Behavior change campaign rolls out in Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat

The newly formed technical working group (TWG) of the Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat (CNCH) conducted caravan around seven barangays as part of Behavior Change Communication (BCC) campaign few days before Christmas, in a bid to educate the communities for the protection and conservation of the CNCH.

The BCC campaign included puppet shows and other educational and interactive activities to educate local residents on their roles and responsibilities as communities living in areas declared as “critical habitat.”

It is a collaborative effort among the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO) of the City Government of Puerto Princesa, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, USAID Protect Wildlife, and Centre for Sustainability.

This year, City Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron signed an executive order forming an Interim Management Committee and a TWG of CNCH.

Senior Environmental Management Specialist (SEMS) Zorina C. Arellano of City ENRO said participants of previous consultations and forums have pointed out the lack of awareness among CNCH’s local residents regarding the declaration of their place as a critical habitat.

“We try to involve all affected barangay officials, indigenous peoples, youth, and all sectors in this activity as they are the front liners in the conservation and management of CNCH. They must be empowered to protect and police their own areas from illegal and destructive activities,” she said.

Part of the campaign was a puppet show entitled “Ginto sa Dagta.” It was a musical that followed the adventures of two children belonging to the Batak community in Cleopatras Needle, locally known as “Puyos. After facing issues on the overtapping of Almaciga and wildlife trafficking, their community has eventually learned the importance of forest conservation to sustain their culture and livelihoods.

“Cleopatra’s Needle, found in Puerto Princesa City, is one of the most diverse and oldest forests in the country and is home to multiple endemic species. To provide it additional protection, it was declared a critical habitat on Dec. 15, 2017 through PCSD Resolution No. 17-612,” the PCSD said in a statement.

Last year, to support the expansion of the Protect Wildlife project into more areas in Palawan, USAID and Rare conducted the Campaigning for Conservation (C4C) workshop—an intensive training on designing BCC campaigns for environmental conservation, including the campaign for CNCH. It was participated by various national and local government agencies including the academe, natural parks, who are primarily involved in the protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources.

During the 10-day workshop, the C4C trainees developed a campaign for CNCH. They also produced the campaign materials, including a puppet show, a billboard and a campaign song.

The CNCH is part of the Cleopatra’s Needle Mountain, with an altitude of 1,593 meters above sea level, considered as Palawan’s second highest peak. It covers the barangays of San Rafael, Tanabag, Langogan, Binduyan, Concepcion, New Panggangan and Tagabinet.