{"id":174823,"date":"2018-08-03T03:25:49","date_gmt":"2018-08-03T07:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=174823"},"modified":"2018-08-03T03:25:49","modified_gmt":"2018-08-03T07:25:49","slug":"wild-expeditions-palawan-promoting-leave-no-trace-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/08\/03\/wild-expeditions-palawan-promoting-leave-no-trace-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Expeditions Palawan: Promoting \u2018Leave No Trace Tourism\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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File Photo: \u201cTourism is good, but if not well managed, has the possibility to cause negative impacts in the balance in our environment. All kinds of tourism activities, if poorly supervised, can result in a range of damage to our environment \u2013 the wildlife — and eventually, the people that live in it,\u201d he said. (Photo<\/a> by Ray in Manila\/Flickr<\/a>, CC BY 2.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The number of travel and tour retailers in this capital city of Palawan, now at more than 100, continues to increase — undeniably, because tourism is a major contributor to the province\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

Travel and tour operators have mushroomed in the city, but more so in the global computer network, including fraudulent ones, offering a multiplicity of information about what could be an itinerant\u2019s dream travel in Puerto Princesa and the province.<\/p>\n

A lot of them, but not all, offer matchmaking tour services to let travelers express what they truly want to do, for instance, explore the unbeaten tracks, or for the elderly, simply enjoy a day near the river, which does not require much walking.<\/p>\n

This is where the eco-tour agency, Wild Expeditions Palawan (WEP), comes in. The WEP, owned by local travel operator and entrepreneur Rommel Cruz, focuses on nature-themed activities — from the easy treks to the more enthusing sea-to-summit journeys and wildlife documentaries.<\/p>\n

The agency\u2019s kind of tour is so far unparalleled in that it strictly follows the \u201cLeave No Trace\u201d principles in the conduct of its business.<\/p>\n

Cruz said with the rising influx of visitors in this city and the municipalities of Palawan, it is now essential to highlight the \u201cleave no trace\u201d principles to guests to let them know they have a shared responsibility in taking care of the natural and cultural sites they visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cTourism is good, but if not well managed, has the possibility to cause negative impacts in the balance in our environment. All kinds of tourism activities, if poorly supervised, can result in a range of damage to our environment \u2013 the wildlife — and eventually, the people that live in it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The \u201cleave no trace\u201d principles are \u201cno sweat,\u201d he said, noting that they depend a lot on the travelers\u2019 awareness, more than rules and regulations. These principles include planning ahead and not rushing tours in an effort to gain higher income; not stamping on sensitive vegetation and weak surfaces; bringing trash back home; leaving what you find alone; zero tolerance for having campfires; keeping noise down to respect wildlife; and being a considerate travel retailer by maintaining group numbers in manageable sizes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving no trace is a responsibility that should be shared between the travel managers and the guests. It should be stressed enough so nobody forgets or they will be causing the degradation of the natural environment they\u2019re visiting. Just think about their numbers multiplying,\u201d Cruz said.<\/p>\n

Birds and the birth of WEP<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cruz\u2019s knowledge and passion about the environment began 12 years ago at the Katala Foundation, Inc. (KFI), which works on the conservation of the Philippine cockatoo (katala), and other wildlife species, such as the pangolin (balintong) and the endemic and critically-endangered Palawan forest turtle.<\/p>\n

One of his assignments was to be a bird guide for enthusiasts who want to see the Philippine cockatoos in their habitat on Rasa Island, Narra in southern Palawan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalos lahat ng experiences ko sa environment, sa biodiversity, doon nag-start. Once in a while, nagle-lead ako ng birding tour as a freelance guide. One of my assignments is to assist bird watchers in going to Rasa Island. Doon ako natuto na, okay, may potential pala itong ginagawa ko (Almost all my experiences regarding environment, biodiversity, began there. Once in a while, I led birding tours as a freelance guide. One of my assignments was to assist bird watchers in going to Rasa Island, and I learned that, okay, what I\u2019m doing has a potential),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

From KFI, Cruz transferred to work with other non-government organizations, and his last was with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff, which is tasked to provide machinery and synchronize the policy and functions and implement programs of the Council.<\/p>\n

While there, he realized that the bird watching tours he was doing on the side have the potential to earn him profits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWEP really started as that kind of outfit. We focused on offering bird watching tours in Palawan, and the value that we strictly implement in our business leaves no trace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Cruz can legitimately claim that in the province, he is an authority on birds. To date, he holds the knowledge on where to observe 24 endemic bird species in the forests of the province.<\/p>\n

During the 2016 Big Year, an international challenge among birders to find many bird species that they could identify, Cruz\u2019s company handled the Palawan leg for Dutch national Arjan Dwarshuis, who owns the world record for spotting 6,852 species in a single year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen all the endemic birds depending on taxonomy, and the hardest to see are those in the mountains. There is one bird that is restricted to high elevation in Victoria\u2019s Peak and Mt. Mantalingahan at 1,000 meters up. It\u2019s where you can see it. It\u2019s called (the) Palawan striped babbler,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Cruz holds too, the record in the Philippines for the first sighting of the migratory bird grasshopper warbler at the Puerto Princesa Underground River last year.<\/p>\n

This was far from the past when bird tour companies had to go to the Philippines and to Palawan themselves to guide hobbyists.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started from there, we thought we can do this, and then we asked two companies outside the country if they want to buy packages from us, which is cheaper and with local knowledge where birds can be found,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In 2015, when he established WEP with half-a-million-peso capital, it was challenging as it was new in the field of travel and tourism, but over time, international birding tour agencies began to trust his venture.<\/p>\n

Birds are sensitive to human disturbance, therefore, they are ecological indicators. Cruz said they are sensitive to changes in the environment that is why in his bird tours, he often tells first-timers not to wear colorful outfits to blend into the habitat they would be exploring.<\/p>\n

Although many birds are used to loud natural sounds, they do not like noises caused by humans and their machines.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always maintain a minimum amount of people in the group (in) the bird tours we do because as much as possible, we want to maintain overall habitat quality. In a group, there\u2019d be around six to eight people only,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Traveling and environment conservation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The yearning to travel and see places that people have not seen before is a challenge in balancing the preservation of the environment, Cruz said.<\/p>\n

Travelers from developed nations, he said, are more experienced than those who come from evolving nations, whose awareness of environmental protection, of valuing the resources of the places they visit, is low.<\/p>\n

Environmental protection is a \u201cno-brainer\u201d for Palawe\u00f1os, but Cruz acknowledged that there are still those who simply do not care and do not have values in preserving tourism sites, which leads to pollution and damage in famed destinations.<\/p>\n

If this situation continues, he said, these important settings might be lost as no tourist would visit polluted sites to enjoy their holidays.<\/p>\n

In WEP\u2019s travel and tours, Cruz said they always bring in Palawan\u2019s efforts and initiatives to protect its environment and its wildlife since they can be balanced with traveling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t go too technical or scientific. That\u2019s boring. We discuss them using simple language, especially to first-time travelers, who have no background about environmental conservation,\u201d said Cruz.<\/p>\n

When they do river and wilderness camps, they do not allow guests to wash in the river using soap and shampoo as most rivers are drinking water sources for communities downstream.<\/p>\n

They go as far as providing their guests with biodegradable wash kits that have minimum impact on the environment, and they dig \u201ccat holes\u201d in wooded areas in case nature calls.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo campfire is allowed during our beach camps because they stain the sand, and generally, we consider the soil characteristics. In forests, they\u2019re a no-no because they can create wildfires and irreparable damages,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Cruz, whose WEP is the first local tour company to be allowed to bring guests for bird watching at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, said \u201czero tolerance is zero tolerance\u201d when it comes to promoting tourism and environmental protection to shelter important sea and summit habitats.<\/p>\n

In Tubbataha, there is an islet that is so beautiful with so many birds, but the management does not allow people to step on it. So, we do not allow our guests as well. We observe the birds on the dinghy only. There are newly hatching bird eggs on the sand, and if people step on it, they might step on the little birds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Christopher Conde, WEP\u2019s travel outfitter and tour leader, said he could not go mountain climbing without first telling guests that they follow \u201czero tolerance\u201d when it comes to environmental protection.<\/p>\n

Mountaineers and river camp trekkers are not allowed to dispose of their chewing gum or candy wrappers in stone corners or bushes because that would leave a waste trace.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimo wrapper ng candy o chewing gum, hindi puwedeng itatapon lang kung saan sa bundok, or singit-singit sa mga bato. Lagi namin pinapaalalahanan na zero tolerance kami at sumusunod naman sila bilang respeto (Even candy or chewing gum wrappers, they cannot just throw them away in the mountain or stick them between grits. They are always reminded that we strictly adhere to the \u2018leave no trace\u2019 as respect for the environment),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Conde said every time he scales Victoria\u2019s Peak in Narra, and Mt. Cleopatra\u2019s Needle, Mt. Beaufort, Mt. Thumb Peak, and Mt. Salakot in Puerto Princesa, he never gets tired of repeating the same environment conservation initiatives WEP has.<\/p>\n

Bringing trash bags are common in WEP\u2019s travel practice, particularly in mountain treks and climbing because they use them to collect any trash they find along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cKung may madaanan na basura sa bundok, pinupulot namin. Sanay na iyong mga returning clients namin sa practice (If we pass by any trash, we pick them up. Our returning clients are used to this),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Travel and tour responsibilities<\/strong><\/p>\n

Puerto Princesa City Councilor Matthew Mendoza, chair of the committee on tourism, said there is a compelling need to ensure that all travel and tours operators know about how to promote tourism and environmental protection together.<\/p>\n

Everyone, he said, even tourists visiting the city, have to be urged to participate in schemes to protect the environment. If they are not aware, they must be made conscious to preserve the places where they travel.<\/p>\n

Travel and tour companies in Puerto Princesa are aware of this, Mendoza said. However, he is not aware yet if they frequently bring the \u201cleave no trace\u201d principles into the consciousness of touring groups due to the number of guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important in the balance in our ecology that travelers are aware of how they should conduct themselves when they are in our natural sites. I am considering filing a resolution regarding this \u2018leave no trace\u2019 tourism to ensure that the practice among our stakeholders is not just for marketing and promotions, but that they are actually doing it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

John Stephen Tuboc, who has been working as a freelance travel guide with tour agencies and has worked with Cruz a number of times, said as far as he is aware, every accredited and certified tour guide like him in Puerto Princesa knows about it.<\/p>\n

However, there are also those who never underwent any seminar on tour guiding being given by the Department of Tourism (DOT). Tuboc said he is not sure how they brief their guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cKami alam namin iyan kasi part iyan ng certification namin as tour guides. Sini-set namin na example lagi ang mga efforts to save the environment pero di namin alam sa iba na di accredited kasi may mga nag-ga-guide din naman nag-exam (We know it because it is part of our certification as tour guides. We set an example of the efforts to save the environment, but we don\u2019t know about those who are not accredited because there are some who did not take their exams),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As a travel and tour retailer, Cruz wants Wild Expeditions Palawan to be different when it comes to helping guests who want to explore the city\u2019s and province\u2019s natural sites.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be nice for our tourism industry if every travel and tour is bringing the \u2018leave no trace\u2019 awareness in doing business. There should be zero tolerance in bringing guests to natural sites. It\u2019s like letting us not compromise the environment just because we want to earn so much income because if we lose it, we will have nothing in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Currently, Cruz is studying the probability of offering cultural immersion tours in indigenous cultural communities to promote Palawan\u2019s unique customs and traditions.<\/p>\n

He added they are sensitive in studying the possibility since they do not want to create a demand for the indigenous peoples (IPs), all because there are guests to please.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to see them, you live with the tribe, you learn from them. Again, responsible tourism because we don\u2019t want them going down just to be seen by our guests. They have to be appreciated in the environment where they live,\u201d Cruz said.\u00a0(PNA)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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