga resin which is a non-timber forest product—is the world-renowned Manila copal— which is used in manufacturing varnishes, lacquer, soap, paint, printing inks, linoleum, shoe polish, floor wax, plastic, water proofing materials, paper sizing, and other products.
“Almaciga resin is an important dollar earner among the country’s non-timber forest products. From 2000 to 2009, an average of 202,400 kilograms (kg) of Manila copal amounting to USD 188,900 was exported to France, Germany, Japan, Spain, China, and Switzerland. This species, however, is rapidly vanishing, and almaciga logging is currently banned by the Philippine government. Yet, almaciga may vanish naturally even if left undisturbed. In recent years, there have been reports of dying trees because of heartwood rotting, and destructive and excessive tapping of the resin,” the published article reads.
Several studies conducted by scientists and trainings to local communities has been conducted to help prevent the extinction of almaciga trees in Palawan to improve their resin harvesting methods. As a result, the population of almaciga tree is expected to increase.
In its message during the International Day of the Forest, the City ENRO said that our forest play a vital role in sustaining life and biodiversity, food security and habitat for wildlife and many more.
“Let us continue to promote our stand to protect, to conserve and to preserve our forests here in Puerto Princesa,” the message reads.