by Margie Flores

Participants from different parts of Asia are now off to explore and be mesmerized with the world-renowned and the Philippines’ very own, Puerto Galera – exploring the seas and learning to care for the environment at the same time.

From the elegant Manila Hotel, the students walked to Manila Ocean Park, trying to have a peak of what they’re going to see in the next few days.

The Opening Ceremony was led by DENR Secretary, Lito Atienza, welcoming  everyone to the country, including the crew from NHK broadcasting which will be working side by side with NBN in documenting this momentous event.

From Manila Ocean Park, the team then headed to Batangas Port to take an hour and 15-minute boat ride to Coco Beach, Puerto Galera.

Coco Beach – with its pure white sand, abundant coconut trees that gives the island an incredible tropical taste, and what appears to be an endless shore, the tiring four-hour trip seemed bliss. Everyone can’t stop admiring the island. We were greeted by a welcome song from the locals, giving each one a warm smile and their locally craftedbeautiful shell necklaces.

This is just the first stop. There are still other islands waiting for the Voyage to see and to experience. But for now, everyone is craving to just breath the fresh air and welcome the warm sun of Puerto Galera.

Click on an image to enlarge

VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE 2009:

THE PHILIPPINE SEAS

VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE is an international educational project of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), which brings together teenagers from the ABU member countries and territories for the goal of thinking about the future of our global environment.

In this project, select students from the Asia-Pacific Region will visit various locations to learn to appreciate, conserve and rehabilitate the different environments.

HISTORY

The inaugural Voyage in 2005, 23 teenagers from seven Asian countries and regions visited Borneo to learn about the rainforest environment.

Divided into four groups, the students studied different habitats: mangrove wetland, riverside jungle, a mountain village where slash-and-burn agriculture is practiced, and a conservation center for orphaned orangutans.

Later, the four groups reunited to visit the old-growth forest of Danum Valley, where they learned about the importance of environmental conservation by studying the relationship between the forest and its many inhabitants and how the said relationship affects the earth as a whole.

In 2007, Mongolia opened its vast grasslands to 40 children from 9 Asian countries for the 2^nd ABU VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE.

The students experienced the realities nomads face in Mongolia by living with them.  They were able to value little life luxuries like water and electricity as these were rarities in the grasslands. The participants were able to learn about the nomadic way of life and its relationship to the growing desertification in the area.

The study group then moved to a conservation area for wild horses called Takhi. Here the participants were educated on Mongolia’s efforts to save the Takhi horses and their natural habitat.

At the end of their study excursion, the students were able to gain pertinent knowledge about the grassland ecosystem and how they can contribute to conserving the said environment.

VOYAGE GOES TO THE PHILIPPINES

Come March 2009, ABU takes its international educational excursion to the Philippine shores. The theme for the third Voyage is the Ocean Environment.

An archipelago of 7,107 islands, the Pearl of the Orient serves as the perfect backdrop to discuss the various marine problems faced by many countries all over the world.

Twenty-five (25) teenagers from seven (7) participating countries in the Asia-Pacific Region are expected to take part in this momentous event next year. The participants will visit the 3 pre-identified locations in the country – Puerto Galera in Mindoro Oriental, Danajon Double Barrier Reef in northern Bohol and Apo Island in Negros Oriental – in a span of 11 days.

MANILA OCEAN PARK

Voyage to the Future 2009 will get off the wraps on March 21, 2009 at the Manila Ocean Park.

Located behind the historic Rizal Park and just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Manila Hotel, the Manila Ocean Park is the Philippines’ first state-of-the-art oceanarium and open marine habitat.

Softly opened to the public in March this year, the Manila Ocean Park will serve as the preview for the Voyage to the Future participants of what is in store for them in the 11-day journey in the select islands of the Philippines.

Though composed of 8 sections featuring various indigenous marine species in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, the Ocean Park offers but a tenth of the abundant marine life in the country.

From here, the participants will travel via bus to Batangas where they will then ride a ferry to the first stop of the Voyage in Luzon—Puerto Galera

PUERTO GALERA

Located in the northwestern part of Mindoro, Puerto Galera is one of the many choice tourist destinations in Luzon and in the Philippines.

Here voyage participants will get their first taste of island life in the Philippines.

The powdery white sand and beautiful marine life brought in tourism in this once sleepy locality,

This has seen a huge reduction in the number of fishermen in the area, as they gain higher revenue from tourists.

While the bustling tourism brought in foot traffic, popularity and money, it also brought a great deal of marine pollution, much more the degradation of its coral reef.

After learning about the environmental concerns of a tourist destination like Puerto Galera, participants will go back to Manila to fly to Cebu for the second stop of the Voyage in Visayas—the Danajon Double Barrier Reef in Bohol.

DANAJON DOUBLE BARRIER REEF

Located in the northwest coast of the island of Bohol, Danajon is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines and one of the only six in the world.

The Danajon Bank is a unique double barrier reef composed of numerous but dispersed islets and reef patches joining together into an inner and outer reef.

The islands of Danajon will be the setting of the participants’ adventures in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines.

Danajon comprises of two sets of large coral reefs that formed offshore on a submarine ridge due to a combination of favourable tidal currents and coral growth in the area.

It is believed that with the unique structure and immensity of the reefs, the Danajon Double Barrier Reefs were formed over the last 6,000 years.

Here the participants will be divided into 5 groups to best experience and understand the different environmental problems faced by the people of the different islands in Danajon Banks.

Mahaba Island will serve as the homebase and kick-off point of the Voyage to the Future participants to the other islands.

During their stay in Bohol, the students will get to embark in various activities aimed at getting a deeper understanding of the day-to-day problems encountered by the islandfolk.

Here the effects of overpopulation, increased fishing pressure as well as destructive fishing methods will be discussed.

After this, the participants will go on to the third stop of their voyage—Apo Island.

APO ISLAND

Apo Island is a small volcanic island, 7 kilometers off the southeastern tip of Negros Island. The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve;

Apo Island is one of the world’s best known community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented, by the global science community. The project was started in 1982. It is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals

The island is home to nearly 800 people, mainly fisher folks. Since 2002 apo has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination with tourists.

Here participants will get to see how the island folk have already adapted to making a living via tourism yet still protecting their treasures.

by Margie Flores

March 20, 2009, Manila Hotel – 25 different teenagers from 7 different Asian countries plus the elegant Manila Hotel added with a sumptuous dinner, equals a great feast.

Even before dinner started around 7pm, the participants were seen gathering at the Manila Hotel lobby, willingly introducing themselves to each other, exchanging experiences and asking about each other’s interests, which eventually leads to friendship.

At dinner, while feasting with delicious food and scrumptious dessert, the participants seemed to know each other for quiet a while. Laughing and exchanging jokes like old friends do.

They instantly bonded. And when each were called to introduced themselves in front the whole team, everyone was laughing because they’ve been introduced like a thousand times.

Everyone was so excited with the upcoming activities and we’re already asking which group they will be assigned to. All are eager to know what awaits them in the Philippines.

I took the pleasure of introducing myself to some of them and took their pictures. Below are the ones I’m lucky enough to meet yet.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge

Voyage to the future is an educational project of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Network (ABU) that aims to promote awareness of our future global environment.

ABU brings together teenagers from Asia-Pacific Region to visit various locations to learn to appreciate, conserve and rehabilitate the different environments.

Voyage to the future 2009 goes to explore the Philippine shores with the theme “Preserving the Ocean Environment”.

25 students from seven participating countries namely, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar and Thailand will arrive the country on March 20, 2009, and will stay till March 31, 2009.

The National Broadcasting Network (the only TV station in the Philippines that is a member of ABU) will be hosting the event. Opening ceremonies will be held at the Manila Hotel come Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 9:00 am.

The participants will visit 3 pre-identified locations in the country – Puerto Galera in Mindoro Oriental, Danajon Double Barrier Reef in northern Bohol and Apo Island in Negros Oriental – in a span of 11 days.

Different fun and educational activities awaits the participants.