Palaui Island is located about 1.25 km. from mainland Luzon and can be reached in 25 minutes by motorboat from the port of San Vicente, Sta. Ana, Cagayan (Please refer to Attachment 2 for area map). It has an approximate area of 3,850 hectares with a shoreline totalling 31 kilometers.

Palaui is a small island with rich forest resources and threatened by kaingin farming and timber poaching. Aside from the residents? dependence on Palaui?s natural resources, tourists and researchers also leave their ecological footprints on the island. The lure of Palaui, with pristine beaches, white sand and rich resources, is irresistible to local and foreign visitors who take home not only pictures and data but also souvenirs like shells, orchids, etc.

Since time immemorial, Palaui residents have subsisted on marine catch for food, yet mangrove rehabilitation has been done only in the last ten years due to the efforts of DENR and lately, PROCESS and PEPA. Reduced fish catch spurred community members to cooperate because they now realize that mangrove areas are spawning grounds for their source of food and livelihood. It may take them a longer time to realize that upland forests also yield more than timber/orchids and agricultural land.

No matter how often the PAMB conducts IEC on environmental protection or how thick research studies are produced on Palaui?s biodiversity, if the residents themselves cannot see value in forests beyond economic gain, biodiversity loss will continue.

There is a need for the community to have thorough knowledge of their resources through community-based research and for data to be lodged at Palaui and used by residents to plan for environmental protection/conservation as well as to educate visitors: tourists and researchers alike.

At mainland Sta. Ana, the mangrove stands as well as coastal forests at Brng. Rapuli are severely depleted and need rehabilitation. If rehabilitation and conservation is not done, there is danger of salt water intrusion in the deep wells of some 2,000 barangay residents.

General Objective:
The project aims to protect the terrestrial and marine biodiversity of Palaui Island and nearby coastal areas (Rapuli) by strengthening the capacities of the POs to sustainably manage their resources and engaging the participation and support of other stakeholders at Sta. Ana, Cagayan.

Specific Objectives:
? To capacitate the communities in managing their resources;
? To establish a biodiversity monitoring system (BMS) for terrestrial and marine ecosystems at Palaui Island;
? To rainforest the buffer zone of the Palaui Protected Area and rehabilitate the coastal and mangrove areas of Barangay Rapuli at Sta. Ana;
? To provide alternative livelihood options to the communities; and
? To generate project support/involvement of stakeholders.

Expected Outputs and Performance Indicators:
? at least 50% of PEPA members trained on Biodiversity Monitoring System
? at least 50% of PEPA members trained on rainforestation technology
? at least 50 RAFIAS members trained on coastal and mangrove rehabilitation
? at least 80% of PO members trained on pandan handicraft making
? 20m x 200m BMS area established with markers
? 3 nurseries established
? At least 10,000 indigenous tree seedlings planted
? At least 5,000 coastal trees planted
? At least 10,000 mangrove propagules planted
? At least 1,000 handicraft products produced per month
? 2 PAMB meetings sponsored
? 8 Project Review and Planning Workshops Conducted

Planned action and activities:

1. Capability Building
a. Biodiversity Monitoring Systems Training
b. Rainforestation/Resource Rehabilitation Training
c. Coastal And Mangrove Rehabilitation Training
d. Pandan Handicraft Training
e. Project Management Training

2. Biodiversity Monitoring System
a. Survey and mapping
b. BMS marker installation
c. Signages installation
d. Baseline data gathering
e. Periodic monitoring

3. Rainforestation
a. Nursery establishment
b. Plantation establishment- Spot brushing/staking/hole digging/Hauling/planting
c. Maintenance/protection/replanting/signages

4. Coastal rehabilitation
a. Nursery establishment
b. Plantation Establishment
c. Maintenance and protection

5. Livelihood support
a. Pandan Processing/marketing
Construction of makeshift workshop
Provision of processing implements
Provision of initial capitalization
Advertising/transport
Signages
b. Pandan plantation establishment
Nursery establishment
Plantation establishment/maintenance.
Signages
c. Enterprise Development for the Pandan weaving

6. Networking/Monitoring
a. Conduct of 2 special PAMB Meetings
b. Conduct of 8 Project Review and Planning Workshops