Palawan Conservation Corps (PCC) was established in 1999 at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines through Marnee Comer and Jason Selwitz who were a former Peace Corps Volunteer assigned in the Province of Palawan. PCC put into a big picture through the effort the City Government of Puerto Princesa headed by the City Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, and a representative from other sectors such as; Pa
lawan NGO Network Incorporated (PNNI), Local Government Unit (LGU), Peoples Organization and the Academe. Since 1999, the PCC has been the only organization in Palawan (and the first in the Philippines) dedicated to empowering marginalized youth in rural Puerto Princesa, Palawan to restore and conserve their unique natural resources through a holistic approach. In 2004 Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) recognized the efforts of the Palawan Conservation Corps with the prestigious Kabalikat Award for its contributions in the promotion and enhancement of technical vocational education and training (TVET) in the country. The PCC has developed over 236 Out-Of-School Youth from over 12 different rural barangays of Puerto Princesa City in environmental education, marketable skills, life skills, and community organizing skills. During this time, youth participated in experiential learning projects in trail building, bioengineering, plant cultivation, organic farming, among others, while developing an Educational Nature Park at the site. The youth lived, studied, and practiced their skills at the camp-site (City Rural Agricultural Center), which was donated to the PCC by the City Government of Puerto Princesa through Mayor Edward S. Many of these youth have since returned to their respective barangays with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to help restore their environments but without the additional resources to implement any projects.
