We respectfully request that you rescind the Strategic Environmental Plan permit and the ECC granted by Palawan Council for Sustainable Development [“PCSD”] and the DENR-EMB-MIMAROPA

This petition was closed for some reason, but I am reopening it. Recently my daughter met with DENR Secretary Regina Lopez who has asked for an investigation into the Ocean Park. Seven Seas Property's ECC permit has expired, and they have put in for a renewal. In-spite of no ECC permit to build many workers in the village across the bay have been hired to build the engineers cottage and
a new small dock has been built. I BEG YOU TO PASS THIS ON AND SIGN AGAIN IF POSSIBLE.

RECENTLY barangay residents have come forth to say they were given an attendance record to sign but it was used as an vote of approval.

The Ocean Park will fail financially as Palawan does not have the population base to support it in off season, according to a consultant from an Ocean Park in another part of the country. It will a financial disaster for the company and an ecological disaster for the bay.

Palawan is regarded as the last natural frontier of the Philippines due to its vast and unspoiled flora and fauna. To quote the City's own words in a recent resolution against a coal fired plant, "Palawan is known as the Last Frontier being one of the top megadiversity hotspots of the world in a fragile environment." This project may also destroy the delicate ecosystem in these bays. Seven Seas Properties were cited last year for building on Boracay’s last pristine beach without an Environmental Clearance Certificate. It is hard to trust such a developer to respect ecosystems in these bays or elsewhere.

There are more sustainable eco-tourism solutions for this bay that will benefit the immigrant fishermen and give them livelihood and teach them how to preserve the wildlife and otters. It will help alleviate poverty in this area as well. 

Turtle Bay is a beautiful small shallow bay surrounded by mangroves which act as sea life nurseries, and form a habitat for various assorted native and unique species, including a population of already vulnerable Asian small clawed otters, which occur only in Palawan. No study has included what the development will do to the native otter population because they are nocturnal, no one sees them but local fishermen. Click link to see this blog with more photos and information about this issue. http://save-turtlebay-palawan.blogspot.com/

The project proposal was approved at Barangay level without the full necessary public consultation as required by the Strategic Environmental Plan law and the PCSD an organization established under the office of the President. 

I again quote the City's recent statement in another resolution, as it applies to this project, "project planned to be constructed has no informed participation in the environmental impact assessment process. This denied community residents unbiased access to information on coal power plant project before the decision was made;" I believe this statement also applies to this fragile marine environment.

An Ocean Park of this magnitude will be severely detrimental to the natural environment of Turtle Bay. The original ordinance was created to ”PROTECT THE DELICATE MARINE ENVIRONMENT therein”. Please don't let Palawan's biodiversity be compromised.

Please sign this petition to evidence your support. Keep Turtle Bay and Binunsalian bays as protected marine sanctuaries, keep the zoning limited to low environmental impact. Restore the original Zoning to both bays.