Mayor Hagedorn: Philippines

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Friday, April 20, 2012

Mayor Hagedorn

Mayor Hagedorn is well known around the world as the
“protective floodgate” of the environment and natural resources in Palawan,
including the rain forests, the mangrove forests and the coral reefs.

Edward S. Hagedorn

He is often termed as the ‘Philipino Al Gore’.

Former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Prize laureate Al Gore with Mayor Hagedorn during his visit in Manila - June 8 2010.
Both Al Gore and Mayor Hagedorn are recipients of the United Nations Global 500 award.

Yet, it should be bear in mind that protecting the environment in North America, Europe and Australia, is not as tough task as in the rest of the world!

The destructive forces in developing countries are very powerful,
and the leader of nature protection needs you!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Mayor's Hagedorn's Local Vision: Think Globally and Act Locally

Native environments are rare and beautiful. Just a few kilometers from Poerto Princesa City are some of the regions most beautiful places. Responsible environmental development will assure this place remaining a wonderful place to visit. / © 2010

An old environmental saying goes: “think global act local”. It is easy to say but sometimes hard to do. After you have cut the forest and contaminated the lake, it is hard to go back. A three hundred year old forest is not going to grow back in twenty years or even fifty. A lake contaminated over a century will not be cleaned up without effort, resources and time (and a great deal of leadership and desire.) It may seem obvious to most of us to learn from other people's mistakes, but most of us do not learn. Mayor Hagedorn is one of these unique individuals that learned and acts. He is aware of others' mistakes and he takes action. How do we recognize a true visionary leader from one who simply talks?

Mayor Hagedorn sees the natural resources surrounding Poerto Princesa City and understands the consequence of keeping them in a natural state. He also understands how the whole region is a unique ecotourism destination. You do not have to travel far to realize the precious position of Poerto Princesa City. Here is a region unique in natural beauty and left undeveloped. Today this unique place offers an opportunity for responsible development and ecotourism. This is where mayor Hagedorn takes his leadership position. His vision to make Poerto Princesa a tourist destination is a call to action. Now comes the hard work, the public awareness work, organization of resources and management of people and cooperation with private partners. This will prove to Poerto Princesa citizen's the mayor's proposition as a real one. He needs the citizen's, government and private sector's support. With his vision, he should be a breath of fresh air to the city and to the green environmental movement. Eventually the citizens will benefit and will thank this visionary leader for his effort and integrity.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Is Eco-Tourism Just Getting Started? or Spiraling Slowly Down? New Niche for Tourists.

Ecotourism has not become the big business originally hoped for. The idea of ecotourism started when South American and Caribbean environmentalists wanted to entice locals to cut down less trees and instead preserve their environment. The attempt is working in some places like Costa Rica, but not in remote locations like the Brazilian Amazon or the rain forests of central America. If a resort is too remote or difficult to access, it does not attract enough visitors or attention. The environmental movement and awareness of native undeveloped environments have gone through ups and downs since the ecotourism idea was started. This is one reason for the low interest in ecotourism today. The idea simply peaked, so what's now? Focus on other environmental issues like global warming instead of preservation of natural environments, mostly rain forests, is a major factor in lower interest in ecotourism. Other factors such as the global economic downturn, emphasis on local tourism to reduce travel costs, increase in green-energy development and other environmental messages are getting more media attention. Environmental issues have their time in the public's attention, then they die. Ecotourism's media peak may have past us, but the phenomena itself may be in for better days. Now there is less news and more action.

No mining policy

THE CITY government of Puerto Princesa is reiterating that its “no mining” policy still prevails and it is not approving any “large scale mining” application despite the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) pronouncement that it is in total contrast with the national government’s mining industry direction.

Politically correct is environmentally correct!

Supporting and promoting indigenous tribes

Mayor Hagedorn - Supporting and promoting indigenous people

The Philippine government succeeded in establishing a number of protected for tribal groups.

Indigenous people were expected to speak their native language, dress in their traditional tribal clothing, live in houses constructed of natural materials

They are using traditional architectural designs and celebrate their traditional ceremonies of propitiation of spirits believed to be inhabiting their environment.

They are also encouraged to re-establish their traditional authority structure in which, as in indigenous society were governed by chieftains known as Rajah and Datu.