Palawan NGO Network Inc.

Palawan NGO Network Inc. PNNI is a coalition of 39 NGOs/POs in the province of Palawan. The Palawan NGO Network Inc.

(PNNI) was organized in November 1991 by mainstream Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and People's Organization (POs) in Palawan with the motivation of presenting a broader NGO consensus that would carry more weight in the policy making process in various local government units in the province. With its creation, NGOs hope to maximize the impact of their respective programs through consultation

and coordination with one another. PNNI believes that by uniting the NGOs and POs towards a common pursuit, it can strongly influence the direction of development for Palawan. Since then, PNNI has actively involved itself in numerous provincial concerns.

PALAWAN, PUERTO PRINCESA, see what could be achieved when all enforcement agencies come together and implement Forestry ...
30/04/2026

PALAWAN, PUERTO PRINCESA, see what could be achieved when all enforcement agencies come together and implement Forestry laws. Two chainsaws, one shot gun, and an axe, were confiscated by a multi-sectoral team made up of paraenforcers from PNNI, personnel from the MNLF Raja Amir Bahar Command, PNP-Maritime, DENR, PCSD, City ENRO, and Bureau of Corrections, in the forests of Barangay Montible. Almost 80 hectares of forest was in the process of being cleared, with patches of makeshift houses, most of them from non-IPs (Indigenous Peoples). The area is both Timberland and Ancestral Domain but is slowly being cleared for residential and commercial purposes because the same is near the Montible river which has a lot of tourist spots for the taking. PNNI looks forward to more collaborative environmental enforcement efforts with these agencies and hopes that it is not just a one time thing.

PALAWAN, PNNI, the forests can breath another sigh of relief thanks to the relentless efforts of NGO paraenforcers from ...
16/04/2026

PALAWAN, PNNI, the forests can breath another sigh of relief thanks to the relentless efforts of NGO paraenforcers from PNNI and personnel from the MNLF Rajah Amir Bahar command, who confiscated another six (6) chainsaws from different parts of the province. Just this December last year, the same team of PNNI and the MNLF turned over to the DENR, six (6) chainsaws also caught from different parts of Palawan. One chainsaw can fell 20 forest trees a day, according to DENR standards. Imagine the destruction done if these twelve (12) were still operating. All six chainsaws were caught operating deep in the forests and were targeting Palawan hardwood trees such as Ipil, Apitong, and Dao. PNNI needs the help of government enforcement officers to go deep into the forests where loggers know authorities won't go. The forest trees deserve more protection than coconut trees and planted species because the former carries the loss of biodiversity apart from itself being premium hardwood. Thus, our efforts should be centered deep into the forests and not on the road side or coconut areas. We need a new strategy than guarding it on checkpoints rather than where the resources are at.

PALAWAN NGO NETWORK, what is the logic of transfering an office on tribal affairs, from tribal people to non-tribal peop...
09/04/2026

PALAWAN NGO NETWORK, what is the logic of transfering an office on tribal affairs, from tribal people to non-tribal people? House Bill 621 seems to do just that as it seeks to transfer the Ancestral Domain Office of the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous peoples) to the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources). This move is not only bereft of logic, it reduces the right of indigenous peoples to govern themselves; a right patently enshrined in the Constitution. The fundamental question on the matter is 'Who has expertise on running the office?' Obviously, just by looking at the names of both agencies, the NCIP, and not the DENR, deserves to administer the questioned office. Sure, there may be some issues against the performance of the NCIP but these are not enough to justify a transfer not just of an office but of a 'right' violative of the law that protects indigenous peoples or RA 8371. Noticeably, HB 621 does not give any statistics or study on its claims against the NCIP's performance. Begging the question, does it truly have the welfare of indigenous peoples in mind.

PALAWAN, NARRA, when the cat is away, the mice will play. That's exactly what happened to this giant old growth mother t...
19/03/2026

PALAWAN, NARRA, when the cat is away, the mice will play. That's exactly what happened to this giant old growth mother tree, which loggers brazenly felled, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT THERE. Had NGO paraenforcers from PNNI and personnel from the MNLF Rajah Amir Bahar command, come a bit earlier she could have been spared and still standing. Nevertheless, the chainsaw that floored her is now in PNNI 's custody. Often, carnage such as these are carried out with ease because of nary an enforcer in sight. Our priorities may be a bit misplaced because while we see Palawan being promoted as a tourism paradise, her inner beauty is being devoured by logging. And while there is no shortage of funds for trainings, seminars, workshops, researches, and coffee table books, communities do not have gas, food, and even cel phone load to do foot patrols in their watersheds. We need to put our funds and efforts in enforcement programs that directly save the resource rather than on education and research programs that promotes protection indirectly. Only when the forests are guarded can we teach and study it. And the only way to guard it is to be there.

PALAWAN, RIZAL, once a forest, now a plantation for coconuts. About twenty (20) hectares of forests have been cleared in...
04/03/2026

PALAWAN, RIZAL, once a forest, now a plantation for coconuts. About twenty (20) hectares of forests have been cleared in Barangay Campung Ulay and judging from the remaining forests in the background, the devastation and clearing was substantial. And what is more disheartening is the clearing of another forested area right next to it, with a span of seventy (70) to eighty (80) hectares which allegedly will be planted with mangosteen and other tropical fruits. How can forest clearings like these proliferate in a time of Climate Crisis, and in a province with a Special Law (RA7611), and with 3 big agencies task with forest protection? One would think that both national and local government units, not to mention an array of NGOs and civil society groups, would deter large scale forest conversions like these for commercial and business purposes. But these areas were deforested and cleared with relative ease and no objection even from the tribal peoples who claim that these areas are within their ancestral domain claims. The answer is simple - there is no enforcement program in place. And if there is one, it is not being implemented and is only good on paper. Surely after this post, the area will be investigated but when authorities find out that the violator is either a politician or big business connected with a politician, nothing will come out of it, when in fact, these areas can be reclaimed by any of the 3 big government agencied merely by putting a billboard in the middle saying the same is timberland and thus beyond the commerce of man. Then they should set a day when government should remove the planted coconuts and/or tropical fruits and coffee, and replace these with wildlings of the natural species from the adjacent forests. How hard is that? Unless our efforts and projects are in the area where the resources are at, our remaining forests will be slowly cleared. And Without an enforcement program to monitor and supress violations, devastations like this will continue to occur with ease and facility. And maybe soon plantation owners will argue that their crops are alternative forests for denuded areas.

PALAWAN, RIZAL, February 6, 2026. while on Forest patrol, in Sitio Bato-Bato, Brgy. Canipaan PNNI para-enforcers with MN...
19/02/2026

PALAWAN, RIZAL, February 6, 2026. while on Forest patrol, in Sitio Bato-Bato, Brgy. Canipaan PNNI para-enforcers with MNLF Rajah Amirbajar personnel after catching a chainsaw in the same area, discovered a scene of mass destruction. Approximately 10 hectares of mangroves had been cut and cleared to produce charcoal and good lumber. According to a witness found on-site, the land was allegedly purchased by a wealthy politician and businessman who ordered the clearing in order to construct a pier, as it was near the river. How can this violation happen at this day and age? Are not mangrove areas CORE zone and therefore sacred environmental areas that need double protection because they are spawning areas of a multitude of coastal species that fishermen's livelihood depend on?

Mangrove forest cover in the Philippines has dwindled from approximately 500,000 ha in 1918 to about 120,000 ha by 1995, and around 22% of these remaining forests are found in Palawan. Yet, they continue to be threatened with overexploitation and land conversion (Cayetano et al., 2023). In response, several mandates were passed, most notably Presidential Proclamation NO. 2152, which the entire province of Palawan as a mangrove swamp forest reserve, and RA 7611, or the Strategic Environmental Plan of Palawan, which recognizes mangroves as an environmentally critical area.

Yet, we continue to see destruction of our mangroves on a scale like this, peddled by greed and impunity. Research, statistics, and numbers alone are not enough to save our environment. The law on paper alone is not enough to protect our environment. If we wish to save our ecosystems for present and future generations, we need people on the ground enforcing their protection and monitoring their condition.

PALAWAN, TAYTAY, what is the use of declaring a protected area if no one is protecting it??? Last January 17, 2026, PNNI...
05/02/2026

PALAWAN, TAYTAY, what is the use of declaring a protected area if no one is protecting it??? Last January 17, 2026, PNNI para-enforcers along with personnel from the MNLF, confiscated an illegally operated chainsaw in Brgy. Bato, Taytay. The team was responding to an IP’s report of logging activity within the Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape a few days prior. True enough, they encountered two loggers cutting down a huge live Laoboy tree near the water reservoir, who immediately fled the scene. The abandoned chainsaw was then promptly retrieved by the para-enforcers, effectively putting it out of commission for the time being. According to DENR standards, one chainsaw can cut 20 trees a day. We need more foot patrols, not mere policy written to look good only on paper. Forests are saved on the ground where they stand, not in air-conditioned offices.

PALAWAN, ROXAS, barely into the new year, loggers brazenly get busy taking advantage of the lax enforcement brought abou...
22/01/2026

PALAWAN, ROXAS, barely into the new year, loggers brazenly get busy taking advantage of the lax enforcement brought about by new year celebrations. But NGO paraenforcers from PNNI and personnel from the MNLF Rajah Amir Bajar command, surprised this chainsaw operations on January 16, 2026, logging forest trees for charcoal in the watershed of sitio Ibangan, Barangay Abaroan, Roxas, Palawan. The team counted at least 20 big trees felled and a damaged area of 15 hectares leaving the forests with patches of logged over trees harvested for good lumber and charcoal. The team also noticed the planting of banana seedlings in some of the cleared areas making it look like the forest is slowly being cleared for plantation purposes. This is the same area where PNNI and the MNLF where able to catch a previous chainsaw last June 2025. Authorities should learn to revisit areas of past confiscation to establish an effective deterrent, rather than be confident that the area is already secured just because of one confiscation. Projects should also consider 'enforcement' and not just 'education' and 'research' components, to address Palawan's dwindling forests. Loggers are smart enough nowadays to leave a facade of forest trees to give the appearance of nothing wrong happening, but when you go into the interior, the same had already been logged over. "sigh".

PALAWAN, NARRA, what is the purpose of coordination without corresponding action? It's a good thing PNNI caught this cha...
08/01/2026

PALAWAN, NARRA, what is the purpose of coordination without corresponding action? It's a good thing PNNI caught this chainsaw on December 12, 2025, in Barangay Calategas, or it would have been logging through out the Christmas season.

As far back as April 2025, a multisectoral meeting was held with government agencies like the DENR, PCSD, and MENRO, alongside people’s organizations like PNNI and the MNLF. The goal was to address the pressing issue of felling in the watershed of Brgy. Caletagas, Narra (a part of the VAMR), but the results 8 months later leave much to be desired. Despite such coordination efforts, enforcement was sorely lacking while we were Christmassing, a crucial time to patrol our forests. It is an unfortunate reality that illegal logging thrives during the holidays (more than it usually does) as activities go unchecked and the government goes on break.

It’s no surprise then that there is no rest for the wicked, and there’s no rest for the joint forces of PNNI and the MNLF. On December 12, 2025, the NGO para-enforcers retrieved an abandoned chainsaw in Brgy Caletagas, promptly left behind as its operator fled the team in eager pursuit. According to our sources, it had been felling trees throughout the night and may have damaged up to 7 hectares of forested land. It goes to show that what we urgently need to protect the forest is patrols on the ground, not ceremonies on record.

Palawan, Taytay — Patuloy ang logging. Sa Barangay Baong, ng masakote ng pinagsanib na pwersa ng PNNI para enforcer, vol...
26/12/2025

Palawan, Taytay — Patuloy ang logging. Sa Barangay Baong, ng masakote ng pinagsanib na pwersa ng PNNI para enforcer, volunteer, at personel ng MNLF Rajah Amir Bahar Palawan ang isang chainsaw na katatapos palang magtistis ng buhay na puno ng Malapaho at Mangga-mangga tree noong Nov 19, 2025, alas 10:11 ng umaga.

Basi sa aming nakita sa lugar, ang kanilang nasalanta ay nasa humigit kumulang nasa sampung ektarya na.
Ayon sa impormasyon, ay subrang dulas diumano ang iligalista dahil may grupong nag poprotekta sa kanila. Isang nakakalungkot na gawain na dumarami na ang mga ganitong gawain.

Nalulungkot ang PNNI dahil sa kabila ng katatapos palang manalasa ang bagyong Tino sa bayan ng Taytay na nag dulot ng pagbaha at pag kasira ng mga tahanan ay tila hinahayaan lang sila. Hinihikayat natin ang lahat ng may mandato at LGU na kung gusto nating mapangalagaan ang natitira nating gubat ay kaylangan nating mag foot patrol sa gubat, hindi sa check point at mas lalong hindi sa loob ng aircondition room Lamang tayo nag papalamig, Lumabas at hulihin ang ugat ng pamumutol.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PALAWAN, PNNI, six (6) chainsaws caught by NGO para-enforcers of the Palawan NGO Network Inc. and the MNLF Rajah Amir Ba...
04/12/2025

PALAWAN, PNNI, six (6) chainsaws caught by NGO para-enforcers of the Palawan NGO Network Inc. and the MNLF Rajah Amir Bajar command, from different parts of the province, were turned over to the DENR-PENRO for safe-keeping and custody. One chainsaw can cut 20 forest trees a day according to DENR standards, so imagine the carnage these 6 could have done had they not have been caught especially during this Christmas season where enforcement officers are usually absent. PNNI has been pushing for a more aggressive enforcement action from government agencies to go to the forests and stop the violations while the trees are still alive, and not merely guard the check points where the trees are dead. "Sana hindi din puro training at seminar ang mangyari kundi 'mentoring' kung saan ang nagturo o nagpatraining ang siyang mangunguna sa paghuli at hindi na lang basta iiwan sa mga participants and paghuhuli," suggests atty. Bobby Chan, executive director of PNNI. Palawan is the Philippine's Last Ecological Frontier, and has its own Special Law, RA 7611, to preserve it, but it seems these are all only good on paper.

Address

#49 Purok Masipag, BM Road, Bgy. San Manuel, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Puerto Princesa
5300

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+63487160084

Website

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