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14th SEP Anniversary
SEP... Moving On!

As the United Nations celebrates June as World Environment Month, Palawan distinctly celebrates its own via the SEP day every 19th day of June. This commemorates the passage of this landmark piece of legislation that has imprinted Palawan in the global canvass of sustainable development. This years' celebration is its 14th, bearing the theme "SEP…Moving on

The theme bespeaks of the PCSD's continuing effort in pushing for wise use of resources in the course of spurring development, believing that ECAN, SEP's main strategy, will bring communities towards reaping the fruits of sustained development. Despite the surmounting hurdles of the past years, the PCSD keeps on "moving on".

The SEP celebration will kick-off with "Palaro ng staff" on June 15 and 16. On June 19, a seminar on "Mangrove Forest Management: Issues and Opportunities" will be held at the Palawan Sustainable Development Training Institute (PSDTI), Baranggay. Irawan. Dr. Honorato G. Palis, head of Mangrove Research Section of the Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau - DENR, as the resource person. This seminar will highlight the problems and issues confronting mangrove areas in the province including livelihood options for their friendly utilization. It may be recalled that problems concerning violations of mangrove-related laws and alternative livelihood for the violators have been repeatedly discussed in the PCSD.

On the evening of the same day, the City Wildlife Rescue Center design will be unveiled and the city's Wildlife Enforcement Officers will be deputized. This is in response to the urgent need to augment the Palawan Wildlife Rescue Center, as repository and rehabilitation center of confiscated wildlife. PCSD encourages the LGU to set-up rescue centers in support to the Wildlife Act, implemented in Palawan by PCSD.

As a supplement material to enforcers, a "Pictorial Field Booklet for Law Enforcers" will also be distributed to the representatives of enforcement agencies. The PCSD believes that effective enforcement of environmental laws will assure a strengthened conservation and protection of the wildlife resources. The said booklets are the products of a joint undertaking between Conservation International, Palawan NGO Network, Inc.,Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff, with fund support from Critical Ecosystem partnership Fund and German Technical Cooperation.

Certificates of recognition will also be awarded to the Department of Education, City and Provincial Division Offices for the successful implementation of the PCSDS initiated Environmental Education Integration Program. Said program has been considered feather on the cap of PCSD as it is one of its kind in the country and has modeled environmental education integration in the public schools curriculum. Almost 90% of the schools in the province have continuously sustained the program by about 4,000 trained school teachers.