Home >MOA for Calauit Signed

Puerto princesa City, Palawan, Philippines -

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Cong. Abraham Kahlil Mitra, chairman of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and Mayor Eva T.de Jesus of Busuanga, Palawan was signed during the culmination of the "1st Palawan Environment & Economic Summit" last January 29, 2005 this City.

The MOA spells out the collaboration activities between the two agencies to upgrade the services that Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary offers to tourists and guests visiting the sanctuary. Specifically, the generations of fund to ensure that all fees accruing to the sanctuary can be used to fund its operational requirements.

Presently, the PCSD manages the Sanctuary and for years, fund allocation for the Sanctuary have been scarce, sourced from the national government through the PCSDS regular fund of about P 5Million a year, where three quarters go to the salaries of employees and wardens. The little excess amount is spent for supplement feeds, medicine for the animals and patrolling costs. There is very little amount allocated for the improvement of the infrastructure facilities, and other services. The yearly earnings from fees of visiting guests, averaging a quarter of a million per year is remitted to the national treasury.

With this agreement, a special trust fund is set under the account of the LGU of Busuanga and shall serve as depository of all collections from entrance fees, resource rents, grants, donations etc. From out of this fund, 80% goes to the PCSD which will be plowed back to the improvement of the services and facilities in Calauit while 20% remains with the LGU. Under the Local Government Code, the LGU is empowered to create its own revenue and to have equitable share from the utilization and development of resources within its territorial jurisdiction, thus its power to enter into such an agreement.

PCSD Chairman, cong. Abraham Mitra said "to run a precious sanctuary like Calauit is not easy as it entails cost which PCSD allocation can not offset, we were trying to ask investors to invest but the Balik Calauit Movement (BCM) issue pose their apprehensions to invest, finally, this agreement will slowly but eventually be of great help to sustain this natural gem recognized worldwide".

The Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary evolved to be a home of important Philippine endemic and exotic wildlife from Africa. Declared by Presidential Proc. No. 1578 as a wildlife Sanctuary in August of 1976, it is a 3,400 hectare area located in Busuanga north of Palawan and has become a prime tourist destination of the country. There are now more than 500 exotic animals like giraffe, zebra, impala bushbuck etc, and more than a thousand endemic species with calamian deers dominating with a population of more than a thousand.
(A.S. Marcaida, Media Bureau, PCSDS)