Bid to preserve Palawan zoo facing difficult times

President Gloria Arroyo has been promoting Palawan in south-western Philippines as the country's pristine island, perfect for eco-tourism and, above all, a place where one can find one of the world's rare zoos where exotic African animals roam freely.

Somewhere at the lower end of Palawan is the 3,700 hectare wide Calamanian Island, home of the famed Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary where African animals have multiplied since the time they were brought there by former president Ferdinand Marcos in 1976.

But this large and sprawling zoo is facing difficult times.

It is still one of the country's national treasures and a source of pride, but the zoo's staffers believe that without stronger support from the government and non-government organisations, the preserve will not last long.

"It is difficult to grow flowers, shrubs, and grass in this part of Palawan. Often, we have to get grass from nearby islands to feed the exotic animals from Africa and other important Philippine wildlife," Froilan Sariego, resident project manager of the sanctuary, said in a statement that reached Manila.

The entrance fee is $5.769 (P300) for foreign tourists and $1.92 (P100) for locals.

Whatever is earned from the entrance fees is given to the national government. In exchange, the government sets aside $115.384 (P6 million) a year for the management and operational expense of the game preserve.

Sariego said the game preserve's workforce of 400 has been reduced to 37 because of the current low budget. He added that their salaries have been delayed for three months. They have expressed fear that their salaries might be reduced by 25 per cent.

"The current annual budget is not enough. We have been asking for a higher budget," noted Sariego, adding that the game preserve will need an additional $57,832 (P 3 million) a year to be properly maintained and developed.

But before the proposed additional budget is granted, the game preserve must, in turn, earn more from entrance fees.

"It is like the chicken and egg question. Asking for a bigger budget has become very difficult because of the country's economy and the ongoing debate on which should come first, the investment for development or the earning from the entrance fee," pointed out Sariego.

Earlier, Palawan was the country's untouched paradise, a place for the rich and the environment-conscious to cherish. It was the country's major source of revenue from the tourism industry because it was projected as the safest place for tourists in the Philippines.

But Palawan became a paradise lost when members of the Abu Sayyaf group kidnapped 20 tourists, including two American missionaries and one American-Peruvian, from Dos Palmas resort on May 27, 2001.

Guillermo Sobero was beheaded in Basilan on June 12, 2001, and American missionary, Martin Burnham, and Filipina nurse, Ediborah Yap, were killed during a botched rescue operation on Zamboanga del Norte on June 7 this year.

Furthermore, popular actor, Rico Yan, died in his sleep at the Dos Palmas hotel when it was re-opened in June this year. Although Dos Palmas is just one small resort in Palawan, what happened there put paid to the tourism industry in Palawan. It has also affected Calauit as a tourism destination.

The game preserve is further endangered by the so-called return to Calauit movement, which was established by former residents in the area. As a result, 123 families that illegally squatted on Calauit's property have slashed and burned 327 hectares of pasture land, forests and savannahs since 1986.

After 26 years of existence, the game preserve has evolved into the country's major conservation showcase. It holds the distinction of being the first successful wildlife translocation of African animals to Asia. It is the second such project in the world, apart from the San Diego Zoo in San Francisco.

"Our goal is to preserve unique Philippine and foreign wildlife species that are being threatened in their original habitat. This project aims to serve as the Philippines' primary contribution to the international conservation effort," noted Romeo Dorado, executive director of Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, the overseer of the Calauit project.

Starting with the propagation of exotic animals from Africa, Calauit has now become a perfect breeding area for endangered Philippine wildlife such as deer from the Calamanian island. Its marine sanctuary provides refuge to the vanishing dugong or sea cow, sea turtle and giant clams.

"We have gained international attention as a unique nature park destination," said Sariaga. "We have become a source of replacement stock for several zoos among the members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean)."

Arroyo had said earlier that Calauit is one paradise which the Philippines should not lose. Despite being an economist, she did not give details on how she will save Calauit from extinction, after it has succeeded in propagating African animals as well as rare and near extinct Philippine fauna.