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Home > Activities
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Department
Project Operations and Implementation Department
The Environmental Research Division (ERD) strongly
supported the refocused program thrusts of the PCSD. As one of the
support mechanisms in implementing the SEP, the Division continued
to re-define its program of work and took steps in enhancing the
capabilities of the staff to make the organization the highest scientific
body in the province in terms of deliverables and services. The
Division concentrated in:
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undertaking continuing research as input to ECAN Zoning
and for accurate planning and implementation of the SEP;
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conduct of survey/assessment of the socio-economic, physical
and biological features of the environment;
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conduct of policy studies
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evaluation of technical research proposals;
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establishing networks with other institutions and agencies
regarding biodiversity, physical, and socio-economic research
studies;
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maintaining a comprehensive database to provide relevant information through information technology and library service;
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coordination and counterparting with the SEMP-NP for the research component
The Division also spearheaded the organization of
the PCSD Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) composed
of experts with vast experience on natural resources management.
The committee’s main thrust is to support the Council and render
expert’s views on diverse issues affecting the environment of Palawan.
The preparation of the SAC concept proposal for funding and the
administration of questionnaires to determine SEP implementation
issues and concerns from among the key units of the PCSDS were accomplished.
It was also involved with projects implemented with other agencies
such as Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South
China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand - Wetland, Coral Reef, Sea Grass,
and Mangrove components.
The Research and Development Unit (RDU) for the year accomplished the following:
Draft of the preliminary industry profile on the edible bird's nest (balinsasayaw nest) trade in Northern Palawan Evaluation of eleven (11) technical proposals, four (4) of technical proposals, four (4) of which have been issued SEP clearances; Conduct of reconnaissance survey for the holistic research programme in the CGPWS; -
Provision of technical assistance in the regular coastal resource monitoring activity;
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Provision of counterpart staff and technical assistance to
the SEMP-NP and PTFPP;
Compilation of relevant data as input to the PCSDS database; and Involvement in several capacity building activities and other conferences with partner institutions and entities.
The Information Technology (IT) dealt with
1 ) providing information to various units through information technology,
website development and integrated database system; 2) maintaining
optimum performance of all computer units, external-peripherals
and local area netwrok connections; and 3) providing technical assistance
in data storage and recovery , and solutions to hardware and software
problems.
For the year, the following tasks were delivered:
Design and arrangement of the local area network layout for the building; Technical assistance in the repair and maintenance of computer units, including hardware and software, and data storage and recovery; Maintenance and updating of the PCSDS database including assistance to the Environmental Education and Extension Division (EEED) in the re-establishment of the PCSD website (WWW.PCSD.PH)
The Library Services (LS) focused on : 1) Providing information and reader services through reading materials such as books, periodicals,journals, and reports, among others; 2) spearheading the acquisition, cataloguing, subscription, circulation, and inventory of such materials; 3) assisting in the conduct of researches as input to policy formulation; and 4) compiling relevant data as input to the PCSDS database.
By year's end:
A total of 1031 Acquired and catalogued books, reports and other information materials were classified using the Library of Congress standards and stored in the integrated database; Continued library materials access with a total of 2,683 books and reports catalogued according to the Library of Congress system (title, author, subject heading classification); Reference materials were provided with spine label, cover and reinforcement, Likewise provided the readers with services that include circulation, shelving and display; Maintained inter-library loan arrangements with other libraries and agencies; Provided reader services to 478 clientele ranging from the academe to government agencies, NGOs and foreign entities; Maintained the library fee services as a self-supporting financial system for acquiring other library materials, photocopying jobs and postal fees; and Updated the PCSDS database.
Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System (EMES)
The Technical Services Division (TSD)
implements the Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System
( EMES ) which is one of the major support mechanisms in
implementing the SEP Law. For the year, water resources analysis
was undertaken in 16 river stations in the province. Stream flows
as well as certain parameters like dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature
were measured in-situ in each of the river stations. Water samples
were collected and brought to the PCSDS Environmental Laboratory
for physical and chemical analysis and where corresponding reports
were prepared. Daily rainfall data had also been collected from
six rainfall stations established in the province, the results of
which were furnished to the LGUs or concerned agencies as reference
for planning purposes. To respond to the requests of the World Wildlife
Fund and the Palawan State University, the Philippine Western University
and the Southern Polytechnic Colleges of Palawan students for water
quality analysis, laboratory tests were performed on 145 water samples
and appropriate laboratory reports were prepared. Furthermore, to
support the on-going government program of addressing the problems
on the use of cyanide in the live fish industry, about 23 fish samples
and 12 water samples were tested in the PCSDS laboratory to detect
the presence of cyanide. Laboratory tests were also performed on
30 water samples collected from the coastal areas of Roxas municipality.
Since its operation, the PCSDS Environmental Laboratory has analyzed
1,521 water samples coming from private organizations, students
and government agencies.
Another significant accomplishment of the Division is the conduct
of the Coastal Resource Assessment (CRA) in the different municipalities.
The activity’s main objective is to come up with baseline information
on the present and different status of marine habitat which is used
as major inputs by the Local Government Units in the formulation
of their municipal Comprehensive Land & Water Use Plans (CLWUP).
As of 2004, the assessment was executed in 19 from out of the 23
municipalities comprising the province. The findings of the CRA
including the resource condition maps for mangrove, sea grass and
corals as well as the recommended ECAN coastal marine maps of Quezon
and Rizal were presented to the municipal officials. The said CRA
reports and maps were later submitted to the concerned LGUs.
The Coastal Resources Monitoring (CRM) is a follow-up
survey of the CRA. Ideally, this activity is done every 4 to 5 years
after the initial CRA has been conducted. In early 2004, the CRM
was done in the municipality of Roxas particularly by the staff
of the PTSD in close coordination with the concerned DMO and municipal
government. The CRM was carried out to determine the changes on
the condition of the different marine habitats such as mangrove
forests, sea grass beds, coral reefs and reef fishes and at the
same time conduct water quality analysis of water samples taken
in the area. The CRM results were compared with that of the assessment
reports in 2000 to assess any significant improvement or deterioration
on the stature of the municipality’s marine ecosystem.
Based on the current situation of the coastal area, the CRM provides
updated management information essential for planning and decision
making. It also serves as a tool for policy formulation to ensure
sustainability and equity on the use of the marine resources. After
the assessment and monitoring surveys, a technical report is prepared
showing areas of protection. The team also prepares and presents
to the municipal and barangay LGUs the resource condition and recommended
ECAN coastal marine maps to give them a better understanding of
the present scenario of their coastal areas. The presentation of
the survey output is usually attended by the mayor, other municipal
officials, academe, NGOs and POs for comments and suggestions.
For Roxas, the report on the results of the CRM covering mangrove, sea grass, coral reefs and reef fishery was already finalized. The corresponding resource condition maps were likewise prepared and copies of these documents were already furnished to the LGU.
In addition, CRM in San Vicente was completed. The reports will be used as input for the inclusion of the municipality in the priority sites for ecotourism development. The sea grass and coral assessment reports for the CRM of the municipality of Aborlan have also been prepared for submission to the LGU.
The TSD counterpart staff to the SEMP- NP joined the consultants in the conduct of marine, flora and fauna survey in the municipality of San Vicente. They also attended the presentation of the consultant’s report in El Nido and Culion. The comments on the reports presented were prepared and submitted to the consultants.
The ECAN, the main strategy of the Strategic Environmental
Plan for Palawan Act (RA 7611), is a graded system of protection
and development control over the whole of Palawan. It made use of
the inputs from the LGUs and the communities in coming up with a
realistic and workable zoning plan for both the terrestrial and
marine components. The PCSD, in September 2004, adopted PCSD Resolution
No. 04-239 entitled, “A Resolution Approving the Updated Map of
the Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN) of Palawan Based
from the New Land Map”.
The Updated ECAN Zoning Map of 2004, as the new ECAN map, depicts
the current bio-physical and environmental condition of the province
in conformity with the provisions of the ECAN Guidelines (PCSD Resolution
No. 94 - 44). In 2004, the updated map was prepared for all the
municipalities of Palawan including the lone city of Puerto Princesa.
The preparation of the Updated ECAN map employed the elevation,
slope and the 1998 vegetative/land cover criteria. Thus, by the
last quarter of 2004, the said map has been used in the evaluation
of projects for the issuance of SEP clearance. It, likewise now
guides all entities and residents of Palawan in implementing plans
and programs. After the passage of the resolution, series of community
consultations and ground validation of the said ECAN zoning map
were undertaken.
Zoning map preparation is highly dependent on data input and expertise
of the preparer. Data on elevation and slope are relatively constant
since these were acquired from the topographic maps prepared by
the U.S. Army in the 1950s. However, the vegetative/land cover data
input to the map is already a few years old. The information obtained
from it may no longer be that accurate and up-to-date. It, thus,
needs to be validated on the ground to check its accuracy and credibility.
Field validation of the Updated ECAN Map was undertaken during the
past year in 4 southern Palawan and 3 Calamian municipalities: Aborlan,
Narra, Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point, Coron, Busuanga and Culion.
The activity is primarily undertaken to verify the current use,
cover/vegetation as well as the status of land resource in the locality.
The technical staff of the PCSDS usually enjoins the participation
of local government and community representatives in the validation
process. Aided by the land cover maps specifically prepared for
the task and a survey instrument called the Global Positioning System
(GPS), the technical personnel traverse and walk-through the area
being subjected for validation. The geographic coordinates (or location)
of the identified area are indicated on the map; its area characteristics
recorded; and recommendations (if not outright decisions) on the
proposed zonation (if contrary to the existing zonation) are made.
Through this process, the bio-physical uniqueness and the real condition/situation
in the area are reflected on the map.
As a primary tool that guides land use, ECAN zoning facilitates
allocation of land and water resources towards appropriate uses.
To sustain the process, the ECAN zoning map is being integrated
in the CLWUP of municipalities of Palawan. Towards this end, the
PCSDS and the LGUs regularly coordinate and work with one another
to ensure that the objectives of the SEP embodied in the ECAN zoning
map is achieved.
To feel the peoples’ sentiments and desires is the main objective
in conducting community consultations on the updated ECAN map. The
activity hastens conflict resolution of problem areas and concerns.
Conflicts generally arise whenever an area inconsistent with its
current condition, use and status is ECANized (zoned under ECAN)
or when zoning is contrary to the desires of the community and other
stakeholders.
There are however instances when ECAN consultation with the municipal
governments is sufficient enough to come up with agreements on the
proposed zonation. When serious concerns warrant consultations with
communities or sectors, the PCSDS technical personnel and local
government representatives pursue dialogue and negotiations in the
area. Through this process, stakeholder and people’s participation
is attained, conflicts are resolved or minimized and socio-economic
and cultural information are integrated in the updated ECAN map.
In 2004, the PCSDS conducted local government and community consultations
in the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, and Sofronio Española.
So far, only municipal consultations have been conducted in the
Calamian municipalities of Coron, Busuanga and Culion. The validated
ECAN map of Sofronio Española municipality was already presented
to the LGU for their final comments and adoption. The conflicts
arising from the suggestions of the LGU vis-à-vis the ECAN
zones identified by PCSDS are yet to be resolved. Preparatory activities
such as preparation of maps for the conduct of field validation
and consultation as part of the ECAN zoning of Brooke's Point were
also undertaken.
Based on the updated ECAN map, a total of 324 projects were evaluated and issued with SEP Clearance, 63 or 23 percent of which were mining-related projects.
Field validation of the Updated ECAN Map will be intensified in 2005 to attune said map with the current bio-physical and field realities. Local government and community consultations will be a continuing task to sustain involvement of local leaders, concerned sectors and common people in the ECAN mapping, zoning and program implementation. This will ensure that the socio-economic aspect of sustainable development complements the ecological/environmental dimension.
The Geographic Information System evolved from
having a basic mapping capacity to being able to transform field
generated differential GPS data into high quality thematic maps
for a wide range of users and usages. The PCSDS GIS unit was established
to store and retrieve spatial data for all users including partner
agencies such as the DENR, DLR and LGUs. It is used for land classification
and land-use management, and for synthesis and high-resolution graphic
presentation of bio-physical and socio-economic data down to household
scale.
It entails various activities like collection, collation and generation of essential spatial information in accordance to the management needs. The design of an efficient GIS meta-database is vital to address the required documentation of each individual map, efficient storage system, retrieval and maintenance of data integrity. It is not merely a collection of maps but individual map is described and archived into a simplified structured filing system. Map querying offers several ways of listing and accessing the content of the database. Available maps can be enumerated either on a per locality or category-base (e.g., administrative, topographic, land use/cover, hydrologic, etc.) along with their technical details. It is targeted that the GIS database be linked or integrated with other in-house database and collaborating agencies.
Since its establishment, a major step has been made in terms of networking. In the south, it links through the GIS of the South Palawan Planning Information Center (SPPIC) to the 5 SPPA municipalities* and in the north to San Vicente and Roxas municipalities thru data sharing and technical assistance.
Recently included in the network are the District Management Offices (DMOs) of PCSDS. Links have also been developed with the Planning Department of the City of Puerto Princesa and the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO). Of particular importance for land-use planning are the socio-economic data (over 300 parameters) of the provincial Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS). This integrated network allows full use of the potential of GIS as a tool in planning.
The PCSDS GIS network consists of the following equipment: 9 desktop computers (4 x Pentium III/5000, 5 x Pentium IV/500), 2 P4 notebooks, 1 main server, 1 36" plotter/print server, 1 42" HP Color Scanner and Plotter, 1 800dpi scanner, GPS (4 Trimble Explorers + base station), digitizer, 3 ArcInfo licenses, 3 Arcview licenses with spatial analyst/image analyst extension, satellite image software (ENVI & IDRISI) and Geo-survey software (R2V converter, Cartalinx). It has also trained the following manpower complement: 19 LGU staff trained in the use of their GIS equipment, 5 PCSD Staff from the main headquarters and 9 from the DMOs.
The future value and success of the PCSDS GIS network now depends upon steadily improving the management capacity of the unit and ensuring that the links with the Integrated Database System and the local government and other project partners, such as the SE M P - N P, are consistently maintained. Key action which must be taken includes a) keeping the database up-to-date through adherence to internal management guidelines b) further developing the GIS operating and business model and c) raising the quality of management.
During 2004, 18 maps of various themes were produced and integrated into the State of Palawan’s Environment Report. A number of thematic maps were likewise produced upon request of various public and private entities. The validated land cover of Dumaran and Araceli were integrated in the Revised ECAN map. Various ECAN maps used for field validation and presentation to LGUs were likewise produced.
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