Past Project
2008 - 2016
Palawan, Philippines
Completed
The lush island province of Palawan is in the southwest of the Philippines. Due to a relatively low population density, the island has been spared from the major deforestation tragedy that took place in the rest of the Philippines. Nevertheless, the island remains relatively understudied and its forests are currently diminishing quickly as a result of large development projects.
There is a silver lining though: Puerto Princesa. This progressive City located in the middle portion of the island covers around 20% of province and holds a forest cover of 65%. Puerto Princesa contains one national park (Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park—22,000 hectares) but approximately 80,000 hectares of pristine forest neighboring the park until very recently remained unprotected. The centre of this large forest is shaped by Cleopatra’s Needle, the highest peak of Puerto Princesa City and surroundings (1,593 MASL).
This area is a real biological gem—not only is it the last haven for countless endemic flora and fauna species, it further serves as the largest watershed in the City, providing water for approximately 30% of the residents in the City. Most importantly, it is the ancestral domain of the last remaining 200 members of the diminishing indigenous Batak tribe, who have inhabited the area since time immemorial.
For these reasons, our partners and us are extremely pleased to announce that after over 5 years of persistent hard work, 41,350 hectares of primary forest was officially protected through the creation of the Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat (CNCH) —the biggest Critical Habitat of the Philippines and a big win for local Batak tribe and other indigenous groups!
For some of the scientific discoveries we made in this amazing area see our reports section.
