The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) approved the creation of seven sub-committees under the Environment and Natural Resources Committee (ENRC).
This was confirmed by PCSD spokesperson Jovic Fabello during the one-on-one interview of Palawan Daily News (PDN) team recently.
According to Fabello, some of the said sub-committees are Sub-committee on Pangolin Research,
Sub-committee on Invasive Alien Species, Sub-committee on Crocodile Conservation and Management, Sub-committee on Economically Important Species, and Sub-committee on Tribal Affairs.
He said that the Sub-com on Pangolin Research will be chaired by Katala Foundation, Inc. (KFI) and PFTCP Director Sabine Schoppe while the Sub-committee on Crocodile Conservation and Management will be chaired by the PWRCC and vice-chaired by Crocodylus Porosus Philippines, Inc. (CPPI) program director Rainier Manalo. But he added that for the meantime, he cannot give the full details because it is not yet in a form of a resolution.
“Ngayon kasi ang Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), dalawa lang ang working committees, ito ‘yung Adjudication Board, ito ‘yung mga naghi-hear ng mga kaso, mga violation sa PCSD at ‘yung isa ay ang Environment Committee. So, after ng last meeting namin no’ng January, nag-umpisa na kami nag-create ng mga sub-committees pa para mas lalong ma-deliberate ‘yung mga issues, affecting the environment and the development ng Palawan. So, may nabuo kaming pitong [sub]-committees pa,” Fabello said few minutes ago after the Council’s last meeting on Feb. 27.
The official said that as part of the role of the newly created sub-committees, the members will conduct a meeting a week before the Council’s Meeting in order to tackle the issues at hand and afterwards submit a recommendation to ENRC. In this way, he said that during the meeting of the PCSD, only the recommendation will be tackled and they would not dwell in less important topics because they are already discussed in sub-coms.
“Ang trabaho ng sub-committee is to recommend doon sa committee mismo sa ENRC kung ano ‘yung findings nila, and then ‘yung ENRC, magre-recommend na lang sila sa Council na [halimbawa] ‘Ito ‘yung findings namin, ito ‘yung dapat na mangyari’ para during the Council Meeting, hindi na sila magtatagal pa to deliberate on petty issues. Kung may major issue na lang talaga na kailangan pang i-deliberate nang husto, saka lang nila pagdedebatehan at mag-a-arrive sila sa isang desisyon,” he further stated.
The first output of the sub-committees will be known before the next monthly meeting of PCSD this March, Fabello said.
“Ang sub-committee on Crocodile Conservation and Management, ginawa talaga natin ‘yan para kung mayroong human-crocodile conflict katulad ng Balabac at Bataraza ay mayroon agad uupo upang mapag-usapan ang immediate action na pwedeng gawin,” he pointed out.
He likewise tackled the reason of creating the Sub-committee on Invasive Alien Species, may it be in flora or fauna.
He said that the invasive alien species in the City of Puerto Princesa and in the Province of Palawan reached Palawan either by accident or unintentionally or through poaching.
In flora, he cited Mahogany and Ipil-ipil as examples of species that are not endemic in the province. The problem, according to Fabello, is that, Mahogany trees were planted massively during the “Pista Y Ang Cagueban” or the “Feast of the Forest” in Bgy. Irawan during the last administration.
That scenario he said, posits a real problem on which the appropriate sub-committee will be dealing with to find a solution.
Another example is the species of snake that he said, not native in Palawan.
“Pag hindi siya endemic sa lugar, ang tendency niya, wala siyang natural predator. Walang hayop na pwedeng pumatay sa kanya, pero siya pwede siyang kumain ng mga local na hayop natin’ in return isa na siyang peste. Nasisira na niya ang food chain,” he explained.
“Kaya ‘yung mga sub-committee na iyon, sila ang nagde-device ng mga polisiya, kung ano ba ‘yung mga first step natin para maayos natin ang ganoong mga problema,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development will celebrate its 28th Anniversary this coming June 19.