Press Release: Giant Strides in Philippine Environment
Added to website: 23 January 2007
Professor David Bellamy the renowned British TV botanist recently voted one of the world’s top green campaigners of all time, will visit the Philippines next month to support important community-based conservation work being undertaken here.
Bellamy’s outstanding contribution to the protection of environment has won him countless international accolades and awards. His recent autobiography, Jolly Green Giant , aptly sums up the enthusiasm and dedication of this ‘giant’ in the world of effective and lasting conservation.
At the invitation of his NGO hosts - the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation (PRRCF) and the Negros Forest & Ecological Foundation - Bellamy will visit the country February 10-20.
He will witness first-hand the remarkable progress being made by communities, NGO’s, and local and national government towards the protection and sustainable use of some of the world’s most important, yet fragile and highly threatened, biological resources. His visit is being co-hosted by the British Embassy and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Philippines.
Commenting on the global importance of the Philippine environment, Bellamy said: “Over seven thousand magical islands set in the heart of the ‘Sulu-Sulawesi Coral Triangle, the global centre of all coral reef biodiversity. At last I am going to spend some time in this enchanting land of reefs, extinct volcanoes, diverse forests, and the most hospitable people I have ever met as I have travelled the world. I come to see first hand the success of a number of projects of which I have been privileged to play a part with Coral Cay Conservation and her partners over the past three decades. Role models of the part nature based tourism plays in integrated coastal management and shining examples of how local people across the world are stitching their world back into more sustainable working order”
Bellamy’s support for environmental conservation in the Philippines began in 1994 when he joined forces with the UK-based group, Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) and PRRCF to help protect the threatened forests and coral reefs of Danjugan Island, a ‘jewel’ of biodiversity nestled in the Sulu Sea off the coast of Negros Occidental. Danjugan is now a national marine reserve and wildlife sanctuary and the CCC/PRRCF partnership has gone on to replicate similarly successful conservation projects throughout much of the Philippines, most recently in Southern Leyte.
Bellamy’s visit will include trips to see the wonders of the coral reefs and forests of the Visayas. On February 17 and 18, he will give a keynote address at the forthcoming ‘1ST Ecotourism Seminar & Workshop: Southern Negros Coastal Development Programme’ hosted by PRRCF at Punta Bulata Resort & Spa
Gerry Ledesma, President of PRRCF, said: “Bellamy’s visit will be immensely inspirational to our conservation programs and with his participation in the Ecotourism Seminar, we will be in the correct first step towards a new program - Conservation Through Ecotourism.”
An exciting ‘first’ for the Philippines is the planned partnership between Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Philippines and CCC, which aims to boost conservation awareness and appreciation amongst visitors to the Philippines of the beauty, importance and fragility of the nations coral reefs. Accompanied by Peter Raines, founder of CCC, Bellamy will visit Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa to launch this exciting new venture.
Timothy Wright, General Manager of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, said: “This `first’ partnership in the Philippines between CCC and Shangri-La offers multiple working opportunities to achieve environmental breakthroughs. The visit of Prof. Bellarmy and Peter Raines will further strengthen the resort’s environmental conservation efforts and support our nature tourism programmes.”
The British Embassy Manila encourages and supports meaningful environmental responsibility and awareness in the Philippines, and is committed to bridge effective linkages between British-Philippine businesses and environmental NGOs. To underscore that commitment, the British Ambassador Peter Beckingham has arranged for Bellamy to give a talk to the Philippine-British Chamber of Commerce on the evening of February 19 in Manila.
Peter Beckingham, commenting on this unique opportunity, said: “The Philippines is an important battle ground in the fight to protect and sustain the world’s marine environment. The warm sea waters that pass through the Philippine archipelago has transformed this country into the worlds foremost breeding ground for thousands of species of marine life — a vast and diverse marine resource that is important for future generations. Professor Bellamy’s short visit is an opportunity for us to learn and share experiences and lubricates our fruitful and lasting partnership with CCC, and serves as an important reminder of the need for consistency and coherence between our environmental and developmental goals, and the need to uphold and renew our commitment to environmentally sustainable development in all our partnerships with the government, the private sector, and NGOs”
Pete Raines of CCC, who recently met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to discuss environmental concerns added: “I am delighted that David Bellamy, who is President of CCC, will have this opportunity to witness the wonders of the Philippine environment and the giant strides being taken to protect this global treasure for future generations. CCC remains fully committed to do our bit for conservation in the Philippines and we look forward to a successful partnership with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Philippines in developing exciting new conservation education and awareness opportunities.”
