Purple Crab of Palawan
Scientists have discovered a new species of crab on the island of Palawan, located off the west coast of the Philippines, which is characterized by its pretty purple hue. The crustacean, called Insulamon palawanense, was just one of four new species of crabs detailed in a recent study.
“The particular violet coloration might just have evolved by chance, and must not necessarily have a very specific function or reason aside from being a general visual signal for recognition,” said Henrik Freitag, the author of the study from the Senckenberg Museum of Zoology in Dresden, Germany.
Freitag adds that the crab’s purple color may also have evolved so other species of crustaceans could recognize its brethren. The only other known species in the same genus was identified in 1992.
The four new crabs from Palawan, which were described in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, all measured between one and two inches wide. Despite the biodiversity of the island, Palawan is threatened by other species and environmental changes, including mining projects that are commonly carried out in that region. Palawan was declared a Unesco biosphere reserve in 1991, and the island has its own Strategic Environmental Plan.
“The smaller the remaining natural habitat the greater is the risk to endemic fauna and flora,” Freitag said. “Even minor environmental changes can lead to extinctions. It is all the more important to do research in this region and show that the biodiversity of these islands is unique and worth protecting.”
Palawan houses several researchers and scientists, however. The Aqua Palawana, a research institution developed by Freitag’s Senckenberg and Phyllodrom Leipzig, has been active for more than 10 years. Students and researchers from Western Philippines University, De La Salle University in Manila, Ateneo de Manila University, National University of Singapore, and the Vienna Natural History Museum and Philippine National Museum are all regulars of the Aqua Palawana.
About 50 percent of species on Palawan, including the new purple crabs, are endemic to the island. Check out some pictures of the rare purple crabs up above, and tell us your comments and impressions in the section below.
source: ibtimes.com
Filed under Articles, News, Photos by on Apr 13th, 2012. Comment. 
Puerto princesa palawan
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MANILA, Philippines — Puerto Princesa, the capital and only city of Palawan, was historically named by Spanish colonizers after Princess Eulalia who was born in 1864 to the reigning Queen Isabel II and Dr. Francisco de Asis of Spain. After the princess died, the city was changed to Puerto de la Princesa, and eventually, Puerto Princesa as it is known today.
People also attribute the name for its strategic advantages – a seaport that is geographically typhoon-free and can accommodate every sea vessel protectively in its realm, hence, “a princess of ports’.
My excitement upon visiting this place was out of curiosity at first. I come from Davao City which has a lot in common with Puerto Princesa. Apart from both claiming to be the largest city in the country (Davao in terms of land area at 244,000 hectares, and Puerto Princesa at 253,982 hectares), these cities are also constant and proud recipients of Presidential Awards like the Cleanest and Greenest Highly-Urbanized City in the Philippines, among other accolades.
Puerto Princesa is teeming with lush dense forest, amazing and unique species of flora and fauna (I have read that Palawan was once connected to mainland Borneo millions of years ago, thus having a closer evolution to the wildlife of Borneo), even as it is the most progressive urban hub of Palawan. Imagine living the city life in an island tropical paradise setting, or as it is dubbed, “The City in the Forest”.
Puerto Princesa lies in the heart of Palawan and is the center of trade, commerce and industry in the province. Under the steady hands of Mayor Edward Hagedorn, it has become a model and example in cleanliness, ecotourism and preservation, peace and order and good governance. Far from being a huge metropolis, Puerto is laidback in lifestyle. It does not have taxis but multicabs and jeepneys for public transport, and private vehicles for hire. At that time, back in 2004, there was already a strict P200 peso fine for littering.
In a city tour, I was thankful for the van’s tinted glass, for I was almost reprimanded for taking photos inside the famous Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, which was prohibited to protect the identities of prisoners.
Iwahig was established by the Americans in 1904 to house exiled offenders who were banished to the island. This “prison without walls” became a successful penal colony because it allowed detainees to roam freely, and live with their families. Disciplined inmates were taught to create handicrafts and souvenirs for livelihood, apart from cultivating rice and crops in the vast farm. Expect one or two inmates to quietly approach you and offer a bargain for their crafts. If not for their color-coded uniforms (brown for minimum security, blue for medium, and orange for maximum), they look like ordinary vendors who didn’t have a record to their names. Rarely was there an escape attempt, because of constant head counts and the difficulty of escaping from the island.
Memorable places to visit are the butterfly garden, crocodile farm and the Mitra ranch. We bought souvenirs from the Palawan Museum, like fascinating Anito wooden and terra cotta artworks carved by artistic out-of-school youths through “A Boar Land,” an arts program in Aborlan, Palawan to support their formal education. I bought a wooden choker with an oddly-shaped erotic figurine for Php150. Small trinkets cost Php50 and above, while chokers and necklaces cost higher. Large art decors and carvings are more costly at Php400 up. The queerer it gets, the more expensive it becomes.
While the city tour was fascinating, the highlight was still a day’s trek to the primary tourist attraction, the world renowned Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The navigable part of its river inside the 4,000-acre cave stretches 8.2 kilometers in length (five miles) before it drains out into the South China Sea. While Palawan has claimed this treasure to be the world’s longest underground river, the title was surpassed by Vietnam’s Son Trach underground river reaching seven miles in length. (Latest discovery in 2007, however, gave way to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula with an underground river estimated to be 95 miles long.)
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List for being the only national park in the country with a thick tropical forest cover within the city. Its unique and outstanding merits have also earned for itself a nomination and ultimately became a finalist in the New Seven Wonders of Nature, becoming the Philippines’ pride and bet. The Department of Tourism and the government have been going all out in a campaign to make Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) move its ranking to Number One among the New 7 Wonders of Nature exclusive list (joining the Amazon in South America, Halong Bay in Vietnam, Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil, Jeju Island in South Korea, Komodo in Indonesia and Table Mountain in South Africa after a two-year vote among 28 finalists that concluded November 11 of this year).
Located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, the park features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinctive feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right at the water’s edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.
We took a lengthy, rough ride by private van to Sabang town for two hours, passing through beautiful limestone and marble cliffs of Cabayugan. In Sabang, we rode small motorized boats for 20 minutes to St. Paul National Park, giving us glimpses of scenic mountain ranges, while coasting through emerald waters. After a short walk through a thick canopy of trees, we were accosted by monkeys who tried to rob us of our snacks. A lonely, huge monitor lizard ignored us nearby. We reached a quiet lagoon and put on helmets and life vests to start a two-hour underground voyage with a funny and entertaining boatman named Oteng.
Darkness closed in on us once inside the spacious and dank cave. Natural ventilation provided cool air even as we went deeper into an abyss decorated with stalactites, stalagmites and chambers that were cathedral-like. Oteng, the cheery boatman began naming these uncanny natural rock formations as we passed by: a Holy Family tableau, St. Peter with a dog not a rooster, large vegetables hanging from walls, a sexy figure of a woman, two cats and genital patterns that made us laugh. Once, my helmet fell off because I stupidly looked up at the bats. We had to row back and retrieve it as it quietly bobbed in murky, silent waters.
This was not a good place for claustrophobics, by the way. Its eerie blackness and alternating narrow and wide passages will somehow consume you after 30 minutes, which is still halfway through the cave. The only light that shone was on the helmet of the boat’s first passenger. Whenever an interesting area was being pointed at, we waited until light would swing in that direction. I asked Oteng to hold the boat steadily so I could shoot various pillar statues in one spot, and he jokingly offered to drop me off and just come back for me later.
While we were a noisy bunch of Pinoys, we passed by boats with foreign passengers who were hushed and stiff as cardboard cutouts, apparently nervous of the pitch black journey. We laughed our jitters off and made jokes all the way back to the mouth of the cave, relieved when almost blinded by sunlight. The long but thrilling ride in those deep chambers was certainly worth the experience, more when your senses become attuned in the darkness. Your imagination runs wild at sudden noises around you. It doesn’t help when your boatman nonchalantly tells you, “Oh, it’s just a crocodile”. For the record, there are none inside that river.
Other destinations you can’t miss in Puerto Princesa are Honda Bay with its white beaches and islets including Snake Island and Dos Palmas Resort; the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, pristine waterfalls, enchanting lagoons, caves, mangroves and dive sites, Plaza Cuartel and the Vietnamese Village. Don’t forget to wine and dine in inviting places like Kalui Restaurant and Balinsasayaw Chicken Grill & Restaurant. Your special goodies, delicacies and pastries for pasalubong can be bought at Baker’s Hill.
Air travel from Manila to Puerto Princesa takes an hour and a half and is available daily. Travel agencies are on hand to facilitate your trip arrangements. Hotels with good accommodation and reasonable rates are flourishing in Puerto. Getting around can be by tricycles, jeepneys or car rental services. Motorized outrigger boats can transport you to islands and beaches.
For more information, its official site is http://www.visitpuertoprincesa.com.
Jojie Alcantara is a Dabawenya is a travel photojournalist based in Davao City. View her adventures in www.pbase.com/jojie_alcantara or www.dabawenya.me.
source:mb.com.ph
Filed under Articles, News by on Dec 18th, 2011. Comment.
Image via Wikipedia
HOW TO GO FROM MANILA TO EL NIDO, PALAWAN
- Book a flight from your country to Manila, Philippines – Try our very own Philippine Airlines.
- There are 2 ways to fly to EL NIDO
A.)Direct Flight from Manila to El Nido Palawan
i. Via Island Transvoyager or ITI –They usually cater to guests who are booking into one of their resorts but accommodate non-resort guests too. The booking should be made only 5 days prior to the flight, cannot be earlier than that. It’s a 19 Seater Dornier Aircraft that flies 1 hour and 15 minutes or so to EL Nido Ten Knots Airport (this is their own airstrip). It is 7 Kilometers into Town where you can find resort. But it is highly recommended that you book ahead especially during peak season. Fare is about P6,750 (USD 157 ) one way. Ticket from El Nido-Manila may be purchased at El Nido Arts Cafe.
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- ii. Seair also flies direct from El Nido to Manila for about the same fare rate.
- iii. Take a Tricycle from the El Nido Airport Airport to Town-This is about 10-15minutes ride. Costs P200/tricycle (USD4.7) whether you’re alone or with company.
B.) Via Palawan’s capital city, Puerto Princesa – This is 5 hours away from El Nido by VAN or Bus.
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- i. There are a number of airlines travelling from Manila to Puerto Princesa with multiple flights a day such as Philippine Airlines, Cebupacific, Airphilippines and Zest Air.
- ii. A Van shuttle service called Fort Wally can take you to El Nido via an Exclusive Van all to yourself at P 8,500.00 (USD 210)one way or on a shared Van at P700 (USD16.30) per person. Shared Van means you will be with 10 or so other passengers in a Van. It will have a rest stop midway for toilet stop and some snack or lunch.
If you are going to El Nido on the same day as you arrive on a flight, better book for the first flight say 8am and reserve a seat on the Van prior to your arrival so you can picked up at the airport. Be prepared for a rough ride towards the last part of the trip. Puerto Princesa is 270 kilometers going to EL Nido and the first 210 is paved, the last 60 is rough road. Expect it to be bumpy.
I know, 5 hours is no joke, but you are assured that the beaches of El Nido and the adventure that awaits you will make your trip worth it. This is based on my experience and those who came to visit. I have heard people share that during the van ride they say they will never come to El Nido again, but while they’re just 1 day into an island hopping trip, they claim to have fallen in love with it….And I believe them, why? Because on my first visit, my husband and I decided that we will make El Nido our home.
source elnidoland.com
see flights and hotels in Palawan
Filed under Articles by on Oct 14th, 2011. Comment.
The puerto princesa underground river in Palawan
IN just a month, the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan could be named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, an accolade that could bring tremendous economic, social and tourism benefits to the Philippines.
Already a Unesco World Heritage Site, the underground river which is in barangay Sabang, 81 kilometers north of the city, has been voted one of the final 28 sites for the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign, a contest which aims to attract more than 1 billion votes from 220 nations across the world.
Mayor Edward Hagedorn has been aggressively campaigning and exhorting Filipinos in the country and abroad to vote for the underground river as it faces stiff competition from other admired sites, such as the Island of Maldives, the Amazon in South America, the Dead Sea in Israel, the Grand Canyon in North America, among other sites.
Known as the Philippines’ last biodiversity frontier, Palawan, which hosts the underground river, is blessed with the breathtaking beauty with its white-sand beaches, lush forest, wildlife parks and natural wonders.
The underground river, also known as the St. Paul or Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, is an 8.2-kilometer navigable underground river that runs beneath the limestone karst mountain that flows directly into the South China Sea. It is believed to be the longest underground river in Asia.
Navigating the complex underground river, one can see visible formations of stalactites and stalagmites that have developed over 20 million years.
Among the many wonders of nature, the underground river needs to win the honor to be included in the next seven new wonders of nature, Hagedorn said. With only a month to go, it needs to garner support as the voting closes on November 11, 2011.
No other than President Aquino has been encouraging Filipinos to vote by texting PPUR to 2861 to push the country’s only entry to the worldwide campaign as a way to elevate the Philippines’ status as top international destination.
The Switzerland-based New7Wonders Foundation has challenged the nations who hosted the 28 candidate sites with a two-year campaign to attract enough votes to win the title. The contest aims to raise awareness of the incredible variety and beauty of nature in the planet.
Massive tourism boost
ACCORDING to Puerto Princesa Tourism Officer Rebecca Labit, there are many excellent reasons to vote for the underground river as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, which was recently explored by Italian geologists, the La Venta Geographical Association.
Among the reasons for the wonder of the underground river, Labit said, are: being its largest and important underground estuaries of the world; most complex cave systems in the world; naturally sustainable due to the very high amount of energy resulting from its unique thermal equator location, marine climate, wind and humidity; it contains unique cave formations from secondary mineral deposits not found elsewhere; discovery of a 20 million-year-old fossil of sirenia or sea cow in perfect condition.
“These reasons, aside from the tremendous economic, social and tourism benefits the underground river brings to the country, are excellent reasons we should stand up as Filipinos and be proud to campaign and vote for its inclusion in the new wonders of nature,” Labit added. “With the deadline quickly closing in, this is the opportunity that the Philippines can’t ignore.”
Labit said the country could expect a massive boost in tourism revenue, brand value and job generation not only for Puerto Princesa but for the whole country. She said the underground river is now ranked second among the 28 site candidates.
Underground river boat guide Ricardo Mansera said local people like him will benefit from the site’s recognition once it is heralded as one of the new wonders of nature.
“It will surely uplift the lives of people in the area because of the jobs it will give to us. We can have more organized jobs in the underground river as boat guides or be employed at the hotels around Puerto,” Mansera said.
Hotel and resort owner Ruben Tan projects that with the influx of tourists in Puerto Princesa, entrepreneurs will have to upgrade their services and increase hotel rooms and facilities in the coming years.
“Tourism and business will likely boom in the coming years, especially if the underground river will be included in the list. We are very careful in upgrading our services and facilities in an environment-friendly manner to serve local and foreign tourists alike,” said Tan, who owns the Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort near the underground river, as well as the Puerto Pension bed and breakfast in the city.
A great chance
WHILE President Aquino, Hagedorn and other government officials believed that the underground river has a great chance of making it into the top 7, Filipinos in the country and abroad need to back this crusade by voting through text.
In an effort to involve more people in the campaign, even the telecommunications companies—Globe Inc., Smart Communications Inc. and Sun Cellular—have joined forces with the government in supporting the underground river through the text campaign.
Launched a week ago, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, who leads the PPUR-New 7 Wonders of Nature, has introduced the “Pera sa Kuweba!” promo to intensify its campaign. The promo, which can give a chance for a texter to win the P25-million grand prize, runs until December 28, 2011. Other texters may win daily, biweekly and monthly prizes.
Puerto Princesa Vice Mayor Lucilo Bayron said the benefit of having the PPUR included in the top seven will have far-reaching effects for the country as a whole.
“While there are great wonders of nature in the world, the underground river is truly remarkable, breathtakingly beautiful and highly worthy of our votes to be included in the new 7 wonders of nature. It will surely boost our tourism industry,” Bayron said. Department of Tourism data shows that a total of 3.52 million people visited the country last year who spent $2.49 billion, an increase of 16 percent from 2009.
Last year around 425,000 tourists visited the underground river. It is expecting some 550,000 visitors this year.
Read the original article at http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/17613-palawan-poised-for-tourism-boost
Filed under Articles, News by on Oct 14th, 2011. Comment.
