The Provincial Board urged all municipalities in Palawan to conduct seminars regarding wildlife-handling and protection of wildlife species that are considered by residents to be pests.
Board Member Clarito D. Demaala IV said in the resolution he authored that there is a need to educate the affected communities ‘’how they can properly deal’ with’ wildlife species. This can be done, he said, in cooperation with the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) and other LGUs.
“Yung mga LGUs, [they can] check kung ano pong mga areas yung laging mayroong klaseng problema so that we can ask Palawan Wildlife Rescue Conservation Center on the training on how the people will confront kapag nandyan na po. Hindi po kapag nandyan na yung bayawak, hindi po dapat pinapatay yan. tsaka hindi po kinakain,’’ Demaala said.
Demaala cited concerns of wildlife incidents that are happening in some communities such as crocodile attacks in Balabac, Bataraza and Rizal. Monitor Lizards (Bayawak) bouts poultry and at risk of being depleted and sea turtles eating seaweeds. These wildlife species are being considered as ‘’pest’’ by destroying the livelihood and attacking residents. However, these wildlife species and humans are both sharing habitat and need respect.
“We are sharing our habitats to them. And they have their own habitat na hindi natin pwedeng galawin,’’ Demaala added. The resolution would serve as an arm to reach out to the people of Palawan to raise awareness not to kill these species.
“Dapat po maturuan sila kung paano maiwasan yung magkaroon ng patayan at kainan. Alam po natin na kung mawala yan hindi na po balance ang ecology natin. Kailangan magkaroon ng balance sa ating probinsya at alam po natin na hindi natin pwede paalisin [ng basta bata lamang] because its serves as their natural habitat,’’ Demaala pointed out.
Board Member Francis Ponce De Leon, meanwhile, suggested to include Caluit Park to train people of Calamian as well.
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