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.
(1)

(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.

PUERTO PRINCESSA, PALAWAN – This June, PNNI recieved reports from a fishing community in Barangay Luzviminda regarding a...
23/07/2026

PUERTO PRINCESSA, PALAWAN – This June, PNNI recieved reports from a fishing community in Barangay Luzviminda regarding a pier-like structure being built on the shores of their fishing area..

Since the beginning of construction, the fishermen of the community have struggled to maintain their livelihood. The pier was built on top of a mangrove and coral area that is 'kantilado', a steep underwater cliff where the fishermen cast their nets to catch fish and where corals support crustaceans. The violation was done by layering big boulders on top of each other burying both corals and mangroves. In the process of these land reclamation activities, approximately 1 hectare of mangroves and 2 hectares of corals were buried and destroyed. Furthermore, the area has become heavily guarded, especially when reclamation operations are ongoing, cunningly preventing witnesses from taking photographs required for filing reports with government agencies, and this has also prevented fishermen from docking their boats. Thus, the community is left with less fish to catch, nowhere to keep their boats in the affected area, and no way to report the damage to the authorities.

Fortunately, PNNI paran-enforcers with the MNLF Rajah Amir Bajar command were able to visit Barangay Luzviminda on June 26, 2026 and photograph the pier-like structure while the operators were away taking a break. Since then, PNNI was able to write to the PENRO to verify the legality of the structure, and inquire if the structure has the proper documentations such as SEP clearance from PCSD, ECC from the DENR, and PRA permits for the reclamation activity.

Environmental violators continue to destroy ecosystems and livelihoods but manage to evade justice with their moduses, carefully crafted to circumvent the law as well as their status as being part of big business. We need to strengthen the avenues of accountability through the government and continue to support civil society who acts where government can’t or won

PALAWAN, ARACELI, This June, PNNI paraenforcers received community reports of illegal loggers converting mangrove wood i...
09/07/2026

PALAWAN, ARACELI, This June, PNNI paraenforcers received community reports of illegal loggers converting mangrove wood into poles and commercial charcoal. In an effort to protect their natural resources, community members blocked the road to the mangrove reserve to cut off access of the loggers but to no avail. PNNI recalls that in a previous meeting in the ENRC (Environment and Natural Resources Committee) of the PCSD (Palawan Council for Sustainable Developmemt), there was an issue as to the remaining mangrove areas in Araceli should still remain as core zones or not and to see if the same is reflected in the ECAN map.

In a cruel twist, it is alleged that instead of filing a case against the loggers, personnel from the DENR are threatening to file cases against the community members who are merely defending their mangrove resources. This is in spite of the fact that the loggers are in clear violation of Presidential Proclamation 2152 which granted the mangroves of Palawan protected status as Mangrove Reserve, and the Fisheries Code RA 8550 which prohibits the conversion of mangrove land for any purpose. It is pitiful that after eight (8) decades of the former legislation, and six (6) decades of the latter special law, violations like this on our already dwindled mangroves, still occur with little and/or no enforcement.

If we are serious about preserving Palawan’s natural landscapes for future generations, we need to rethink conservation. There can be no room for enabling environmental violators. More importantly, conservation must include protecting land defenders, not prosecuting them for they are our frontliners in the environmental crisis.

PALAWAN, PNNI, from small things come big problems if left unchecked. NGO para-enforcers turned over five (5) illegally ...
25/06/2026

PALAWAN, PNNI, from small things come big problems if left unchecked. NGO para-enforcers turned over five (5) illegally operated chainsaws to the DENR-PENRO for safekeeping on May 26, 2026. These chainsaws were used to cut trees across the province, even in legally protected areas like Malampaya Landscape (P.D. 342), and a mangrove reserve in Brgy. Canipaan (P.D. 2152). If it weren’t for the combined efforts of PNNI para-enforcers, the MNLF Rajah Amir Bahar command, and various community members, these chainsaws would each still be cutting up to 20 trees a day (DENR statistics) clearing large tracks of Palawan's remaining forests. If we want the environmental policies protecting Palawan to be more than mere words on paper, we must compel the government (the authors and primary enforcers) to adopt a more effective approach to manage illegal logging. Checkpoints along the road are not sufficient; the problem must be addressed at the site of illegal activity with foot patrols deep in the forests, where trees can be protected while they’re still alive. Hopefully, they are up to the challenge.

PALAWAN, PUERTO PRINCESA — Just days before World Oceans Day, PNNI staff received a call from the community of Brgy. San...
11/06/2026

PALAWAN, PUERTO PRINCESA — Just days before World Oceans Day, PNNI staff received a call from the community of Brgy. San Manuel. A land developer had covered a mangrove and coral area with sand and gravel in preparation for commercial use. In doing so, they smothered these ecosystems, cutting off the light and oxygen they need to survive.

Through PNNI’s intervention, the area’s status as a protected mangrove reserve was reaffirmed by the DENR CENRO. Yet despite this, government action to remove the sand and gravel has not come. The damage is already severe—and its consequences will not be borne by the developers or delayed agencies, but by the community and the environment.

Mangroves and corals are not abstract resources. Mangroves shelter young fish, filter water, and absorb carbon. Corals sustain marine life and protect coastlines from storms. When they are destroyed, communities face stronger floods, dwindling fish stocks, and poorer water quality.

In accordance with the theme of World Ocean’s Day 2026, we are challenged to “Reimagine” our relationship with the ocean. We constantly benefit from the ocean and her ecosystems through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the climate we live in. But now, we must become more than beneficiaries. We must become true guardians of the sea.

This case in Brgy. San Manuel is just one of many that demonstrate how desperately we need this change. We call on businesses and developers to stop sacrificing marine ecosystems for profit. We call on government to act swiftly and decisively. If we fail to protect our oceans today, we will pay the price tomorrow.

PALAWAN, BROOKE'S POINT, this is hardly what the National Greening Program (NGP) of the government should look like, yet...
28/05/2026

PALAWAN, BROOKE'S POINT, this is hardly what the National Greening Program (NGP) of the government should look like, yet it is the one that NGO para-enforcers from PNNI and personnel from the MNLF Rajah Amir Bahar command discovered during routine forest patrol last May 25, 2026 in Sitio Bulho, Barangay Calasaguen. Apart from the patent illegal logging activities in the area, the team could not understand why this forested area was placed under the NGP program when it was already forested in the first place? Could it be that the intent was to log and clear the area to sell and make money from the existing timber, and once cleared, make the area available for planting under the NGP program? Government should make a strict occular inspection of its NGP areas because the program is primarily for denuded areas, and not like this already forested area. The team was also able to seize from the loggers the chainsaw while the latter took flight in different directions to evade arrests. Almost 10 hectares of forests were in the process of being cleared for charcoal and good lumber. PNNI calls for a thorough investigation as to who in government was responsible for identifying an already forested area to be included in the NGP program. PNNI also calls for more aggressive enforcememt efforts against illicit chainsaw activities that deforest the Last Frontier.

PALAWAN, TAYTAY. On labor day, May 1, 2026, a struggle ensued. PNNI paraenforcers alongside NTTBP officials and MNLF per...
14/05/2026

PALAWAN, TAYTAY. On labor day, May 1, 2026, a struggle ensued. PNNI paraenforcers alongside NTTBP officials and MNLF personnel appraoched an illegal logger in Sitio Arado, Brgy. Poblacion. At the sight of them, the logger attempted to flee with his chainsaw, and our paraenforcers had a decision to make. At great personal risk, the parenforcers grabbed the chainsaw and wrestled for control. Eventually, they won the struggle and calmed down the situation, explaining to the logger that felling is illegal in this area and that the chainsaw would be confiscated.

Upon conversing with the logger and his relatives onsite, PNNI discovered that the land was allegedly owned by Manila-based and Palawan-based politicians, and these people were hired to guard and tend to the land. While unconfirmed, this allegation points to the larger pattern of impunity wherein rich politicians privately secure land by exploiting underpriviledged people in search of income and having them clear it in preparation for reclassficiation into alienable and disposable land.

But how could this have happened?

Under Presidential Proclamation 342, this area is protected as part of the Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape, and yet, its reserve of old growth trees is still at risk of depletion. Furthermore, as home to protected ecosystems, private ownership is strictly prohibited in Malampaya. Logging and privitization is able to persist for many reasons, but let’s just look at two: (1) a lack of enforcement of environmental laws and forest patrols, (2) a lack of alternative sources of livelihood for loggers and economically vulnerable groups.

This labor day, let us honor those who work on the ground to protect our forests. At the same time, let us push to provide more options for dignified work for everyday Palaweños. Why don’t we pour more funding into enforcement programs and make our problems our solution?

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.

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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