History and work of the Panay Eco-Social Conservation Project (PanayCon)

PanayCon initially was run under the name Philippine Endemic Species Conservation Project (PESCP), founded by Professor Curio. Its work on Panay was started in 1996 by site investigations in the Central Panay Mountains. At various locations, efforts were made to establish research facilities from which studies on the area's fauna and flora could be conducted. Faunistic and floristic surveys were conducted during this time, but the logistics of performing these tasks in Central Panay proved beyond the means of the project at that time, and so with the discovery of significant stands of low-elevation rain forest in the NW Panay peninsula, to include a variety of endangered, endemic species of plants and animals, the PESCP relocated its main operation to this area.

PESCP soon initiated a campaign focusing on the overall conservation of the natural resource base on the peninsula, while maintaining interest, linkages, and ambitions in Central Panay. The Frankfurt Zoological Society was backing the project activities from its inception, being primarily interested in preserving the highly endangered writhed-billed hornbill (Aceros waldeni; local names: dulungan, kalaw) and its  habitat. With the remnant population of this species and other endangered wildlife living in the Central Panay Mountain Range (CPMR), the emphasis of conservation work shifted to this area from 2000 on. Prior to that, the field work had  quickly become community-based, aiming at the precautionary development of the up-land communities.

In 2011, the  PESCP was replaced with PanayCon, its functional successor, with nature conservation work of the PESCP continued, but with focus on cooperation with and help for the local people. 

Since 2005 the NGO PhilConserve (Philippine Association for Conservation and Development, Inc.) had acted as an umbrella organization for the project. Because of discrepancies concerning by-laws, in Nov 2010 conservation minded citizens of larger Pandan, Antique, established the NGO ‘Philippine Initiative for Conservation of Environment and the People, Inc.’ (PhilinCon) to replace the former NGO. Thus, PhilinCon has now become the operational platform running PanayCon including its linkages with LGUs (Local Government Units) and the DENR.  In the process PhilinCon will restructure PanayCon whilst adhering to the core goals of the project as before (see above).

Coworkers
 

PanayCon station staff, caretakers and porters. Photo: Sherwin Hembra

 
In restructuring PanayCon the new NGO will identify a new Project Manager and various consultants including a Scientific Adviser, namely the project’s founder Prof. E. Curio (contact, more information), Conservation Biology Unit, Ruhr-University Bochum, while maintaining linkage with Aklan State University, PanayCon’s partner institution. PanayCon will join hands with the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) in tandem with the DENR in its quest for setting critical portions of the CPMR aside as Protected Areas. In doing so former educators of the project will be working under the umbrella of the GIZ (Alexander Alabado, Sonny Galuego, John Espiritu) and former Forest Rangers  will be accommodated by cooperating LGUs becoming more responsible than before for forest monitoring in their areas of jurisdiction.Terms of employment embrace aside from fair salaries pension insurance (SSS), PhilHealth and accident insurance. Dr. Enrique Sanchez is a Veterinary Consultant and President of PhilinCon overseeing the health care aspects of PanayCon’s endangered species rehabilitation program that as a whole is being maintained alongside conservation research overseen by Prof. Curio. Benjamin Tacud serves as an extremely gifted field assistant. He and Marlo Alli are vitally assisting the rehabilitation and research activities at the project’s Research Station Sibaliw in the Municipality of Buruanga. Furthermore, Nestor Bagac, a long time supporter of the project, is taking care of birds in our custody, together with Eduard Geronimo, Junmar Jamangal and Macario Melchor, and Rhea Matining is helping with the administration. Under optimal conditions, we would employ more people at the grass roots for greater duration. For reasons of economy, the expertise of the previous core staff will be put to use as much as possible under the umbrella of the joint GIZ-DENR program mentioned above..