PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) -- The Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) management hopes to gain funding from the three-day business meeting with stakeholders to support its P168 million green recovery plan after the damages of typhoon Odette in 2021.
Park Superintendent Elizabeth Maclang said the budget is allotted for four strategies of recovery including spontaneous natural regeneration, assisted natural regeneration (ANR), assisted natural regeneration with enrichment planting, and protection.
The plan was presented to the business sector including non-government organizations and civil society groups from August 8 to 10.
“Sa tatlong araw na business planning ay ipi-present na ngayon sa business sectors, possible donors or institutions na pwedeng mag-sponsor nito kasi malaki. Ang plan ay nabuo namin for 10 years starting this year, iyan ang kakailanganin namin na basehan namin for green recovery,” Maclang said.
One of the portions of damaged forest in Northern barangay of Puerto Princesa by the Typhoon Odette in 2021. (Photo by Rachel Ganancial/PIA Palawan)
The PPUR management was assisted by USAID's Philippine Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL) from the workshop during the last quarter of 2022 to writeshop of its plan in 2023.
The ANR strategy has the largest budget allocation of P64 million, which needs human intervention to conduct the recovery efforts. The PPUR management estimated 60 percent damage of its 22,202 hectares covered area, wherein 40 percent of the damages will be recovered through ANR.
“Nakita namin na hindi posibleng taniman pa namin ang mga tuktok ng bundok at mga karst mountain diyan, forest na nasa itaas, so iyon na ang natural regeneration. Nabawasan ang target namin, 40 percent na lang magiging assisted,” said Maclang.
The ANR strategy will include activities such as massive tree planting and the development of nurseries. Maclang hopes to recover endemic forest trees and premium hardwood species damaged by the typhoon. Three nurseries have already been established in the barangays of Marufinas, Cabayugan, and Tagabinet through Conservation International.
The P168 million will be used to implement the recovery plan for 10 years starting in 2023. (RPG/PIA MIMAROPA - Palawan)
