EARTH’S RIGHTS, People’s Rights lawyer Donna Gasgonia praises the Balabac Municipal government for enacting a Balabac Law that would protect its waters to sustain its food security program for its residents.
The ordinance Gasgonia’s talking about was the “Marine Protected Eco-Region” which declared 489,562 hectares of marine waters in Balabac as “protected zone” and 28,335 hectares as “strict protection or no take zone.”
The measure, she said, aims to protect the municipal waters and the welfare of the people of the island municipality, particularly the indigenous groups Molbog and Pala’wan. She admires both IP groups for standing up for their right to food security.
The zones identified have intact coral reefs abundant with fish and other aquatic life, song which are very rare and considered endangered.
Less than a year after the enactment of the ordinance, Gasgonia noticed that fish stock has increased. More fishes and big sized ones are now caught by fishermen in the municipality just several yards outside the zones.
, the Molbog and the Pala’wans are taking it upon themselves to be vigilant in protecting them. They denounced claims that the zones are being violated by illegal fishers because of “extreme poverty” in the municipality.
Gasgonia explains that the Molbogs and the Pala’wans are on the right track in recognizing their rights to food which means protecting fish habitats to make sure there is incessant supply of fish and other aquatic resources not just for this generation but those to come.
She encouraged other municipalities to follow the Balabac Municipal government move because they will never go wrong protecting the right to food of their residents.
The island of Balabac is located at the very southwestern area of the country, south of even Palawan, which is pretty far itself. It’s around thirty kilometers away from the tip of Palawan, and less than sixty kilometers away one could already reach the shores of Borneo. Maximum elevation in the island would amount to almost six hundred meters, and coral reefs are the main draws for visitors in the area, just off the coast of Balabac.
One could see the coasts of Borneo Island from Balabac, and the Melville lighthouse, an iconic structure in the island, but has already been replaced in usage by a new, better structure which operates on solar energy for its power needs. Touring around the island is best accomplished by motorcycle, as the mobility provided by two wheels versus four allows motorcycles to go much farther out than would be possible with cars. Bringing in vehicles to the island is done by ferry boat, and costs three hundred pesos per person, and the same amount to bring in a motorcycle with you.Several mammals endemic to Palawan faunal region are known to occur in the area, including Palawan shrew Crocidura palawanensis, Palawan tree shrew Tupaia palawanensis and Palawan flying fox Acerodon leucotis. Endemic amphibians on the other hand include Brown-striped tree frog Polypedates macrotis, Rough-skinned tree frog Philautus longicrus and South-East Asian wood frog Rana sanguinea.
The island of Balabac has a mysterious aura to it, and this island is actually a back entrance into the country, and with this government agents expend a lot of effort to monitor this area to prevent unwanted entries into the country. The terrain of Balabac is also more on the mountain type of land area, compared to other nearby islands which are mostly flat. The local variant of deer that is native to the island is also one of the locals’ favorite delicacies, and is cooked in a number of ways. One other curious fact about the island is that most residents here are conversant in Malay, owing to the close proximity to Borneo. It’s a nice place to spend time in as the local culture is unique, having a mix of Philippine and Malaysian influences.
If you’re putting up your money in with properties located in Balabac, you’ll probably be better off investing with the local dominant developer in Balabac, Eton Properties Philippines. It’s owned by magnate Lucio Tan, who, among others, owns the top airline company in the Philippines. The company of Eton Properties is engaged in real estate development in the area, and residential properties are one of their offered projects for investors. Aside from that, they also have projects in the pipeline for housing units, condominiums and leisure properties, giving emphasis on the touring aspect of the island.
You’ll get better returns on your investments here in Balabac coming in from rental of your properties by transient residents. There are lots of people coming in to tour around the island and of course, they’ll need somewhere to stay in. The average rate of acquiring residential properties in Balabac is low, with mostly the tourism industry doing the lifting in the economy, and rental for hotel rooms per night in the area would be much lower than the rest of the country, with modest offerings going for as low as two hundred pesos per night, quite a steal there and anywhere else for that matter. For housing units you could charge a premium over the basic price. It’s a nice investment that you can use for yourself when you’re on vacation, and rent it out while you’re away.
Investing in a property located in Balabac is a good way to go if you want to gain profits from tourism markets, and you can cash in with the many properties being developed in the area, and your revenues earned from your property could fuel the capital needed to acquire bigger projects in the area. With the development of the island catering more to the tourists coming in, your best bet would also be to stay in the residential and hospitality markets, as this is where the most lucrative offerings in Balabac are.