Saturday, August 1, 2009
PROJECT PROPOSAL
UNIVERSITY OF NUEVA CACERES
J,Hernandez, St, Naga City
Project Proposal
(STREETLIGHTS)
Submitted by;
Ralph Louise Soriano,
Jonathan Echipare
Adrian Manuel Avila
Ronel Estonido
John Raymund Verdejo
Jhun-Jhun Basco
Josua Naval
John Hero Brugada
Dante Oriño, Jr.
Gonzales Villapañe
Moises Baronio
Peter John Aguila
TABLE OF CONTENT
TITLE PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENT
I. INTRODUCTION
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
III. PROJECT TIMETABLE
IV. COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT
V. TOURISM VALUE OF THE PROJECT
VI. ADDITIONAL FACTORS
FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT ON THE PROJECT
VII.INDIRECT JOB CREATION
VIII. INNOVATION
IX. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED ENTITIES
X. FINANCIAL NEEDS
XI. STREETLIGHTS PROJECT BUDGET
XII. STREETLIGHTS DESIGN AND SPECIFICATION
XIII. MAP OF BUILDING AREA (MAP OF NAGA CITY)
XIV. SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATION
I. INTRODUCTION
-The project for which we are requesting funding is the Naga City Streetlight project. The The Naga City engineering company is producing high quality of tourist attraction in Naga care of of the Naga City Government the leading business partnership of tourism of our company for 19 years. For 20 years, the realationship of our company in constructing business tourist attraction is proven high performance. The Naga Ctiy Engineering Company lead the world of construction.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
- Funds are in place to purchase and install approximately 55 of the 135 streetlights that are needed from the crossing of the Concepcion Grande to National highway covering those barangay who have high population. Using Government and sponsor fund and Community Cultural Affairs Grant in the amount of P25.000.000 the Naga City Engineering Association seeks to purchase and install an additional 10 streetlights.
III. PROJECT TIMETABLE
- The Naga City Association has worked for many years to achieve our goal of obtaining historic and modern streetlights for our neighborhood. After many many volunteer hours, we are now ready to begin the project. At this time, plans and funding are in place for us to begin installation of the historic streetlights are now ready.
-We anticipate that construction will begin on the system of light pole bases and the underground wiring in September of 2009. We anticipate that all of the light pole bases will be installed and as many of the streetlight poles as we afford by the middle of the summer of 2010.
IV. COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT
- A majority of the property owners in the Naga City Engineering company herby by the Naga City government have successfully petitioned the Des Moines Village Council to become a SSMID (Self Supporting Municipal Improvement District). This designation enables us to "tax ourselves". The funds received, estimated to be about P5,000.000 per year, will be used to cover the ongoing costs of power for the streetlight system as well as to cover maintenance, replacement, and other related costs. The Des Moines Village Council approved our request. Those property owners who signed on in support of creating the SSMID represent about 75% of the owners of property in the Neighborhood.
In addition, the Des Moines Village Council has committed P28,000.00 towards the cost of the purchase and installation of the historic streetlights.
The Polk County Supervisors have committed P300,000.00 towards the purchase and installation of the streetlights.
Through the City of Des Moines, an additional P100,000.00 of federal funds in the form
of an ISTEA grant under the "Enhancements for Historic Preservation Grant Program" have been made available.
V. TOURISM VALUE OF THE PROJECT
-Through the installation of reproduction Victorian-period streetlights, the Naga City Engineering Company in Des Moines expects that its status as a tourist attraction in central Naga will be significantly enhanced. From a marketing standpoint, the vintage-style streetlights would help to differentiate our neighborhood from other parts of the city. From a cultural and historical viewpoint, the neighborhood association has long desired to have streetlights that would be appropriate to the design of the Victorian and Turn-of-the-Century buildings in this neighborhood and it will help also in their part to have a light in their way and prevent a crime.
The existing freeway-scale "cobra-head" streetlights used everywhere in Naga communities are too tall and their design insensitive to a historic residential neighborhood. They produce light with the pink-orange color of high-pressure sodium, which detracts from the beauty, and the visual impact of Victorian multi-colored paint schemes used on restored buildings. Thus, Victorian period streetlights have been objectives in two neighborhood master plans -- the first was adopted by the association membership in 2005 and its update in 2010.
The 21st annual Naga City Engineering Company House Tour the last two weekends of September 2009 was the most successful ever. As volunteer planners of a mature event, we were pleased to learn that fully half of the just under 3000 visitors were first-time attendees. People from 15 cities attended this year's events. Our neighborhood has been an increasingly frequent stop for tour bus companies and convention visitors during the last 15 years. We expect the visitor statistics to further improve with the completion of the streetlight project.
Staff at the Naga City Convention and Visitors Bureau sees the value in this project and its ability to enhance the visual quality of the historic ang safety City. The film office of the Iowa Department of Economic Development has indicated to the Naga City Engineering Association that the potential for use of this neighborhood as background for films would go up with appropriate streetlights. The Naga City District is part of a group of attractions in the metropolitan area and visible improvement here, especially in the design integrity of this historic district, helps the overall ability of the metro area to attract first-time and repeat visitors.
The design of promotional banners to hang from the streetlights crossbars will give us a continuing opportunity to use fine graphic arts to promote neighborhood pride a National Register-listed Tourist attraction District. It is likely that we will choose the vehicle of a design competition, due to the unusually large population of talented designers in the neighborhood, not to mention in the state as a whole.
Naga City has a unique visual character in Camarines Sur beyond the Victorian and Turn-of-the-Century building styles because there are still corner grocery stores, businesses, and offices integrated into the residential neighborhood and supported by our special zoning. With the change to Victorian-style streetlights will come an increase in the neighborhood's visibility -- not merely due to the extended hours that the neighborhood's character will be evident to visitor and resident alike. We project that Victorian streetlights will also enhance the evening viability of businesses in the neighborhood, such as shops and cafes.
After 17+ years of wishing, planning and raising funds for the streetlight project to come to pass, we envision an Illumination Festival to celebrate the first throwing of the switch. This we hope would kick-off the promotions for the 22nd annual house tour on the last two weekends of September 2010.
VI. ADDITIONAL FACTORS
Full time employment on the project:
-The total cost for this phase of the project is about p450,000.000. The construction of the bases and the laying of the underground wiring will be done by National Electric cooperatives from Concepcion Grande. They estimate that at least 100 people will be working full time on the project for about 8 months.
In addition, the firm of Brooks Borg and Skiles has done the design work. Their fee for the work they have done on the project is about P27,000.000.
VII. INDIRECT JOB CREATION
- The Naga City Engineering Association believes that the addition of Historic and tourist Streetlights in our community will create a new wave of enthusiasm among present owners and new homebuyers to undertake restoration projects in our neighborhood.
Our neighborhood, which is located immediately west of Downtown Naga City, provides housing that is just walking distance from the over 60,000 office jobs that are available in the City's center. We are viewed as a key component in the City's plans to promote affordable urban housing for its workforce. We anticipate that the addition of the historic and Tourist streetlights will help to accelerate this process and, as a result, increase the amount of rehab, and reconstruction work that will be done in the neighborhood.
Although it is difficult to measure the number of future jobs that will be created in construction, we believe that as a direct result of the addition of the historic streetlights at least 6 new full time jobs will be created in the home and commercial rehab. Construction, and renovation industry.
VIII. INNOVATION
- The Naga City is the first cityr neighborhood in Camarines SurDes to make itself a Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) and nost tourist visitors in every year. Because of our desire to have these historic and Tourist streetlights installed in our neighborhood, we, as property owners and residents have consented to levy a special, neighborhood-wide tax upon ourselves. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first residential neighborhood in the City of Nagato have done this. Relevant documents and other information as to how to accomplish this will be made available to other groups in the State upon request.
IX. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED ENTITIES
In order to make the project work, neighborhood leaders have volunteered countless hours of their time. Working with the City, State, County, and Democratic Government agencies and departments, funding and approval for the project has been obtained. Most significantly however, we have achieved consensus among the property owners in our neighborhood to agree to be taxed under the provisions of the SSMID.
X. FINANCIAL NEED
The Association has obtained enough funding to install the underground wiring and construct the light pole bases for all of the 135 lights that will ultimately illuminate our neighborhood. In addition, we have funds in place to purchase about 55 of the actual streetlights. At this time, we need funds for another 80 streetlights. The cost per streetlight is about P25.000.00. Therefore, an additional P200,000.00 is needed to complete the lighting. Ours is not a wealthy neighborhood. We need your help. Your grant of P25,000.00 will bring us 10 more streetlights.
XI. NAGA CITY STREETLIGHT PROJECT BUDGET
Phase II
This phase of the project will bring historic streetlights to the remainder of the neighborhood.
Expenses
Design/Engineering - Brooks, Borg, and Skiles $ P29,000
Streetlights for 33 lights and all bases P271,000.00
Streetlights for completing 80 lights P200,000
Total P500,000
Income
Polk County P300,000
Additional funds being sought from:
Department of Cultural Affairs – City of Naga $ 25,000
Current project shortfall $200,000
*If we receive the full amount of grant money from the Naga City Government and from the Principal Financial Group, the shortfall will be
$200,000
Phase I
This phase of the project contained a limited area of the neighborhood. This phase has been fully funded and will be started soon.
Expenses
Total P128,000
Income
City of Naga
$ 28,000
ISTEA Grant $100,000
Total $128,000
XII. STREETLIGHTS DESIGN AND SPECIFICATION
XIV. SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATION
GROUP 4
NAME FINANCIAL SUPPORT INVOLVEMENT
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
* Preparing for research material
* Researcher
* Encoder
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
* Reporter
* Drafts Maker
Jonathan Echipare
* Preparing for research material
* Encoder
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
* Drafts Maker
Adrian Manuel Avila
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
* Reporter
* Drafts Maker
Ronel Estonido
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
John Raymund Verdejo
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Jhun-Jhun Basco
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Josua Naval
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
John Hero Brugada
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Dante Oriño, Jr.
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Gonzales Villapañe
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Moises Baronio
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Peter John Aguila
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
J,Hernandez, St, Naga City
Project Proposal
(STREETLIGHTS)
Submitted by;
Ralph Louise Soriano,
Jonathan Echipare
Adrian Manuel Avila
Ronel Estonido
John Raymund Verdejo
Jhun-Jhun Basco
Josua Naval
John Hero Brugada
Dante Oriño, Jr.
Gonzales Villapañe
Moises Baronio
Peter John Aguila
TABLE OF CONTENT
TITLE PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENT
I. INTRODUCTION
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
III. PROJECT TIMETABLE
IV. COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT
V. TOURISM VALUE OF THE PROJECT
VI. ADDITIONAL FACTORS
FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT ON THE PROJECT
VII.INDIRECT JOB CREATION
VIII. INNOVATION
IX. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED ENTITIES
X. FINANCIAL NEEDS
XI. STREETLIGHTS PROJECT BUDGET
XII. STREETLIGHTS DESIGN AND SPECIFICATION
XIII. MAP OF BUILDING AREA (MAP OF NAGA CITY)
XIV. SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATION
I. INTRODUCTION
-The project for which we are requesting funding is the Naga City Streetlight project. The The Naga City engineering company is producing high quality of tourist attraction in Naga care of of the Naga City Government the leading business partnership of tourism of our company for 19 years. For 20 years, the realationship of our company in constructing business tourist attraction is proven high performance. The Naga Ctiy Engineering Company lead the world of construction.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
- Funds are in place to purchase and install approximately 55 of the 135 streetlights that are needed from the crossing of the Concepcion Grande to National highway covering those barangay who have high population. Using Government and sponsor fund and Community Cultural Affairs Grant in the amount of P25.000.000 the Naga City Engineering Association seeks to purchase and install an additional 10 streetlights.
III. PROJECT TIMETABLE
- The Naga City Association has worked for many years to achieve our goal of obtaining historic and modern streetlights for our neighborhood. After many many volunteer hours, we are now ready to begin the project. At this time, plans and funding are in place for us to begin installation of the historic streetlights are now ready.
-We anticipate that construction will begin on the system of light pole bases and the underground wiring in September of 2009. We anticipate that all of the light pole bases will be installed and as many of the streetlight poles as we afford by the middle of the summer of 2010.
IV. COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT
- A majority of the property owners in the Naga City Engineering company herby by the Naga City government have successfully petitioned the Des Moines Village Council to become a SSMID (Self Supporting Municipal Improvement District). This designation enables us to "tax ourselves". The funds received, estimated to be about P5,000.000 per year, will be used to cover the ongoing costs of power for the streetlight system as well as to cover maintenance, replacement, and other related costs. The Des Moines Village Council approved our request. Those property owners who signed on in support of creating the SSMID represent about 75% of the owners of property in the Neighborhood.
In addition, the Des Moines Village Council has committed P28,000.00 towards the cost of the purchase and installation of the historic streetlights.
The Polk County Supervisors have committed P300,000.00 towards the purchase and installation of the streetlights.
Through the City of Des Moines, an additional P100,000.00 of federal funds in the form
of an ISTEA grant under the "Enhancements for Historic Preservation Grant Program" have been made available.
V. TOURISM VALUE OF THE PROJECT
-Through the installation of reproduction Victorian-period streetlights, the Naga City Engineering Company in Des Moines expects that its status as a tourist attraction in central Naga will be significantly enhanced. From a marketing standpoint, the vintage-style streetlights would help to differentiate our neighborhood from other parts of the city. From a cultural and historical viewpoint, the neighborhood association has long desired to have streetlights that would be appropriate to the design of the Victorian and Turn-of-the-Century buildings in this neighborhood and it will help also in their part to have a light in their way and prevent a crime.
The existing freeway-scale "cobra-head" streetlights used everywhere in Naga communities are too tall and their design insensitive to a historic residential neighborhood. They produce light with the pink-orange color of high-pressure sodium, which detracts from the beauty, and the visual impact of Victorian multi-colored paint schemes used on restored buildings. Thus, Victorian period streetlights have been objectives in two neighborhood master plans -- the first was adopted by the association membership in 2005 and its update in 2010.
The 21st annual Naga City Engineering Company House Tour the last two weekends of September 2009 was the most successful ever. As volunteer planners of a mature event, we were pleased to learn that fully half of the just under 3000 visitors were first-time attendees. People from 15 cities attended this year's events. Our neighborhood has been an increasingly frequent stop for tour bus companies and convention visitors during the last 15 years. We expect the visitor statistics to further improve with the completion of the streetlight project.
Staff at the Naga City Convention and Visitors Bureau sees the value in this project and its ability to enhance the visual quality of the historic ang safety City. The film office of the Iowa Department of Economic Development has indicated to the Naga City Engineering Association that the potential for use of this neighborhood as background for films would go up with appropriate streetlights. The Naga City District is part of a group of attractions in the metropolitan area and visible improvement here, especially in the design integrity of this historic district, helps the overall ability of the metro area to attract first-time and repeat visitors.
The design of promotional banners to hang from the streetlights crossbars will give us a continuing opportunity to use fine graphic arts to promote neighborhood pride a National Register-listed Tourist attraction District. It is likely that we will choose the vehicle of a design competition, due to the unusually large population of talented designers in the neighborhood, not to mention in the state as a whole.
Naga City has a unique visual character in Camarines Sur beyond the Victorian and Turn-of-the-Century building styles because there are still corner grocery stores, businesses, and offices integrated into the residential neighborhood and supported by our special zoning. With the change to Victorian-style streetlights will come an increase in the neighborhood's visibility -- not merely due to the extended hours that the neighborhood's character will be evident to visitor and resident alike. We project that Victorian streetlights will also enhance the evening viability of businesses in the neighborhood, such as shops and cafes.
After 17+ years of wishing, planning and raising funds for the streetlight project to come to pass, we envision an Illumination Festival to celebrate the first throwing of the switch. This we hope would kick-off the promotions for the 22nd annual house tour on the last two weekends of September 2010.
VI. ADDITIONAL FACTORS
Full time employment on the project:
-The total cost for this phase of the project is about p450,000.000. The construction of the bases and the laying of the underground wiring will be done by National Electric cooperatives from Concepcion Grande. They estimate that at least 100 people will be working full time on the project for about 8 months.
In addition, the firm of Brooks Borg and Skiles has done the design work. Their fee for the work they have done on the project is about P27,000.000.
VII. INDIRECT JOB CREATION
- The Naga City Engineering Association believes that the addition of Historic and tourist Streetlights in our community will create a new wave of enthusiasm among present owners and new homebuyers to undertake restoration projects in our neighborhood.
Our neighborhood, which is located immediately west of Downtown Naga City, provides housing that is just walking distance from the over 60,000 office jobs that are available in the City's center. We are viewed as a key component in the City's plans to promote affordable urban housing for its workforce. We anticipate that the addition of the historic and Tourist streetlights will help to accelerate this process and, as a result, increase the amount of rehab, and reconstruction work that will be done in the neighborhood.
Although it is difficult to measure the number of future jobs that will be created in construction, we believe that as a direct result of the addition of the historic streetlights at least 6 new full time jobs will be created in the home and commercial rehab. Construction, and renovation industry.
VIII. INNOVATION
- The Naga City is the first cityr neighborhood in Camarines SurDes to make itself a Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) and nost tourist visitors in every year. Because of our desire to have these historic and Tourist streetlights installed in our neighborhood, we, as property owners and residents have consented to levy a special, neighborhood-wide tax upon ourselves. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first residential neighborhood in the City of Nagato have done this. Relevant documents and other information as to how to accomplish this will be made available to other groups in the State upon request.
IX. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED ENTITIES
In order to make the project work, neighborhood leaders have volunteered countless hours of their time. Working with the City, State, County, and Democratic Government agencies and departments, funding and approval for the project has been obtained. Most significantly however, we have achieved consensus among the property owners in our neighborhood to agree to be taxed under the provisions of the SSMID.
X. FINANCIAL NEED
The Association has obtained enough funding to install the underground wiring and construct the light pole bases for all of the 135 lights that will ultimately illuminate our neighborhood. In addition, we have funds in place to purchase about 55 of the actual streetlights. At this time, we need funds for another 80 streetlights. The cost per streetlight is about P25.000.00. Therefore, an additional P200,000.00 is needed to complete the lighting. Ours is not a wealthy neighborhood. We need your help. Your grant of P25,000.00 will bring us 10 more streetlights.
XI. NAGA CITY STREETLIGHT PROJECT BUDGET
Phase II
This phase of the project will bring historic streetlights to the remainder of the neighborhood.
Expenses
Design/Engineering - Brooks, Borg, and Skiles $ P29,000
Streetlights for 33 lights and all bases P271,000.00
Streetlights for completing 80 lights P200,000
Total P500,000
Income
Polk County P300,000
Additional funds being sought from:
Department of Cultural Affairs – City of Naga $ 25,000
Current project shortfall $200,000
*If we receive the full amount of grant money from the Naga City Government and from the Principal Financial Group, the shortfall will be
$200,000
Phase I
This phase of the project contained a limited area of the neighborhood. This phase has been fully funded and will be started soon.
Expenses
Total P128,000
Income
City of Naga
$ 28,000
ISTEA Grant $100,000
Total $128,000
XII. STREETLIGHTS DESIGN AND SPECIFICATION
XIV. SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATION
GROUP 4
NAME FINANCIAL SUPPORT INVOLVEMENT
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
* Preparing for research material
* Researcher
* Encoder
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
* Reporter
* Drafts Maker
Jonathan Echipare
* Preparing for research material
* Encoder
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
* Drafts Maker
Adrian Manuel Avila
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
* Reporter
* Drafts Maker
Ronel Estonido
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
John Raymund Verdejo
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Jhun-Jhun Basco
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Josua Naval
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
John Hero Brugada
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Dante Oriño, Jr.
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Gonzales Villapañe
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Moises Baronio
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Peter John Aguila
* Organizing the Research
* Research planning
* Approval
Friday, July 31, 2009
EXAMPLE OF ACCOMPLISHEMENT REPORT
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff
Accomplishment Report
CY 2005
I. Background
Operating under the Office of the President, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development is the administrative machinery in the implementation of the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan Act, as provided for by Republic Act 7611. This unique legislation has paved and catalyzed sustainable development initiatives in the Province of Palawan.
As the Council is mandated in the governance, implementation and policy direction of the SEP, the Staff on the other hand provides the professional and technical support for the tasks mandated to the Council.
Two major functions are being pursued in order to address the concerns of the SEP, namely: 1) policy formulation and 2) environmental monitoring including coordination, formulation and implementation of projects and special laws. In addition to its mandates under the SEP, the Council is tasked to implement the following laws in the province of Palawan: the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (RA 9147), the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act (RA 9072) and the Chainsaw Act (RA 9175). As such, PCSDS ensures that appropriate and timely measures were delivered and necessary policies called for to achieve the objectives of the SEP are implemented.
II. Highlights of Accomplishments
With renewed vigor, the Council and its Staff
coped with the challenges affecting the organization. Assessments and policy review initiatives were undertaken to ascertain that the organization is focused and attuned on the mandates and goals of the SEP.
In support to the PCSD, the staff provided the technical counterpart on the initiatives directed by the Council. Among others, PCSDS spearheaded effecting policy redirection by reviewing its current tasks to complement harmonization of functions among the agencies represented in the Council.
The Staff likewise re-strengthened partnership with the Local Government Units and other agencies working in the province. Corollary with strengthening LGU partnership, the District Management Offices of PCSDS were enhanced by fielding additional staff and providing the appropriate logistics to intensify field activities.
Moreover, collaboration with partner institutions on sustainable development has taken ground as more collaborative endeavors are now being designed for implementation.
The Council has since instituted refocusing of its direction in support to the call of action vital in the President's Ten-Point Agenda. As the present leadership marked its first year in the organization, the following accomplishments were achieved through effective teamwork within the staff, the Council, the partner institutions as well as the stakeholders.
Significant Activities and Milestones
1. First Palawan Environmental and Economic Summit
The First Palawan Environmental and Economic Summit was conducted on January 27-29, 2005. The 3-day summit brought together the key leaders, decision-makers, planners, NGO's, and the private sector for a common goal of defining the road map of Palawan's development by balancing economics and environment. The vision of conducting the first ever environmental and economic summit in Palawan was made possible through the fund-sourcing initiatives of the Staff.
The primary objective of the summit is to come up with priority development concerns considering the opportunities as well as address issues and meet challenges ahead. With the SEP for Palawan Act as the primary pillar of all developmental efforts in the province, the summit served as venue to highlight sustainable development practices as well as a forum to share insights and lessons learned on collaborative efforts.
Priority development concerns identified were governance, partnership, capital formation and ecology/technology. In conclusion, the summit catalyzed and heightened commitment among the stakeholders thus forging and strengthening partnership towards workable developmental strategies.
2. State of Palawan's Environment
A proposal submitted by the Staff to UNESCO-Jakarta yielded positive response, thus UNESCO provided the fund for the publication of the book entitled "State of Palawan's Environment". The book was officially launched in January 2005 supported by the Provincial Government of Palawan. Considered another modest milestone for both PCSD and PCSDS, the book featured the findings of the studies and monitoring activities conducted by the Staff as part of the Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System (EMES). It contains the present condition of the terrestrial, coastal and marine resources of the province. The publication of the book is a humble contribution of the PCSD to the national patrimony and a token for every Palaweño, young and old, to whom the book is dedicated.
3. PCSD Konek Launching
PCSD Konek 7007611 is a quick response campaign of PCSDS in partnership with SMART Communications Incorporated-Palawan. The concept of the project is to link PCSD and Staff to Palaweños through the short messaging system (SMS) more commonly known as "text". In support to the operation of the PCSD Konek, the Multi-Partite Quick Response Team (MQRT) was organized, composed of 17 member-agencies and organizations in Palawan. Information materials such as flyers and stickers were produced and distributed to convey to the target clientele the essence of the program. Since its launching, 220 reports to PCSD Konek have been acted upon.
4. SEP Celebration
On the 13th year anniversary of the SEP for Palawan Act on June 19, 2005, the weeklong celebration carried the theme "Sharing Responsibilities With Partner-Stakeholders".
The event was made possible with the outpouring of support from the Provincial Government, Local Government Units, other government agencies, NGO's and the private sector. Several activities were lined up to promote camaraderie and interaction among the officials of PCSD, the staff and guests.
The affair also served as venue for a reunion among those who had been part of the evolution of the SEP from the Integrated Environmental Program days of then PIADP and the present PCSDS. As signified in the theme of the occasion, the active participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of the SEP significantly contributed to the success of the event.
5. Launching of Ecology Desk Program
Signing of MOA with Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa for the Ecology Desk Program was simultaneous with the launching of the EDP. The program was made possible with the support of the Vicariate to heighten environmental awareness of the parishioners in working together towards attaining a healthy environment
A. Thrusts and Mandate
1. Policy Formulation
For 2005, eighteen (18) resolutions were passed and two (2) guidelines (Communal Forest and the Revised ECAN) were issued by PCSD. Upon passage of the policy, PCSDS undertakes proper coordination with concerned agencies to ensure proper course of action on the Council issuances.
Environmental policy studies to address various concerns were identified. These were conducted to provide the Council with thorough analysis of certain issues affecting the environmental state of Palawan. Among the major policy areas being reviewed and the recent status of each concern are as follows:
Live Fish. The Live Reef Fish for Food Industry (LRFFI) in Palawan has been a major concern of the Council and the Provincial Board of Palawan as the use of cyanide and overfishing were considered a threat to the industry. In particular, a model ordinance for live reef-fish for food industry in the province is being envisaged. This will include the guidelines on selective banning of livefish catching and consider the role of players in the industry. A full policy analysis of the live reef fish for food industry is targeted as tool to come up with policy options to cover the live fish industry in Palawan. The analysis on live fish is covered by the Fish Study conducted in collaboration with BFAR.
The output of the collaborative efforts poured to address the live fish concerns was a policy brief containing proposed options to sustain the industry. The document has been presented to the Council, the Provincial Board Committees on Agriculture and Fisheries, Environment and Tourism. A workshop was organized to solicit comments from key stakeholders and the scientific community for the refinement of the document.
Through the collective initiative of the FISH Project, the Provincial Government of Palawan, the City of Puerto Princesa, the League of Municipalities and PCSDS, the Policy Conference on Livefish and Its Nationwide Application was organized in March 2005 to arrive at a policy consensus to sustain the live food fish industry in Palawan.
Wildlife Act. In consonance with the Republic Act 9147, the guidelines for wildlife management in Palawan which covers the confiscation and disposition of illegally collected wildlife flora and fauna was passed. A Memorandum of Agreement between PCSD and DENR was drafted defining the respective responsibilities of PCSD and DENR in the implementation of wildlife registration. The procedural guidelines on wildlife registration was formulated to serve as guide in the implementation of the Wildlife Act in the province.
Caves Act. The implementing rules and regulations for the Caves Act as well as the permitting system for the edible bird's nest gathering has been issued as basis for management of caves in Palawan including the resources therein.
In consideration of the role of the LGU's as forerunner of development and conservation in their respective area of jurisdiction, the participation of the LGU in the implementation of the Caves Act concerning the collection of edible bird's nest will be forged through a MOA. Initially, the MOA with the LGU of El Nido and Taytay were signed.
As a result of the harmonization workshops conducted to complement the functions of each concerned agency in the implementation of RA 9147, an amendment to the PCSD Administrative Order Nos. 03-08-IRR of Caves Act and 03-08 A-Permitting Guidelines for the Collection of Edible Bird's Nest has been drafted.
Chainsaw Act. The initial implementation of the guidelines for the Chainsaw Act saw the need for refinement of the document, thus an amendatory guideline was prepared for consideration of the Council.
Tribal/Ancestral Zone. The Revised ECAN Guidelines for Tribal Ancestral Lands was reviewed and necessary amendments was presented to the Council.
On the other hand, the proposed MOA among NCIP, the LGUs and PCSDS defining and harmonizing the institutional mandates of each respective agency pertaining to the management of ancestral lands in Palawan is now ready for signing.
The PCSD reaffirms its position base on its mandate to declare tribal ancestral lands under ECAN prior to any processing of applications for CADT.
Mangrove . The implementing guidelines on the various aspect of mangrove management is in progress. Relevant laws, rules and regulations pertaining to mangrove disposition were compiled as input in the drafting of the document. The role of the LGU' s on the protection of mangrove and coastal areas within their respective jurisdiction was one of the consensus points raised during the harmonization workshop.
Due to alarming reports of massive mangrove tanbarking and cutting for fish pond development, the Council recently passed a resolution authorizing the PCSDS Executive Director to take immediate action to dismantle any structure obstructing the natural flow of tide and ensure the conservation and protection of mangroves.
Following direction of the Council, the staff immediately initiated the dismantling of illegal fishponds in the municipality of Roxas in coordination with the Multi-Sectoral Environmental Task Force. To date, 7 fishponds, 2 of which are operational were dismantled by the team.
Policy Compendium. The staff is currently working on the policy compendium which contains related policies of identified nine (9) key priority policy areas. The document is in its final stage of refinement prior to publication. The key priority policy areas included in the compendium are: mangrove, wildlife, Tribal Ancestral Zone, communal forest, sand and gravel, chainsaw, livefish, caves and cave resources and ecotourism.
Relative to the implementation of the SEP Clearance System, about 238 projects were issued with SEP Clearance from January to December 2005. PCSDS collected about P353,150.00 from fees on the project applications. These were appropriately deposited to the National Treasury.
The classification of projects issued with SEP Clearance is presented as follows:
Project Description January -December 2005
Chainsaw 1
Gravel and Sand 12
Cellsite/Relay Station 38
Gold Panning/Sluicing Permit 0
Major Infrastructure/Roads 18
Forestry Projects 0
Fishery Projects 123
Mining Projects 1
Gasoline Station 2
Resorts/SUP Bathing Establishment 21
Small Scale Mining 0
Poultry/Piggery 0
PLTP 0
Non Timber Forest Products 4
SIFMA 3
Other Projects 10
Research 5
Total 238
2. Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN)
The implementing mechanism of the SEP which provides for the graded system of protection and development control over the whole province of Palawan is the Environmentally Critical Areas Network.
While pursuing complementation of economic growth and conservation, ECAN serves as the main guideline for all development plans, programs and projects to be implemented in the province. Thus, big impact activities such as mining and other resource extractive projects will essentially base upon the landuse specified in the ECAN.
Mapping of the ECAN Zones of the 24 municipalities based on updated ECAN map using recent land cover information has been completed. Ground validation of the ECAN Zones of all municipalities completed except for Kalayaan which is targeted for 2006 while validation of Puerto Princesa is now in progress.
After consultation, the ECAN map is subjected to revision and refinement which involves documentation and integration of the coastal ECAN. Documentation process and integration of coastal ECAN has been completed in 21 municipalities. The process is on-going in 10 municipalities. Reconstitution of ECAN Board has been done in Coron, Busuanga, Culion, Linapacan, El Nido, Taytay and San Vicente.
Adoption of ECAN Map through LGU Resolution accomplished for Aborlan, Narra, Rizal, Bataraza, Brooke's Point, Quezon and Dumaran. Meanwhile, the integration of ECAN in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is now in progress for the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra and Rizal. The final phase which is revision of the zoning ordinance is targeted to be accomplished by 2006.
Meanwhile. the GIS Unit has been identified as another revenue generating facility of PCSDS. The GIS Unit has been servicing mapping requirements of various clientele namely, the LGUs, NGOs and academe, among others. As of December 2005, the total collection for map production is P21,100.00 which has been remitted to the National Treasury.
3. ECAN-Coastal Resource Management
Considering that Palawan is an island province where people and economy largely depend on its coastal marine resources and environment, the ECAN-Coastal Resources Management (CRM) project is perceived to address the continuing problem on resource degradation and overexploitation.
The ECAN-CRM is the strategy wherein the communities are involved in the management of the resources in their respective localities. Moreover, this activity is pursued to support the poverty alleviation program of the national government by empowering the direct resource users to manage and be accountable to the environment.
PCSDS has conducted ECAN-CRM Forum in the municipalities of Quezon, San Vicente & Puerto Princesa City. Information education campaign has been done in 13 municipalities, specifically, Quezon, Bataraza, S. Espanola, Balabac, Rizal, Brooke's Point, San Vicente, Araceli, Dumaran, Aborlan , Narra, El Nido and Roxas. Meanwhile, detailed Participatory Coastal Resource Assessments was completed in Araceli, Dumaran, Balabac, Rizal, Brooke's Point, Aborlan, S. Espanola, Quezon,Bataraza, San Vicente, Narra, El Nido and Roxas.
As of December 2005, 20 ECAN-CRM Learning Centers as convergence of all other efforts by various stakeholders in the area were identified. Nine (9) ECAN-CRM Action Plans has been prepared by the concerned communities with the PCSDS CRM Team providing the technical inputs.
Meanwhile, activities related to Coastal Resource Management (CRM) in Calamianes are closely coordinated with Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest (FISH) Project. A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed to effect the agreement between the PCSDS and FISH Project. For Puerto Princesa, CRM activities are integrated with the FRMP Project. The same partnership scheme shall be pursued with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and LGU for the implementation of CRM in the municipality of Cagayancillo.
2. Environmental Monitoring (coordination, formulation and implementation of plans, projects and programs)
a. Monitoring and Coordination
The findings of the coastal resource assessments and monitoring including the resource condition maps for mangrove, seagrass and corals in the Municipality of Quezon, Rizal and Roxas were presented to the officials of the concerned LGUs as input to the preparation of their water use plan. In addition, coastal resources monitoring in the Municipality of San Vicente was conducted as input for the inclusion of the municipality in the priority sites for ecotourism development.
The PCSDS Environmental Laboratory was established to evaluate the water quality status in the province. From January to December 2005, seven hundred ninety one (791) water samples and four (4) effluent samples were analyzed. Aside from water samples collected by PCSDS in its monitoring activities, the laboratory also provide services to other agencies, academe and students requiring water analysis and other testing parameters.
An environmental audit was undertaken at the Dos Palmas Resort to pilot test the questionnaires to be used for the Eco - Watch program which was launched in time for SEP Anniversary. The launching of the Beach Eco Watch Program commenced with a workshop in partnership with the City Government of Puerto Princesa, the Provincial Government of Palawan and the World Bank.
Another environmental audit was conducted at Coral Bay Nickel Corporation to verify the occurrence of skin lesion disease at Sitio Tagdalungon, barangay Rio Tuba in the Municipality of Bataraza where the CBNC is operating its hydrometallurgical processing plant.
PCSDS heads the monitoring team for Malampaya Natural Gas Project. Among the activities of the MMT is the quarterly monitoring at the Malampaya Shallow Water Platform wherein effluent samples were collected for analysis. Likewise, regular monitoring of the operations in the platform is undertaken to ensure compliance on the conditions stipulated in the ECC of the project.
PCSDS is also tasked to co-manage and supervise two other protected areas in the province, specifically, El Nido and Tubbataha. PCSDS has been actively involved in the management boards of both protected sites.
On the other hand, 39 Admin cases filed for violation of PCSD Admin Orders and SEP Clearance System have been filed in the PCSD Adjudication Board and 8 criminal cases for violation of Fisheries, Wildlife and Forestry Codes were filed in court.
b. Program Formulation
Investment profiles were formulated for the re-direction of PCSDS' activities in support to the President's Ten Point Agenda and packaging of projects for presentation to funding institutions was pursued to further complement the present initiatives of the organization.
The proposal for the First Palawan Environmental and Economic Summit was approved for funding by Pilipinas Shell, Inc. which paved the way for the organization of the first ever summit on environment and economic in Palawan. In addition, the publication of the State of Palawan's Environment was financed out of the grant provided by UNESCO-Jakarta in consideration of the proposal submitted by the Staff.
More project proposals were being packaged and submitted to prospective donors for consideration. The 20 hectares Isugod Mangrove Reforestation Project has commenced implementation under the auspices of DBP Forest Project.
The Information System and Integrated Database Project proposal was submitted to the Delegation of the European Commission for consideration under the theme of good governance of the EC Small Grants facility. The proposal for Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary was updated for re-submission to Conservation & Environment Grants of Ford Motor Company. Currently, the Beach Eco-Watch Program is being finalized for submission to World Bank funding.
A program proposal was packaged and submitted to the Office of the President in particular, the Sustainable Resource Management Program for Palawan with sub-projects on Coastal Resource Management Program for Southern Palawan and Goat Production Project.
The proposal on Center for GIS-Based Environment and Natural Resource Information System Management was submitted for funding consideration of JICA. A proposal on Palawan Integrated Conservation and Sustainable Resource Management Program Using ECAN was submitted to ADB. Meanwhile, the Concept Notes on GIS Mapping and IEC Support Activities for the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Project was submitted to Conservation International. For UNDP, the proposal on Identification of Solutions Through Multi-stakeholders-Participation in Resolving Issues, Problems and Conflicts Concerning Resource Use in the Province of Palawan/Calauit was submitted for possible funding.
The concept proposal on Sustainable Management of Mineral Resource in the Province of Palawan was prepared for possible funding since mining concerns has been identified in the province.
c. Implementation of Special Project
i. ECAN Zoning Component-SEMP NP
PCSD is the implementing agency of the ECAN Zoning Component of the Sustainable Environmental Management Project for Northern Palawan (SEMP-NP).
The project covers the municipalities of Northern Palawan which is identified in the Medium-Term Development Plan as major tourism destination.
On its fifth year, the Component will focus on the completion of the ECAN Management Plan and the development of ecotourism projects in northern Palawan based on ECAN zoning. As of Dec. 2005, the project has pegged an overall accomplishment of 90.45%. Currently, the project is working on the reconstitution of Linapacan ECAN Board and validation of technical output for Puerto Princesa
ii. Northern Palawan Sustainable Development Project (NPSDP)
PCSDS is overseeing the implementation of the Northern Palawan Sustainable Development Program under the auspices of Pilipinas Shell Foundation Incorporated. The program covered 14 livelihood projects in different municipalities in Northern Palawan.
PCSDS has been providing technical and administrative assistance to the proponents in the implementation of the projects. Regular monitoring is conducted to look into issues and updates of the project implementation.
4. Management of Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary(CGPWS)
As highlighted in the 2004-2010 Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan, the tourism industry is one of the sectors that has the potential to boost the Philippine economy.
Along this context, the prime concern of the PCSD is the promotion of Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary as an ecotourism destination and the expansion of the sanctuary into a nature park of international standards showcasing its terrestrial and marine resources including its indigenous wildlife species.
Partnership scheme with private groups was considered to improve the limited facilities and services requiring substantial investment to enhance Calauit as a prime tourism product. Along this context, a MOA was signed between the project and Calamianes Association of Tourism Establishments (CATE) for the improvement of facilities and other structures provided by the association for the sanctuary. Initially, CATE has installed the entrance signage, constructed two viewing gazebo and rest rooms in the area. These were part of the efforts and resources pooled from the private sector to help out promote Calauit as ecotourism destination.
Meanwhile, total gate receipts and charges for the use of the truck within the sanctuary is 426,850.00. The total collection has been remitted to the National Treasury.
5. Palawan Sustainable Development Training Institute (PSDTI)
The Palawan Sustainable Development Training Institute, a facility funded by European Union under the Palawan Tropical Forestry Protection Programme was established to provide training programs and modules on sustainable development.
The Institute caters to the training requirements of the staff as well as other partner stakeholders. It has housed several trainings, seminars, conferences and meetings. The Institute is intended to be developed as the Center for capability building on resource management and sustainable development not only in the province but in the region as well.
The Council has approved the policy on user fees and charges for the training hall and the facilities of the Institute. Aside from serving the requirements of the staff, PSDTI is developed as another income-generating endeavor of PCSDS.
Prepared by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
Group 4
Accomplishment Report
CY 2005
I. Background
Operating under the Office of the President, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development is the administrative machinery in the implementation of the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan Act, as provided for by Republic Act 7611. This unique legislation has paved and catalyzed sustainable development initiatives in the Province of Palawan.
As the Council is mandated in the governance, implementation and policy direction of the SEP, the Staff on the other hand provides the professional and technical support for the tasks mandated to the Council.
Two major functions are being pursued in order to address the concerns of the SEP, namely: 1) policy formulation and 2) environmental monitoring including coordination, formulation and implementation of projects and special laws. In addition to its mandates under the SEP, the Council is tasked to implement the following laws in the province of Palawan: the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (RA 9147), the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act (RA 9072) and the Chainsaw Act (RA 9175). As such, PCSDS ensures that appropriate and timely measures were delivered and necessary policies called for to achieve the objectives of the SEP are implemented.
II. Highlights of Accomplishments
With renewed vigor, the Council and its Staff
coped with the challenges affecting the organization. Assessments and policy review initiatives were undertaken to ascertain that the organization is focused and attuned on the mandates and goals of the SEP.
In support to the PCSD, the staff provided the technical counterpart on the initiatives directed by the Council. Among others, PCSDS spearheaded effecting policy redirection by reviewing its current tasks to complement harmonization of functions among the agencies represented in the Council.
The Staff likewise re-strengthened partnership with the Local Government Units and other agencies working in the province. Corollary with strengthening LGU partnership, the District Management Offices of PCSDS were enhanced by fielding additional staff and providing the appropriate logistics to intensify field activities.
Moreover, collaboration with partner institutions on sustainable development has taken ground as more collaborative endeavors are now being designed for implementation.
The Council has since instituted refocusing of its direction in support to the call of action vital in the President's Ten-Point Agenda. As the present leadership marked its first year in the organization, the following accomplishments were achieved through effective teamwork within the staff, the Council, the partner institutions as well as the stakeholders.
Significant Activities and Milestones
1. First Palawan Environmental and Economic Summit
The First Palawan Environmental and Economic Summit was conducted on January 27-29, 2005. The 3-day summit brought together the key leaders, decision-makers, planners, NGO's, and the private sector for a common goal of defining the road map of Palawan's development by balancing economics and environment. The vision of conducting the first ever environmental and economic summit in Palawan was made possible through the fund-sourcing initiatives of the Staff.
The primary objective of the summit is to come up with priority development concerns considering the opportunities as well as address issues and meet challenges ahead. With the SEP for Palawan Act as the primary pillar of all developmental efforts in the province, the summit served as venue to highlight sustainable development practices as well as a forum to share insights and lessons learned on collaborative efforts.
Priority development concerns identified were governance, partnership, capital formation and ecology/technology. In conclusion, the summit catalyzed and heightened commitment among the stakeholders thus forging and strengthening partnership towards workable developmental strategies.
2. State of Palawan's Environment
A proposal submitted by the Staff to UNESCO-Jakarta yielded positive response, thus UNESCO provided the fund for the publication of the book entitled "State of Palawan's Environment". The book was officially launched in January 2005 supported by the Provincial Government of Palawan. Considered another modest milestone for both PCSD and PCSDS, the book featured the findings of the studies and monitoring activities conducted by the Staff as part of the Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System (EMES). It contains the present condition of the terrestrial, coastal and marine resources of the province. The publication of the book is a humble contribution of the PCSD to the national patrimony and a token for every Palaweño, young and old, to whom the book is dedicated.
3. PCSD Konek Launching
PCSD Konek 7007611 is a quick response campaign of PCSDS in partnership with SMART Communications Incorporated-Palawan. The concept of the project is to link PCSD and Staff to Palaweños through the short messaging system (SMS) more commonly known as "text". In support to the operation of the PCSD Konek, the Multi-Partite Quick Response Team (MQRT) was organized, composed of 17 member-agencies and organizations in Palawan. Information materials such as flyers and stickers were produced and distributed to convey to the target clientele the essence of the program. Since its launching, 220 reports to PCSD Konek have been acted upon.
4. SEP Celebration
On the 13th year anniversary of the SEP for Palawan Act on June 19, 2005, the weeklong celebration carried the theme "Sharing Responsibilities With Partner-Stakeholders".
The event was made possible with the outpouring of support from the Provincial Government, Local Government Units, other government agencies, NGO's and the private sector. Several activities were lined up to promote camaraderie and interaction among the officials of PCSD, the staff and guests.
The affair also served as venue for a reunion among those who had been part of the evolution of the SEP from the Integrated Environmental Program days of then PIADP and the present PCSDS. As signified in the theme of the occasion, the active participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of the SEP significantly contributed to the success of the event.
5. Launching of Ecology Desk Program
Signing of MOA with Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa for the Ecology Desk Program was simultaneous with the launching of the EDP. The program was made possible with the support of the Vicariate to heighten environmental awareness of the parishioners in working together towards attaining a healthy environment
A. Thrusts and Mandate
1. Policy Formulation
For 2005, eighteen (18) resolutions were passed and two (2) guidelines (Communal Forest and the Revised ECAN) were issued by PCSD. Upon passage of the policy, PCSDS undertakes proper coordination with concerned agencies to ensure proper course of action on the Council issuances.
Environmental policy studies to address various concerns were identified. These were conducted to provide the Council with thorough analysis of certain issues affecting the environmental state of Palawan. Among the major policy areas being reviewed and the recent status of each concern are as follows:
Live Fish. The Live Reef Fish for Food Industry (LRFFI) in Palawan has been a major concern of the Council and the Provincial Board of Palawan as the use of cyanide and overfishing were considered a threat to the industry. In particular, a model ordinance for live reef-fish for food industry in the province is being envisaged. This will include the guidelines on selective banning of livefish catching and consider the role of players in the industry. A full policy analysis of the live reef fish for food industry is targeted as tool to come up with policy options to cover the live fish industry in Palawan. The analysis on live fish is covered by the Fish Study conducted in collaboration with BFAR.
The output of the collaborative efforts poured to address the live fish concerns was a policy brief containing proposed options to sustain the industry. The document has been presented to the Council, the Provincial Board Committees on Agriculture and Fisheries, Environment and Tourism. A workshop was organized to solicit comments from key stakeholders and the scientific community for the refinement of the document.
Through the collective initiative of the FISH Project, the Provincial Government of Palawan, the City of Puerto Princesa, the League of Municipalities and PCSDS, the Policy Conference on Livefish and Its Nationwide Application was organized in March 2005 to arrive at a policy consensus to sustain the live food fish industry in Palawan.
Wildlife Act. In consonance with the Republic Act 9147, the guidelines for wildlife management in Palawan which covers the confiscation and disposition of illegally collected wildlife flora and fauna was passed. A Memorandum of Agreement between PCSD and DENR was drafted defining the respective responsibilities of PCSD and DENR in the implementation of wildlife registration. The procedural guidelines on wildlife registration was formulated to serve as guide in the implementation of the Wildlife Act in the province.
Caves Act. The implementing rules and regulations for the Caves Act as well as the permitting system for the edible bird's nest gathering has been issued as basis for management of caves in Palawan including the resources therein.
In consideration of the role of the LGU's as forerunner of development and conservation in their respective area of jurisdiction, the participation of the LGU in the implementation of the Caves Act concerning the collection of edible bird's nest will be forged through a MOA. Initially, the MOA with the LGU of El Nido and Taytay were signed.
As a result of the harmonization workshops conducted to complement the functions of each concerned agency in the implementation of RA 9147, an amendment to the PCSD Administrative Order Nos. 03-08-IRR of Caves Act and 03-08 A-Permitting Guidelines for the Collection of Edible Bird's Nest has been drafted.
Chainsaw Act. The initial implementation of the guidelines for the Chainsaw Act saw the need for refinement of the document, thus an amendatory guideline was prepared for consideration of the Council.
Tribal/Ancestral Zone. The Revised ECAN Guidelines for Tribal Ancestral Lands was reviewed and necessary amendments was presented to the Council.
On the other hand, the proposed MOA among NCIP, the LGUs and PCSDS defining and harmonizing the institutional mandates of each respective agency pertaining to the management of ancestral lands in Palawan is now ready for signing.
The PCSD reaffirms its position base on its mandate to declare tribal ancestral lands under ECAN prior to any processing of applications for CADT.
Mangrove . The implementing guidelines on the various aspect of mangrove management is in progress. Relevant laws, rules and regulations pertaining to mangrove disposition were compiled as input in the drafting of the document. The role of the LGU' s on the protection of mangrove and coastal areas within their respective jurisdiction was one of the consensus points raised during the harmonization workshop.
Due to alarming reports of massive mangrove tanbarking and cutting for fish pond development, the Council recently passed a resolution authorizing the PCSDS Executive Director to take immediate action to dismantle any structure obstructing the natural flow of tide and ensure the conservation and protection of mangroves.
Following direction of the Council, the staff immediately initiated the dismantling of illegal fishponds in the municipality of Roxas in coordination with the Multi-Sectoral Environmental Task Force. To date, 7 fishponds, 2 of which are operational were dismantled by the team.
Policy Compendium. The staff is currently working on the policy compendium which contains related policies of identified nine (9) key priority policy areas. The document is in its final stage of refinement prior to publication. The key priority policy areas included in the compendium are: mangrove, wildlife, Tribal Ancestral Zone, communal forest, sand and gravel, chainsaw, livefish, caves and cave resources and ecotourism.
Relative to the implementation of the SEP Clearance System, about 238 projects were issued with SEP Clearance from January to December 2005. PCSDS collected about P353,150.00 from fees on the project applications. These were appropriately deposited to the National Treasury.
The classification of projects issued with SEP Clearance is presented as follows:
Project Description January -December 2005
Chainsaw 1
Gravel and Sand 12
Cellsite/Relay Station 38
Gold Panning/Sluicing Permit 0
Major Infrastructure/Roads 18
Forestry Projects 0
Fishery Projects 123
Mining Projects 1
Gasoline Station 2
Resorts/SUP Bathing Establishment 21
Small Scale Mining 0
Poultry/Piggery 0
PLTP 0
Non Timber Forest Products 4
SIFMA 3
Other Projects 10
Research 5
Total 238
2. Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN)
The implementing mechanism of the SEP which provides for the graded system of protection and development control over the whole province of Palawan is the Environmentally Critical Areas Network.
While pursuing complementation of economic growth and conservation, ECAN serves as the main guideline for all development plans, programs and projects to be implemented in the province. Thus, big impact activities such as mining and other resource extractive projects will essentially base upon the landuse specified in the ECAN.
Mapping of the ECAN Zones of the 24 municipalities based on updated ECAN map using recent land cover information has been completed. Ground validation of the ECAN Zones of all municipalities completed except for Kalayaan which is targeted for 2006 while validation of Puerto Princesa is now in progress.
After consultation, the ECAN map is subjected to revision and refinement which involves documentation and integration of the coastal ECAN. Documentation process and integration of coastal ECAN has been completed in 21 municipalities. The process is on-going in 10 municipalities. Reconstitution of ECAN Board has been done in Coron, Busuanga, Culion, Linapacan, El Nido, Taytay and San Vicente.
Adoption of ECAN Map through LGU Resolution accomplished for Aborlan, Narra, Rizal, Bataraza, Brooke's Point, Quezon and Dumaran. Meanwhile, the integration of ECAN in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is now in progress for the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra and Rizal. The final phase which is revision of the zoning ordinance is targeted to be accomplished by 2006.
Meanwhile. the GIS Unit has been identified as another revenue generating facility of PCSDS. The GIS Unit has been servicing mapping requirements of various clientele namely, the LGUs, NGOs and academe, among others. As of December 2005, the total collection for map production is P21,100.00 which has been remitted to the National Treasury.
3. ECAN-Coastal Resource Management
Considering that Palawan is an island province where people and economy largely depend on its coastal marine resources and environment, the ECAN-Coastal Resources Management (CRM) project is perceived to address the continuing problem on resource degradation and overexploitation.
The ECAN-CRM is the strategy wherein the communities are involved in the management of the resources in their respective localities. Moreover, this activity is pursued to support the poverty alleviation program of the national government by empowering the direct resource users to manage and be accountable to the environment.
PCSDS has conducted ECAN-CRM Forum in the municipalities of Quezon, San Vicente & Puerto Princesa City. Information education campaign has been done in 13 municipalities, specifically, Quezon, Bataraza, S. Espanola, Balabac, Rizal, Brooke's Point, San Vicente, Araceli, Dumaran, Aborlan , Narra, El Nido and Roxas. Meanwhile, detailed Participatory Coastal Resource Assessments was completed in Araceli, Dumaran, Balabac, Rizal, Brooke's Point, Aborlan, S. Espanola, Quezon,Bataraza, San Vicente, Narra, El Nido and Roxas.
As of December 2005, 20 ECAN-CRM Learning Centers as convergence of all other efforts by various stakeholders in the area were identified. Nine (9) ECAN-CRM Action Plans has been prepared by the concerned communities with the PCSDS CRM Team providing the technical inputs.
Meanwhile, activities related to Coastal Resource Management (CRM) in Calamianes are closely coordinated with Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest (FISH) Project. A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed to effect the agreement between the PCSDS and FISH Project. For Puerto Princesa, CRM activities are integrated with the FRMP Project. The same partnership scheme shall be pursued with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and LGU for the implementation of CRM in the municipality of Cagayancillo.
2. Environmental Monitoring (coordination, formulation and implementation of plans, projects and programs)
a. Monitoring and Coordination
The findings of the coastal resource assessments and monitoring including the resource condition maps for mangrove, seagrass and corals in the Municipality of Quezon, Rizal and Roxas were presented to the officials of the concerned LGUs as input to the preparation of their water use plan. In addition, coastal resources monitoring in the Municipality of San Vicente was conducted as input for the inclusion of the municipality in the priority sites for ecotourism development.
The PCSDS Environmental Laboratory was established to evaluate the water quality status in the province. From January to December 2005, seven hundred ninety one (791) water samples and four (4) effluent samples were analyzed. Aside from water samples collected by PCSDS in its monitoring activities, the laboratory also provide services to other agencies, academe and students requiring water analysis and other testing parameters.
An environmental audit was undertaken at the Dos Palmas Resort to pilot test the questionnaires to be used for the Eco - Watch program which was launched in time for SEP Anniversary. The launching of the Beach Eco Watch Program commenced with a workshop in partnership with the City Government of Puerto Princesa, the Provincial Government of Palawan and the World Bank.
Another environmental audit was conducted at Coral Bay Nickel Corporation to verify the occurrence of skin lesion disease at Sitio Tagdalungon, barangay Rio Tuba in the Municipality of Bataraza where the CBNC is operating its hydrometallurgical processing plant.
PCSDS heads the monitoring team for Malampaya Natural Gas Project. Among the activities of the MMT is the quarterly monitoring at the Malampaya Shallow Water Platform wherein effluent samples were collected for analysis. Likewise, regular monitoring of the operations in the platform is undertaken to ensure compliance on the conditions stipulated in the ECC of the project.
PCSDS is also tasked to co-manage and supervise two other protected areas in the province, specifically, El Nido and Tubbataha. PCSDS has been actively involved in the management boards of both protected sites.
On the other hand, 39 Admin cases filed for violation of PCSD Admin Orders and SEP Clearance System have been filed in the PCSD Adjudication Board and 8 criminal cases for violation of Fisheries, Wildlife and Forestry Codes were filed in court.
b. Program Formulation
Investment profiles were formulated for the re-direction of PCSDS' activities in support to the President's Ten Point Agenda and packaging of projects for presentation to funding institutions was pursued to further complement the present initiatives of the organization.
The proposal for the First Palawan Environmental and Economic Summit was approved for funding by Pilipinas Shell, Inc. which paved the way for the organization of the first ever summit on environment and economic in Palawan. In addition, the publication of the State of Palawan's Environment was financed out of the grant provided by UNESCO-Jakarta in consideration of the proposal submitted by the Staff.
More project proposals were being packaged and submitted to prospective donors for consideration. The 20 hectares Isugod Mangrove Reforestation Project has commenced implementation under the auspices of DBP Forest Project.
The Information System and Integrated Database Project proposal was submitted to the Delegation of the European Commission for consideration under the theme of good governance of the EC Small Grants facility. The proposal for Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary was updated for re-submission to Conservation & Environment Grants of Ford Motor Company. Currently, the Beach Eco-Watch Program is being finalized for submission to World Bank funding.
A program proposal was packaged and submitted to the Office of the President in particular, the Sustainable Resource Management Program for Palawan with sub-projects on Coastal Resource Management Program for Southern Palawan and Goat Production Project.
The proposal on Center for GIS-Based Environment and Natural Resource Information System Management was submitted for funding consideration of JICA. A proposal on Palawan Integrated Conservation and Sustainable Resource Management Program Using ECAN was submitted to ADB. Meanwhile, the Concept Notes on GIS Mapping and IEC Support Activities for the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Project was submitted to Conservation International. For UNDP, the proposal on Identification of Solutions Through Multi-stakeholders-Participation in Resolving Issues, Problems and Conflicts Concerning Resource Use in the Province of Palawan/Calauit was submitted for possible funding.
The concept proposal on Sustainable Management of Mineral Resource in the Province of Palawan was prepared for possible funding since mining concerns has been identified in the province.
c. Implementation of Special Project
i. ECAN Zoning Component-SEMP NP
PCSD is the implementing agency of the ECAN Zoning Component of the Sustainable Environmental Management Project for Northern Palawan (SEMP-NP).
The project covers the municipalities of Northern Palawan which is identified in the Medium-Term Development Plan as major tourism destination.
On its fifth year, the Component will focus on the completion of the ECAN Management Plan and the development of ecotourism projects in northern Palawan based on ECAN zoning. As of Dec. 2005, the project has pegged an overall accomplishment of 90.45%. Currently, the project is working on the reconstitution of Linapacan ECAN Board and validation of technical output for Puerto Princesa
ii. Northern Palawan Sustainable Development Project (NPSDP)
PCSDS is overseeing the implementation of the Northern Palawan Sustainable Development Program under the auspices of Pilipinas Shell Foundation Incorporated. The program covered 14 livelihood projects in different municipalities in Northern Palawan.
PCSDS has been providing technical and administrative assistance to the proponents in the implementation of the projects. Regular monitoring is conducted to look into issues and updates of the project implementation.
4. Management of Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary(CGPWS)
As highlighted in the 2004-2010 Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan, the tourism industry is one of the sectors that has the potential to boost the Philippine economy.
Along this context, the prime concern of the PCSD is the promotion of Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary as an ecotourism destination and the expansion of the sanctuary into a nature park of international standards showcasing its terrestrial and marine resources including its indigenous wildlife species.
Partnership scheme with private groups was considered to improve the limited facilities and services requiring substantial investment to enhance Calauit as a prime tourism product. Along this context, a MOA was signed between the project and Calamianes Association of Tourism Establishments (CATE) for the improvement of facilities and other structures provided by the association for the sanctuary. Initially, CATE has installed the entrance signage, constructed two viewing gazebo and rest rooms in the area. These were part of the efforts and resources pooled from the private sector to help out promote Calauit as ecotourism destination.
Meanwhile, total gate receipts and charges for the use of the truck within the sanctuary is 426,850.00. The total collection has been remitted to the National Treasury.
5. Palawan Sustainable Development Training Institute (PSDTI)
The Palawan Sustainable Development Training Institute, a facility funded by European Union under the Palawan Tropical Forestry Protection Programme was established to provide training programs and modules on sustainable development.
The Institute caters to the training requirements of the staff as well as other partner stakeholders. It has housed several trainings, seminars, conferences and meetings. The Institute is intended to be developed as the Center for capability building on resource management and sustainable development not only in the province but in the region as well.
The Council has approved the policy on user fees and charges for the training hall and the facilities of the Institute. Aside from serving the requirements of the staff, PSDTI is developed as another income-generating endeavor of PCSDS.
Prepared by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
Group 4
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
SURVEY REPORT
Education Related Survey Reports
Analyses of Data from Graduate Study in Psychology: 1997-1998 and 1999-2000
# These reports include demographic characteristics of faculty and first-year psychology graduate students, as well as application, acceptance, and enrollment characteristics of U.S. graduate departments of psychology. They also include admission and graduation requirements, tuition information, and information on financial support available to U.S. graduate students in psychology.
Results of the 1996-1997 Insert to Graduate Study Survey: Graduate Student and Support Data
# The 1997 Insert to Graduate Study includes data on student applications, acceptances and enrollments in the Fall of 1996, levels of support, and attrition rates. These data are presented for both U.S doctoral and master's departments, as well as Canadian departments.
Results of the 1998-1999 APA Survey of Graduate Departments of Psychology
# This report summarizes the changes in applications and enrollments in graduate programs in psychology for minority and non-minority students. In addition, enrollment information for program areas in psychology will be reported. Finally, recruitment strategies and initiatives for increasing minority enrollment in psychology graduate programs will be examined.
1998-1999 APA Survey of Undergraduate Departments of Psychology
# The 1998-1999 APA Survey of Undergraduate Departments of Psychology contains four major sections. The first three sections examine institutional characteristics, departmental characteristics, and faculty characteristics, respectively. The fourth section, student characteristics, examines the implications of recent declines in federal and state support of affirmative action programs in conjunction with a decline in the enrollment of ethnic minority students in psychology graduate programs.
Demand for Predoctoral Internships Survey: Summary of Results: 1999 and 2000
# These surveys were initiated in direct response to increasing concerns about a perceived imbalance between the demand for and supply of predoctoral internships. The reports contain information on (a) the number of students seeking psychology internships, (b) the number of students not placed on Uniform Notification Day (UND), (c) subsequent placements, (d) reasons for non-placement, (e) expected numbers of internship applicants for the next four years, (f) demographic information of internship applicants, and (g) student enrollment by year.
Last Updated: March 2003
CONFERENCE REPORT
State-of-the-Art Neurotech Presented at 2005 Neural Interfaces Workshop
by James Cavuoto, editor
The 2005 Neural Interfaces Workshop, held September 7-9 in Bethesda, MD, offered attendees an excellent opportunity to observe the state of the art in neurostimulation technology. As it did in 2004, the event combined the annual Neural Prosthesis Workshop—now in its 36th year—and the DBS Consortium.
This year’s workshop included a few new features, including opening presentations from neurotechnology users on their experiences with their systems, and two “platform presentation” sessions in which poster presenters were given a brief opportunity to summarize their posters. The first day of the event was largely devoted to advances in deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems. Jerrold Vitek from the Cleveland Clinic led off with his view of clinical challenges facing the DBS community [see article, p1]. Among these are finding new targets for stimulation, identifying nonmotor symptoms of movement disorders, and more standard methodology in long-term studies of DBS.
Arguing against a one size fits all approach, he called for the design of new leads that would be specific for each site in the brain and for each specific disorder being treated. Vitek also broached the subject of perhaps administering DBS therapy earlier in the progression of the disease, suggesting that leaving abnormal neural activity untreated for too long might have an adverse effect on later treatment outcome.
Following Vitek, several DBS practitioners and researchers presented findings related to mechanisms of action, stimulation parameters, motor and cognitive effects, and potential new types of stimulating electrodes. Several presenters spoke of synchronized oscillation of basal ganglia cells within low frequency ranges in Parkinsonian patients, suggesting that higher-frequency STN stimulation may desynchronize this pathological oscillation. Robert Turner from UC San Francisco reported “downstream” effects of DBS in motor cortex, mentioning that STN stimulation can activate cortical neurons antidromically, which may offer implications on therapeutic approaches.
A team from Arizona State University and Sandia National Laboratories described their proposed thermal microactuated microprobe, which would allow precise positioning of DBS leads. The device is capable of translation up to 9 mm in length in steps of 8.8 microns. Jun Li from NASA Ames Research Center described his team’s work with carbon nanofibers as a potential new form of neural interface.
The second day of the workshop dealt with advances in a variety of neural prostheses. Michael Keith from Case Western Reserve University updated the audience on progress with the upper-extremity prosthesis for treatment of tetraplegia. The Cleveland team has moved to a 12-channel myoelectric controlled device, which represents a next generation of the Freehand hand grasp stimulator previously marketed by NeuroControl Corp. The system uses nerve cuff electrodes to help select individual fascicles within the radial nerve.
Kensall Wise from University of Michigan described his team’s work with three-dimensional thin-film intracortical recording arrays. The 64-electrode arrays are decoupled from the skull, allowing them to “float” with brain tissue. Philip Kennedy from Neural Signals Inc. described his team’s novel and nascent effort to construct a speech prosthesis by performing phoneme recognition in Broca’s area of the brain. Charles Della Santina from Johns Hopkins University described progress on a vestibular prosthesis that encodes head movement in three dimensions.
Mark Humayan from University of Southern California and Second Sight presented results from six subjects who have been implanted with the firm’s 4 x 4 electrode grid retinal implant for periods ranging from 13 to 41 months. The company is planning a second generation 60-electrode device as an interim step preceding the high-resolution 1000-electrode system, which they hope will restore the ability for face recognition and mobility to blind users.
The final day of the workshop looked at future directions in neural prosthesis development. Theodore Berger from University of Southern California presented his team’s work on an implantable hippocampal prosthesis. Duco Jensen from Vanderbilt University described his research into optical stimulation of neural tissue and discussed its potential as a replacement for implanted electrical stimulation devices. Jansen demonstrated induction of action potentials in discrete neural populations within sciatic nerve. He identified an optimal wavelength of 2.1 microns using a free electron laser and was able to achieve spatial selectivity and conduction velocity similar to electrical activation.
Miguel Nicolelis from Duke University, who has worked extensively in the area of brain machine interfaces, described work in several new applications. His laboratory is developing a sensory feedback system using a 16-element vibro-tactic stimulator whose output is proportional to joint angle. His goal is to create a receptive field within motor cortex in order to induce “fake” proprioception in subjects deprived of sensory input. Nicolelis is also working on a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease and has created a dopamine-depleted mouse in order to induce akinesia. He intends to examine whether vagus nerve stimulation can produce asynchrony in phase-locked cells as a possible treatment for rigidity.
The workshop concluded with a panel discussion on the future of neural prostheses in which Geoff Thrope from NDI Medical presented a retrospective look at the commercial failure of NeuroControl’s Freehand device. Thrope, who was an executive at NeuroControl Corp. during the product’s launch, plans to market a second-generation Freehand, avoiding some of the problems that faced the original system.
Other commercial firms present at the workshop included MedEl, DelSys, Guidant, Cyberkinetics, Medtronic, Advanced Cochlear Systems, Plexon, Foster-Miller, and BioNeuronics.
BY:VERDEJO,JOHN RAYMUND F.
Analyses of Data from Graduate Study in Psychology: 1997-1998 and 1999-2000
# These reports include demographic characteristics of faculty and first-year psychology graduate students, as well as application, acceptance, and enrollment characteristics of U.S. graduate departments of psychology. They also include admission and graduation requirements, tuition information, and information on financial support available to U.S. graduate students in psychology.
Results of the 1996-1997 Insert to Graduate Study Survey: Graduate Student and Support Data
# The 1997 Insert to Graduate Study includes data on student applications, acceptances and enrollments in the Fall of 1996, levels of support, and attrition rates. These data are presented for both U.S doctoral and master's departments, as well as Canadian departments.
Results of the 1998-1999 APA Survey of Graduate Departments of Psychology
# This report summarizes the changes in applications and enrollments in graduate programs in psychology for minority and non-minority students. In addition, enrollment information for program areas in psychology will be reported. Finally, recruitment strategies and initiatives for increasing minority enrollment in psychology graduate programs will be examined.
1998-1999 APA Survey of Undergraduate Departments of Psychology
# The 1998-1999 APA Survey of Undergraduate Departments of Psychology contains four major sections. The first three sections examine institutional characteristics, departmental characteristics, and faculty characteristics, respectively. The fourth section, student characteristics, examines the implications of recent declines in federal and state support of affirmative action programs in conjunction with a decline in the enrollment of ethnic minority students in psychology graduate programs.
Demand for Predoctoral Internships Survey: Summary of Results: 1999 and 2000
# These surveys were initiated in direct response to increasing concerns about a perceived imbalance between the demand for and supply of predoctoral internships. The reports contain information on (a) the number of students seeking psychology internships, (b) the number of students not placed on Uniform Notification Day (UND), (c) subsequent placements, (d) reasons for non-placement, (e) expected numbers of internship applicants for the next four years, (f) demographic information of internship applicants, and (g) student enrollment by year.
Last Updated: March 2003
CONFERENCE REPORT
State-of-the-Art Neurotech Presented at 2005 Neural Interfaces Workshop
by James Cavuoto, editor
The 2005 Neural Interfaces Workshop, held September 7-9 in Bethesda, MD, offered attendees an excellent opportunity to observe the state of the art in neurostimulation technology. As it did in 2004, the event combined the annual Neural Prosthesis Workshop—now in its 36th year—and the DBS Consortium.
This year’s workshop included a few new features, including opening presentations from neurotechnology users on their experiences with their systems, and two “platform presentation” sessions in which poster presenters were given a brief opportunity to summarize their posters. The first day of the event was largely devoted to advances in deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems. Jerrold Vitek from the Cleveland Clinic led off with his view of clinical challenges facing the DBS community [see article, p1]. Among these are finding new targets for stimulation, identifying nonmotor symptoms of movement disorders, and more standard methodology in long-term studies of DBS.
Arguing against a one size fits all approach, he called for the design of new leads that would be specific for each site in the brain and for each specific disorder being treated. Vitek also broached the subject of perhaps administering DBS therapy earlier in the progression of the disease, suggesting that leaving abnormal neural activity untreated for too long might have an adverse effect on later treatment outcome.
Following Vitek, several DBS practitioners and researchers presented findings related to mechanisms of action, stimulation parameters, motor and cognitive effects, and potential new types of stimulating electrodes. Several presenters spoke of synchronized oscillation of basal ganglia cells within low frequency ranges in Parkinsonian patients, suggesting that higher-frequency STN stimulation may desynchronize this pathological oscillation. Robert Turner from UC San Francisco reported “downstream” effects of DBS in motor cortex, mentioning that STN stimulation can activate cortical neurons antidromically, which may offer implications on therapeutic approaches.
A team from Arizona State University and Sandia National Laboratories described their proposed thermal microactuated microprobe, which would allow precise positioning of DBS leads. The device is capable of translation up to 9 mm in length in steps of 8.8 microns. Jun Li from NASA Ames Research Center described his team’s work with carbon nanofibers as a potential new form of neural interface.
The second day of the workshop dealt with advances in a variety of neural prostheses. Michael Keith from Case Western Reserve University updated the audience on progress with the upper-extremity prosthesis for treatment of tetraplegia. The Cleveland team has moved to a 12-channel myoelectric controlled device, which represents a next generation of the Freehand hand grasp stimulator previously marketed by NeuroControl Corp. The system uses nerve cuff electrodes to help select individual fascicles within the radial nerve.
Kensall Wise from University of Michigan described his team’s work with three-dimensional thin-film intracortical recording arrays. The 64-electrode arrays are decoupled from the skull, allowing them to “float” with brain tissue. Philip Kennedy from Neural Signals Inc. described his team’s novel and nascent effort to construct a speech prosthesis by performing phoneme recognition in Broca’s area of the brain. Charles Della Santina from Johns Hopkins University described progress on a vestibular prosthesis that encodes head movement in three dimensions.
Mark Humayan from University of Southern California and Second Sight presented results from six subjects who have been implanted with the firm’s 4 x 4 electrode grid retinal implant for periods ranging from 13 to 41 months. The company is planning a second generation 60-electrode device as an interim step preceding the high-resolution 1000-electrode system, which they hope will restore the ability for face recognition and mobility to blind users.
The final day of the workshop looked at future directions in neural prosthesis development. Theodore Berger from University of Southern California presented his team’s work on an implantable hippocampal prosthesis. Duco Jensen from Vanderbilt University described his research into optical stimulation of neural tissue and discussed its potential as a replacement for implanted electrical stimulation devices. Jansen demonstrated induction of action potentials in discrete neural populations within sciatic nerve. He identified an optimal wavelength of 2.1 microns using a free electron laser and was able to achieve spatial selectivity and conduction velocity similar to electrical activation.
Miguel Nicolelis from Duke University, who has worked extensively in the area of brain machine interfaces, described work in several new applications. His laboratory is developing a sensory feedback system using a 16-element vibro-tactic stimulator whose output is proportional to joint angle. His goal is to create a receptive field within motor cortex in order to induce “fake” proprioception in subjects deprived of sensory input. Nicolelis is also working on a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease and has created a dopamine-depleted mouse in order to induce akinesia. He intends to examine whether vagus nerve stimulation can produce asynchrony in phase-locked cells as a possible treatment for rigidity.
The workshop concluded with a panel discussion on the future of neural prostheses in which Geoff Thrope from NDI Medical presented a retrospective look at the commercial failure of NeuroControl’s Freehand device. Thrope, who was an executive at NeuroControl Corp. during the product’s launch, plans to market a second-generation Freehand, avoiding some of the problems that faced the original system.
Other commercial firms present at the workshop included MedEl, DelSys, Guidant, Cyberkinetics, Medtronic, Advanced Cochlear Systems, Plexon, Foster-Miller, and BioNeuronics.
BY:VERDEJO,JOHN RAYMUND F.
TECHNICAL WRITING: TECHNICAL LITERATURE
by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
A.PROGRESS REPORT
1.
Mo Kim Cheng
2108 San Gabriel #404
Austin, Texas 78705
29 November 1983
Dr. David A. McMurrey
English Department
Austin Community College
Austin, Texas 78712
Dear Mr. McMurrey:
I am writing to bring you up to date on the progress that I have
made on my semester report project. As you know from my 20
September memo, my topic is the fundamentals of computer
structures and logic design. I have kept in my mind your advice
about narrowing this topic, but expect to solve this problem as I
continue to gather information.
After your approval of my project, I got to work right away
gathering detailed information on the four major components of
the computer system and the basic techniques of logic design.
After nearly two months of research, study, and rough-drafting,
the report project is about two-thirds complete. This letter
summarizes my work from 20 September to 27 November.
Mr. David A. McMurrey -2- 29 November 1986
The report project can be divided into three major tasks:
1. Finding information for the discussion of the four
2. major components of a computer, namely, the
3. central processing unit, the arithmetic and logic
4. unit, the memory unit, and the input/output
5. system.
6.
7.
8. Finding information for the description of the
9. logic design, which includes number systems,
10. Boolean algebra, logic gates, and logic circuits.
11.
12.
13. Developing graphics that adequately illustrate
14. as well as language that conveys these computer
15. concepts.
16.
My work on task 1 is nearly complete, although I'm still
searching for additional examples to present the concepts more
clearly. Most of the materials related to task 2 have been Mr.
gathered, and I'm working on different ways to organize and
present this information (logic design). In fact, that is where
most of my time on this project seems to be going: how explain
the basic techniques of logic design so that the nonspecialist
reader can understand readily.
David A. McMurrey -3- 29 November 1986
Project Description
As you requested, here is a review of what my report project is
all about.
Subject. The report will discuss the four major components of
the computer system as well as the basic techniques of logic
design. Logic design is a procedure for designing computer
components by using "black boxes" that perform specific
functions. The designer is not required to understand the
behavior of the actual electronic circuitry.
Purpose. The purpose of this report is to offer the
nonspecialist reader and the beginning electrical engineering
student an introduction to the fundamentals of computer
structures and logic design.
Topic 1: Computer Structures
Work completed. The library research on computer structures is
now complete. Also, I have written a complete draft of the
sections of the report involving this topic. The four major
components are described in detail; there are numerous examples
and illustrations. Several nonspecialists have read the draft and
have made suggestions for improving it.
Mr. David A. McMurrey -4- 29 November 1986
In this section, you'll learn about the central processing unit,
the "brain" of the computer, that part that controls the entire
system and processes information. You'll also learn about the
arithmetic logic unit, which performs numerical calculations at
high speed, and about the memory unit, which stores information
to be processed. You'll also see how the computer communicates
with the outside world through the input/output devices.
Work remaining. Based on the suggestions of my test readers,
I am still tinkering with finding different ways to explain
certain key events in a cycle of computer operation and with
developing better graphics.
Topic 2: Basic Techniques of Logic Design
Work completed. I'm still trying to locate up-to-date
information on logic design techniques, but most of the
information is in place. At this stage, I only have a very rough
draft and have not been able to test it out on nonspecialist
readers. Much of the writing in this draft is still in
specialist language and is going to require a good amount of
translating.
Work remaining. Currently, I am in the process of rewriting
the part of the report on logic design techniques. This may
entail some major reorganization; also I still must find or
create good examples and illustrations for some of the areas of
this part. I am particularly concerned about presenting Boolean
algebra in the clearest and the most concise way possible, since
it is one of the keys to understanding the operations of a
computer.
Mr. David A. McMurrey -5- 29 November 1986
Enclosed is a two-page outline of my report as it stands now. If
you have any suggestions about it or if you would be interested
in looking at the rough draft in its current state, please let me
know. Otherwise, everything is moving along well, and you should
have the report by or before the scheduled date.
Respectfully yours,
Mo Kim Cheng
Electronics major, ACC
2.
Progress Report: Built To Spill
Twice a week, Jessica Suarez's Progress Report updates you on what your favorite bands have been doing. Or not doing.
NAME:Built To Spill
PROGRESS REPORT: Doing final mixing for There Is No Enemy at Kingsize SoundLabs in Los Angeles with producer David Trumfio
About five years went by between the release of Built To Spill's fifth album, Ancient Melodies Of The Future, and 2006's You In Reverse. By that measure, the wait for There Is No Enemy seems short. Still, Billboard reported that Doug Martsch, along with his new lineup, were ready to wrap up their album back in May -- 2007. As you might guess, Martsch says their schedule was pretty relaxed: The band began recording in March last year, but, after recording 15 songs in Los Angeles, they re-recorded them at an old theater that was converted into a studio. "And we tried it there because we were going for a live sound. We even had a little show, invited some locals and performed the songs live in front of people and recorded those as well," Martsch explains. "But we ended up not really using that." The band returned to their original studio once every six weeks or so to do overdubs, vocals, and additional instruments before leaving for a tour last year. Martsch spent the last few months returning to the studio without the band to work on mixing. "And that's where we are now," he says. "It wasn't a year of hard work. It was a year of every once and while coming out and working. I like to sit on stuff for a while."
If you saw Built To Spill on tour last year, you heard some of the new album tracks, slower, pared-down songs like "Done" and "Hindsight." Martsch, says he's been working on these new songs too much to know if they'll sound as they did last year. "I don't think they've changed very much, but they probably have changed a lot because change is so gradual and I'm just working on it all the time," he says. While he wrote all the songs on his own, he says the rest of Built to Spill helped the tracks evolve over the recording sessions. Members traded off parts seamlessly, meaning that, if you followed Martsch as well as related Built To Spill bands like Caustic Resin, you might be able to pick out guitar players. At other times, Martsch says he couldn't tell you who was on each guitar. And because BTS edited via ProTools for the first time, Martsch had unlimited tracks and takes to use, making it even harder to pick out individual takes or players. But the band only used ProTools to edit and mix; Martsch says all the recording and effects were put on tape: "I'm pretty careful not to overproduce things. The time we're spending is not being spent tightening things and making things more pro at all, making them more slick."
That final recording may be the first chance everyone else will have to hear There Is No Enemy. Martsch says the band will likely not play any new songs this summer since they haven't had a chance to rehearse them: "Like I said, some of these songs have changed a bit. We never bothered learning them, so we kind of have our old songs to work with." In fact, he says he had a peek at some of the songs in contention for their Pitchfork Festival Write The Night show, and he was happy to see that most of the songs people voted for were "basically just the stuff we always play all the time anyway," without requests for newer songs. But that's just fine for Martsch. In fact, it also explains why he likes to take his time with recording. "We have a bunch of records out. There's no hurry for us to sell music. We can put out a a record every five or six years, and that's plenty of Built to Spill music. The world doesn't need a new Built to Spill record every year," he says. "A new band, I could totally see that. It's exciting to hear them put out a couple records in a hurry, but a band like us, we're just fine."
B.SURVEY REPORT
1.
2008 National Utilization and
Compensation Survey Report
Introduction and Table of Contents
The Participants
The data is based on analysis of the responses to the 2008 National Utilization and Compensation Survey report which was collected by a web based survey from October 15, 2007-February 15, 2008. There were 1434 responses received and utilized for this report. 5% of the population are males; 95% are females. The average age of survey participants is 45. 66% of the participants are members of NALA; 67% have received the Certified Legal Assistant/ Certified Paralegal credential.
Respondents are from a diverse geographical area. Forty-eight states, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia are represented by the population. Among the regions of the United States, the Southeast region was represented by 42% of the respondents; Southwest region was represented by 20%; Far West was represented by 11%; Plains States was represented by 14%; Great Lakes was represented by 5%; Rocky Mountain states were represented by 4%; and New England/Mid East was represented by 4% of the respondents. The average population of the cities represented is 544,897.
The respondents have about 18 years of legal experience; 8 years with the same employer. Most (64%) of respondents work for a private law firm, and, of those, 61% work in firms of 1-10 attorneys; 18% of the respondents work for corporations. With reference to educational backgrounds, 42 of respondents have a bachelor’s degree; 36 have an associate’s degree.
The 2008 National Utilization and Compensation Survey presents information concerning the work environment, duties and responsibilities, billing rates and compensation levels of legal assistants. Conducted bi-annually since 1986, the survey analysis includes a review of current findings in comparison with findings of previous surveys. Economic data is presented in terms of such factors as size of city, size of firm, educational backgrounds, years of experience, and specialty area of practice.
Please click on any of the following sections for reports of the survey findings. The files are in pdf format. If you do not have this already, download the Adobe reader - at no cost - from the following web site.
2.
Online Survey Report
This report is intended to be a short summary of the most interesting results from the online survey. It isn't a complete report by any means. For more information, you can view the response statistics.
Our methods were simple. We devised the short survey and publicized it through multiple channels for maximum exposure. We received 591 responses. Results were calculated as a percentage of the total responses for a question. Open-ended responses were collected, normalized (i.e., categorized under a controlled keyword), and counted. Cross-correlation was not performed, but may be at a future date.
Caveat: Nearly half (48.8%) the respondents were librarians, library staff, or information professionals. These respondents are generally more versed in information retrieval methods, which may be reflected in the data.
1. A majority of respondents indicated they were most interested in online journals and reference materials when they went online to look for information.
More than 80% of respondents selected these two types of digital resources (online journals 88.8%, reference materials 80.1%). None of the other responses for resources listed matched these high percentages (e.g., data 56.2%, images 53.2%).
2. Additionally, respondents indicated that these were the digital resources they were unable to find online.
This seems to point to an apparent trend, however, without further data analysis we don't know if these responses reflect differences in respondent roles. For instance, librarians might make up the majority of the 88.8% of respondents who indicated they were interested in online journals, while students might make up the majority of the 20.7% of respondents who indicated they were unable to find online journals. Cross-correlation may indicate that appropriate interfaces and publicity would be needed to reach certain audiences.
3. Top problems that respondents noted when looking for information online included not retrieving the resource itself, not finding older materials, having rights problems, not knowing of a comprehensive service for finding resources, and the ever-present problems with searching.
Respondents are clearly interested in being able to access the complete digital resource (67.1%), and not having to view the citation and take an additional step, whether that is performing another search or finding the resource in the physical library.
When respondents mentioned not being able to find older materials (32.2%), we considered this a plea for having more materials online. As one respondent put it: “It's great to have so many online journal articles! More please! I'd love to see more pre-1900 texts available in this format.” It seems we have a duty to perform, as the demand is clearly there.
Rights issues (8.9%) are sticky ones. Respondents want copyrighted items, which are often unavailable for digitization. A respondent states that he wants “free access to all the quality materials.”
One respondent says: “There are so many sources that I'm overwhelmed. I don't know what's out there.” A service that could offer one-stop, comprehensive access to all digital resources (8.2%) is, naturally, something OAIster hopes to address. Another respondent noted: "Can find most of what I need – but then again there may be resources out there I don't yet know I need." A comprehensive service could also benefit users interested in serendipitous searching.
Searching problems (13.7%) are nothing new. Particular problems that respondents noted were that they:
• don't have enough information to describe something
• don't know what words to use
• don't know how to narrow searches
• don't find relevant materials
• don't know where to start looking
One respondent puts it rather bleakly: “It's not that I haven't found them, it's the usual difficulty of finding the correct key word/phrase to bring it up. I think this is just an unsolvable problem.” That's probably an entirely separate discussion, but it's worth noting that we need to address these issues through a combination of designing appropriate interfaces, education and assistance.
4. Surprisingly, a number of respondents (5%) indicated that they were generally successful in finding resources online.
Typical responses included “I've been able to find what I need” and “So far have found all I wanted.” These comments could reflect the abilities of expert searchers, but could also point to the fact that searchers might not be aware of what they are missing, aren't looking for in-depth or comprehensive results, or, of course, are generally satisfied with the resources they retrieve. This would be a fascinating area for further research.
5. Several potential features of a service like OAIster were of interest to respondents, including looking for resources in a certain subject area, using a service that is continually updated, and searching the full text of the resource.
Respondents wanted to be able to narrow or limit their searching scope to a particular subject area (82.6%). The high percentage of responses to this question points to a pressing need for some type of subject categorization so that users can perform their searches within certain subject areas. We hope to research this issue and its solutions towards the end of this year, and hopefully into the next.
Respondents also indicated that using a service that featured a wide range of subject areas was not one of their top features (53%). One interpretation of this result is that it indicates that while we wish to offer an all-encompassing service for all types of audiences and all types of uses, we also need to make specific subject area access available and easy to use.
The desire for continuous updating of the service (78.4%) implies that respondents don't want to use a service that does not add resources on a regular basis or that is stagnant in the types of services it offers. Naturally, this is a challenge, but one that needs significant attention for the continued popularity of a service.
The desire to search full text (78.2%) is also nothing new. Providing the option to do so can be problematic as it can result in way too much information for the user. Our desire is to provide users with more tailored results by having them search within metadata that has been created to reflect the content of the resource. One respondent put this succinctly: “Tagged information so I don't get fire hosed.” If time permits, we hope to research the potential for offering even better search results through metadata normalization.
We particularly liked one comment we received: “You will never beat Google. No way.”
Probably true. However, it's not our intention to beat Google, but to provide an adjunct method for accessing information online. Our hope is that by providing a comprehensive service that caters to user needs – e.g., finding resources by subject, finding resources by format, retrieving the full resource – and addresses multiple searching problems, we can provide access to more, and more varied, useful and informative digital resources that are currently difficult to find.
A. Status Report
1.
Project Information
TODO: Copy this file for each status report. Fill in the information below. Email a notification to stakeholders when this report is made available.
TODO: Edit the rows in the following table. In some rows, multiple examples are given, you should select/edit only one.
Project: PROJECTNAME
Status Report Date: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Next Internal Release Number: X.Y.Z
Release Date: Original estimate: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Current estimate: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Change Since Last Report: No change
Change Since Last Report: Slipped 2 days
Change Since Last Report: Saved 4 days
Open Issues:
(needing development) 17 defects
8 enhancements
Resolved Issues:
(pending verification) 0 defects
2 enhancements
Closed Issues: 34 defects
3 enhancements
Resources used this period: PERSONNAME: 18 hours.
PERSONNAME: 15 hours.
PERSONNAME: 10 hours.
PERSONNAME: 12 hours.
Status Summary: Project completed. This is the final status report.
Low risk. Project on track.
Medium risk. Problems are being dealt with.
High risk. Advice from management and stakeholders needed.
Project canceled. This is the final status report.
Related Documents: Project plan > Resource needs
QA plan
Glossary
Process impact: This helps keep stakeholders informed of project status so that they may correctly set expectations. Reasoned explanations of slight changes in schedule are much better than major unexplained slips.
Detailed Status
TODO: Provide 1-4 paragraphs describing what has happened on this project. The text below is just an example, replace it with your own words.
This week we focused on...
Two major problems have been uncovered...
We are approximately 30% of the way through the project plan, and running about 2 days ahead of schedule...
The reason for the change in estimated release date is...
To stay on schedule, we have slipped enhancements issue 92, issue 101, and issue 129 to a later release. These issues were selected because ...
Risk Management
TODO: List 3-10 of the top project risks that are still outstanding. This list may be an updated copy from plan.html or a previous status report.
• We could face major difficulties with the technology chosen for this project. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• We could have low quality that demands significant rework. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• We could incorrectly assess our progress until it is too late to react. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• There may be a mis-alignment of stakeholder goals or expectations. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
Upcoming Activity
TODO: Provide a few bullets describing what you will do between now and the next status report. The text below is just an example, replace it with your own words. Link to open issues in the issue tracker whenever possible.
• Fix issue 130
• Fix issue 133
• Verify issue 102, issue 103, issue 107, and issue 109
• Conduct regular team meeting: Tuesday, 1 hour
• Conduct review meeting: Wednesday, 2 hours
• Make major progress on COMPONENT
• Work through next release checklist
• Continue functional testing
• Revise our integration procedure
• Release version X.Y.Z
Tracking to Plan
TODO: Copy the WBS from the project plan and paste it here. Add a new column for actual effort spent so far by all team members.
Step Description Planned
Hours Spent
To-Date
1. Preparation
1.1. Developer training 30h 0h
2. Inception
2.1. Requirements gathering 30h 0h
2.2. Requirements specification 20h 0h
2.3. Requirements validation 10h 0h
3. Elaboration
3.1. High-level design 5h 0h
3.2. Low-level design (break down by component)
3.2.A. Object design 10h 0h
3.2.B. User interface design 10h 0h
3.2.C. Database design 3h 0h
3.3. Design review and evaluation 5h 0h
4. Construction
4.1.A. System implementation
4.1.A.1. Implement Component 1 25h 0h
4.1.A.2. Implement Component 2 25h 0h
4.1.A.3. Implement Component 3 25h 0h
4.1.A.4. Implement Component 4 25h 0h
4.1.A.5. Integrate Components
(mostly done during component implementation) 5h 0h
4.1.B. Technical documentation (break down by component) 10h 0h
4.1.C. User documentation (break down by component) 10h 0h
4.1.D. Testing
4.1.D.1. Test planning 10h 0h
4.1.D.2. Test code implementation (break down by component) 30h 0h
4.1.D.3. Test execution 10h 0h
4.2. Implementation review and evaluation 15h 0h
5. Transition
5.A. Release packaging 3h 0h
5.B. Documentation for other groups 3h 0h
6. Reflection
6.1. Postmortem report 10h 0h
Total 329 hours 0h
2.
07.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-33
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson this week finished preparing their spacesuits for a planned July 23 spacewalk.
+ Read More 06.29.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-32
After the departure of the space shuttle Atlantis, Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov returned to their daily operations aboard the International Space Station this week, while newly arrived Flight Engineer Clay Anderson began conducting scientific experiments.
+ Read More 06.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-31
The Expedition 15 crew completed the second spacewalk in eight days and continued preparations for space shuttle Atlantis' arrival at the International Space Station.
+ Read More 06.01.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-30
The Expedition 15 crew completed the first of three planned spacewalks this week and prepared for the upcoming arrival of space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station.
+ Read More 05.30.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-29
Two International Space Station cosmonauts stepped outside Wednesday for a 5-hour, 25-minute spacewalk, installing Service Module Debris Protection panels and rerouting a Global Positioning System antenna cable.
+ Read More 05.25.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-28
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov prepared this week for two spacewalks while Flight Engineer Suni Williams prepared for her return to Earth.
+ Read More 05.18.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-27
The Expedition 15 crew this week unpacked supplies and began preparing for the arrival of the next visiting spacecraft and two spacewalks at the International Space Station.
+ Read More 05.15.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-26
A spacecraft automatically docked to the International Space Station early Tuesday, delivering 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the residents on board.
+ Read More 05.11.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-25
A new cargo freighter launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 10:25 p.m. CDT Friday with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, air, water and other supplies and equipment aboard.
+ Read More 05.04.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-24
Marking the second week working together, the Expedition 15 crew wrapped up various maintenance tasks, science experiments and preparations for the May 15 arrival of the Progress 25 supply ship.
+ Read More 04.27.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-23
The Expedition 15 crew aboard the International Space Station completed its first week of station orientation as the crew worked with experiments and hardware maintenance.
+ Read More 04.21.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-22
The 14th crew of the International Space Station, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi landed their Soyuz spacecraft in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 7:31 a.m. CDT Saturday.
+ Read More 04.20.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-21
The crew members aboard the International Space Station spent this week finalizing handover operations, conducting experiments and preparing for the departure of the Expedition 14 crew.
+ Read More 04.13.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-20
Two Expedition 15 cosmonauts spent much of the week in handover activities with their Expedition 14 predecessors. Their new crewmate, Sunita Williams who has been aboard the International Space Station for more than three months, also is helping them learn the ropes.
+ Read More 04.09.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-19
Two Expedition 15 cosmonauts and a spaceflight participant aboard a Soyuz spacecraft docked with the Earth-facing port on the International Space Station's Zarya module at 2:10 p.m. CDT Monday.
+ Read More 04.07.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-18
Two cosmonauts and a space flight participant launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:31 p.m. CDT Saturday for a two-day flight to the International Space Station.
+ Read More 04.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-17
The Expedition 14 crew of the International Space Station was busy this week performing fitness evaluations, working on scientific experiments and preparing for the arrival of the Expedition 15 crew.
+ Read More 03.29.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-16
The Expedition 14 crew continued preparations for the April arrival of a new station crew by boarding their Soyuz TMA-9 craft and taking a 24-minute flight from one station docking port to another.
+ Read More 03.23.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-15
The Expedition 14 crew continued work this week on scientific experiments and increased the bandwidth on the International Space Station's computer network.
+ Read More 03.16.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-14
The Expedition 14 crew was busy this week moving trash into the ISS Progress 23, installing a new window and preparing for upcoming missions to the station.
+ Read More 03.09.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-13
Science and setup for assembly highlighted the week on board the International Space Station, where the Expedition 14 crew members performed experiments related to human adaptation to space and made preparations for upcoming additions to the orbiting outpost.
+ Read More 03.02.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-12
The International Space Station's Expedition 14 crew continued work this week on scientific experiments, station maintenance and clean up following a Feb. 22 Russian spacewalk.
+ Read More 02.22.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-11
Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin retracted a stuck antenna on a cargo spacecraft during a 6-hour, 18-minute spacewalk that ended at 10:45 a.m. CST Thursday.
+ Read More 02.16.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-10
Following Sunday’s unexpected circuit breaker trip and subsequent reset and repowering of affected equipment, the International Space Station had no further incidents.
+ Read More 02.12.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-09
An unexpected circuit breaker trip early Sunday caused a power outage on the International Space Station, but the safety of the Expedition 14 crew and the complex was never an issue. All systems were back up by Monday morning with no impact to operations on board.
+ Read More 02.08.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-08
With all scheduled tasks accomplished, International Space Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams wound up a 6-hour, 40-minute spacewalk at 2:06 p.m. CST Thursday.
+ Read More 02.04.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-07
For the second time in four days, two residents of the International Space Station stepped outside for a spacewalk to complete connecting cooling loops from a temporary to a permanent system.
+ Read More 01.31.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-06
Two residents of the International Space Station stepped outside their orbital home Wednesday for a 7-hour, 55-minute spacewalk to begin the connection of recently activated cooling systems from their temporary to their permanent locations and to conduct other station assembly work.
+ Read More 01.26.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-05
The crew aboard the International Space Station focused this week on preparing for an unprecedented series of spacewalks set to begin in a few days.
+ Read More 01.19.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-04
New supplies arrived at the International Space Station Friday night as an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment.
+ Read More 01.17.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-03
A shipment of supplies began its journey to the International Space Station today as the ISS Progress 24 cargo ship was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
+ Read More 01.12.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-02
After a three-day holiday to celebrate the Russian Orthodox Christmas, astronauts on the International Space Station spent the week packing trash into the ISS Progress 22 cargo craft and unpacking items delivered by ISS Progress 23 as they prepared for the arrival of new supplies.
+ Read More 01.05.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-01
New gear helped the astronauts on the International Space Station kick off a new year as they prepared a second oxygen-generating system, upgraded soundproofing in the living quarters and unpacked supplies delivered just before Christmas by the space shuttle.
+ Read More
B. TRIP REPORT
1.
Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu
Site: Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu
Qualifier: approx. 2 km trail from N09 43.305 E123 27.427 to N09 42.679 E123 27.304
Elevation: 695masl (start of trail); 755masl (end of trail)
Conditions: 2-3-2/8 cloud cover; chilly Date: December 31, 2004
Time: 7:55am to 2:10pm
Birders: Mads Bajarias and Nug-as forest warden Pedro Villarta Trip report & bird list by Mads Bajarias
Olive-backed Sunbird
Thanks to Godo Jakosalem of Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, I was able to locate forest warden Pedro Villarta about 12 kilometers uphill from the poblacion of the town of Alcoy in southern Cebu. Pedro lives with his wife and small children in a hut on the edge of the Nug-as forest. He is one of the 22 forest wardens employed by CBCF to monitor the approx. 800 hectares (This is Pedro's estimate. Mallari etal's figure is c.582ha.) of forest here where exciting flora and faunal discoveries have occurred in the last couple of years, and where more scientific breakthroughs are surely to be made, as more local and foreign researchers visit the area.
After conferring with my habal-habal driver for a pick-up time, Pedro and I started walking along a trail that goes through an old reforestation site by a carbon-mining company called Manguerra. The company planted mahogany, gmelina and pine trees in the area, although now that another set of owners have taken over the company, it seems unclear if the reforestation is still on.
Pedro told me that we will walk 2 kilometers to get to a particular tree where he, Godo, Lisa, and other CBCF personnel have recorded Cebu Flowerpecker, and that the walk will take maybe 1 hour tops. I thought that 2 kilometers won't pose much of a problem until I found out (while huffing and puffing) that our tree was on the top of the next hill which means descending on loose and slippery limestone bits down a gully and then a taxing climb to 755masl.
Along the trail on three different locations, we encountered singing Black shama individuals but managed to get a glimpse of just one. Briefly, I tried luring them out with playback but met no success.
When we reached our target tree, loud shouts of alarm greeted us, I turned to Pedro who told me that those were the resident monkeys.
Artic Warbler
2) On flowering vine where CBCF has recorded Cebu Flowerpecker. After reaching the particular tree where CBCF and other researchers have recorded Cebu Flowerpecker and the (it seems to me) even more rarely seen bird-the local subspecies of the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Pedro said that the tree is a local (not part of Manguerra's parade of exotics) species called "Mala-iba." However, it was not the "Mala-iba" itself that attracted the birds but a parasitic vine (Pedro said he's seen host trees die) that grafts itself on to the host tree. The vine is called "Mampur" and its bright red flowers (the "Mala-iba's" is white) provide food for the sunbirds and flowerpeckers.
Checking out the state of the Mampur's flowers, Pedro said that there were more flowers last November, and back then the place was very busy. Today, I counted the bright red flowers I could see with my binocs and came up with only 8. Pedro guesses that by the looks of it, the next big flowering may occur in February so we were in the "off" season in terms of visiting birds. Despite the low turnout for nectar-feeders, I was happy to get excellent views of a brilliant male Lovely sunbird (bonita spp) which kept going back to get nectar from the "Mampur."
I racked my brain and figured that the only memorable view I've had of this species was a male in the Kokos-Nuss resort in Coron, Palawan (shelleyi spp.) but this "Mampur"-feeding male in Nug-as (bonita spp.) is far more beautiful.
I've read an account of the "Sampinit" vine in Tabunan visited by the Cebu Flowerpecker. The article said that the "Sampinit's" flowers are greenish-white and the vine itself has been described variously as "leguminous" and "thorny." I didn't see any thorns on the "Mampur" and I'm not in a position to say if it was "leguminous."
An interesting project would be to catalogue the vines, months when they blossom, and the host plants where the rare flowerpeckers have been observed.
3) On Cebuano bird names learned from forest warden Pedro Villarta.
1. Bag-hak (Slaty-legged crake)
2. Boriringon (Elegant tit)
3. Bulay-og (White-eye)
4. Buga-ongon (Pied triller)
5. Waw-ha (Pitta)
6. Aniniho (Whistler)
7. Salak (Balicassiao)
For Cebuano speakers, "bulay-og" means an uncoordinated person, and when I was growing up it was a term of derision reserved for athletes lacking in agility. I asked Pedro why the white-eye may have earned this name, and he said that white-eyes at high noon seemed to get confused by the bright light, become uncoordinated and thus easily trapped.
In certain times of the year, Pedro says that "waw-has" have been encountered within Nug-as in a locality named Kaw-rik. At times when water is especially scarce (all-year round in these parts water is always hard to source), he says that pittas are so weak they can be easily caught.
4) Birds seen and/or heard.
1. Slaty-legged crake [Rallina eurizonoides] - 1 Heard in a gully with thick grass. It must be a resident because Pedro knows well its call and appearance.
2. Philippine coucal [Centropus viridis] - 2 heard only
3. Swiftlet [Collocalia sp.] - 6
4. Pygmy swiftlet [Collocalia troglodytes] - 6 5. Coppersmith barbet [Megalaima haemacephala] - 2 heard only
6. Pied triller [Lalage nigra] - 1 fem Gleaning insects on a pine tree locally called "Marabuhok."
7. Philippine bulbul [Hypsipetes philippinus] - 2 seen; at least 2 more heard
8. Balicassiao [Dicrurus balicassius] - 1 seen; at least 2 more heard
9. Elegant tit [Parus elegans] - 4
10. Black shama [Copsychus cebuensis] - 1 male seen; at least 2 more heard Call partly tape-recorded.
11. Arctic warbler [Phylloscopus borealis] - 1
12. Striated grassbird [Megalurus palustris] - 1 in gully
13. Black-naped monarch [Hypothymis azurea] - 1 male
14. Olive-backed sunbird [Nectarinia jugularis] - 5
15. Handsome sunbird [Aethopyga bonita] - 1 male; 1 fem A male kept going back to the "Mampur" the whole time we were observing; we assumed it was the same individual. The female appeared only once. In his experience, Pedro says that if the aggressive male sunbird stays close to the "Mala-iba" and the "Mampur," the flowerpeckers generally will not be able to feed there.
16. Crimson sunbird [Aethopyga siparaja] - 1 male
17. Red-keeled Flowerpecker [Dicaeum australe] - 2 males; 1 fem
18. Everett's white-eye [Zosterops everetti] - at least 10 Call tape-recorded.
Crimson Sunbird 5) From "Key Conservation Sites in the Philippines" by Mallari etal. "Nug-as forest has fewer large trees than the main forest block at Tabunan, but it is much more extensive at c.582 ha. It has been relatively isolated from habitations and more rarely visited, and therefore under less immediate pressure than Tabunan, but the ongoing construction of a road to link Alcoy with Alegria will greatly increase its accessibility. Most of remaining forests at Nug-as are on karst limestone slopes and ridgetops, and in gulleys. There are two main forest types, secondary lowland forest and scrub at 200-500masl, and transitional mid-montane forest above c.500masl. Most of the trees
have small stem diameters and grow very close together, but there are a few large trees. There is an abundance of epiphytes and moss on the trees and rocks. Around the forests and scrubland are small farms with agroforests of mostly coconuts and other fruit trees. Exotic trees planted during a reforestation program are on the adjacent slopes and along the main road.
Sightings of the Cebu subspecies of Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (D. t. pallidus) at Nug-as are apparently the only recent record of this subspecies."
2.
Nogas Island, Antique
Date: December 8-9, 2004
Site: Nogas Island, Antique
Trip report and birdlist by : Leni Sutcliffe
I went island-walking with friends and the provincial Tourism Officer on Nogas Island on 8 December 2004 between 12.30 and 3.30 and went back without them the next day, birding from 6.30 to 9.15 am. On both days, it was clear and calm, with the sea - sometimes gun-metal-blue, sometimes deep turquoise - heaving slightly. Nogas Island, with its fringe of white sand and its crown of thick vegetation is about 3 km offshore from Anini-y, Antique’s southernmost town.
Ruel Castillo (‘Wewe’), of the Philippine National Police and police officer of Anini-y, owner of Chen2 (a motorized outrigged banca) was our soft-spoken boatman, birding guide and security officer (he carried a gun on his belt)
on both days.
According to a signboard on the island, the Nogas Island Fish Sanctuary covers an area of 65 ha, including 24 ha of mangrove and a coral reef. It is a protected conservation area, and the law forbids one from taking anything off the island. A legend supports the law: it says that the forest and the sea will “hold” anyone who tries to leave with even a small thing like a pebble or a seashell.
The path from the shore to the lighthouse in the middle of the island is lined with kalachuchi puti (Plumeria obtusa L.) and its flowers perfume the air. On both sides of the path (and all over the island) are an amazing variety of wild trees, shrubs, vines, plants and grasses: a botanist’s delight, more so as the island is apparently snake-free. Ficus trees of
various species (I saw several that were 3-4 metres wide), talisay (Terminalia catappa L.), anan (Buchanania arborescens), payhod, kalapini, kamachile (Pithecellobium dulce) are everywhere. Mangrove grows on one side
of the island, and fruiting pandan (probably Pandanus tectorius) on another.
The interior is sandy. Nearer the sea, coral fragments are everywhere and the surface is lined with rough stones.
On the kalachuchi path, I got my first glimpse of the Tabon Scrubfowl (Megapodius cumingii): three small, probably young, birds scurried across. In the interior, the birds were elusive, running away as soon as they sensed our presence. But their nests were everywhere: buried deep in the sand, these were either freshly made (as evidenced by the pile of leaves on top), or had been dug out by humans (the holes were 2-3 feet deep). From afar, we heard the Tabon’s eerie drawn-out wailing. Then suddenly, as we emerged on the first day from the interior onto the shore, we saw a plump, fairly large Tabon, pecking at the sand, oblivious to our presence for about five
Pied Triller
minutes before it, too, hurried away. It seemed to me that it had a grey-brown back, becoming grey in the underparts; it had a thick body (rounder than that of the Tikling, for example, which is also present on the island) and long legs. Its short tail was up in the air as it foraged for food in the sand. We were to glimpse several groups of Tabon throughout day one and day two, but never as clearly and for as long.
Magrove Blue Flycatcher In the interior: I saw a bird slightly bigger than a sparrow, and broader and more solidly built, sitting quite still in the middle story of a low tree. It had a blue-grey back; rufous throat and breast band; a distinct white streak on each side of the face; a longish blue bill; dark feet and legs; white underparts, longish blue-grey tail. I reckon this was a Mangrove Blue Flycatcher. In fact the bird I saw looked so much like Jon Hornbuckle’s Oriental Bird photograph of a bird taken in Boracay (which is off the island of Panay, where Antique is located) that I am tempted to venture that it was a female Cyornis rufigastra philippinensis.
Again in the interior, in a leaf-strewn open space on the sandy ground between the trees, was an all-brown bird about the length of a grassbird but wider of body and shorter of tail. I did not see much detail as it flew quickly into the low shrubs nearby. I guessed it was a Nightjar, but had second thoughts when Wewe said it had a “big mouth”. I opened Kennedy’s book to the page on frogmouths. “Not those,” he said. “It could be either one of these,” he continued, pointing to the Philippine Nightjar and the Savanna Nightjar, and settling for the latter. Caprimulgus affinis griseatus? Possibly. Nogas certainly has the features of its habitat: sandy ground, beaches, occasional open scrub.
A heavy flapping of wings drew our attention to a flock of about 40 Pink-necked Green Pigeons (Treron vernans), punay to Wewe. There were about 5 males; the rest looked like females. The birds had yellow-orange/red feet and legs; a yellow wing band, followed by a dark (black) wing band just before the yellow-green underparts; yellow-green thighs; darker olive-yellow upperparts; grey bills. The males had pink-orange breasts and what seemed to be dark undertails. We saw these birds several times as we moved around the island: they perched conspicuously on tree tops and they flapped their wings loudly as they flew from perch to perch. Wewe pointed out their nests: these were bowl-shaped baskets of twigs built on forking tree branches. He says the island has about 80 of these birds.
So in addition to the:
1. Tabon Scrubfowl (Megapodius cumingii): about 15
2. Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis griseatus): perhaps 1
3. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra philippinensis): 1 female
4. Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans): 5 males and 35 females
We also saw the following:
5. Pied Fantail or Maria Kapra (Rhipidura javanica): about 15
6. Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier): maybe 101
7. Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis; kee-yaw to the guide): 2 seen, 5 or more heard
8. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): about 20
9. Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica): maybe 20
10. Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), male and female: common; also seen feeding on coconut flowers. According to Wewe, this sunbird builds narrow pitcher-shaped nests which hang from branches of trees. (If he is right, then one of the nests I've seen in my garden at Westgrove belongs to the sunbird.)
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
12. Swiftlets (Collocalia spp.), possibly Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) (because of their white underparts): maybe 20.
13. Pied Triller (Lalage nigra); male and female; common; a flock of about 10 was feeding on a kamachili tree.
14. Barred Rail (Gallirallus torquatus): 2
15. White-collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris): 3 seen among the mangrove, many more heard. In addition to their usual ka-ka-ka-kak, the kingfishers of Nogas had another call which the guide pointed out to me: a repeated tik-rek, tik-rek. I had not noted this call before nor associated it with the kingfisher, but have heard it since in Westgrove right after the ka-ka-ka-kak.
Heard but not seen:
1. Coucal (Centropus spp.)
2. Zebra dove (Geopelia striata)
Seen and heard, but not identified:
A small bird like the golden-bellied flyeater (it had dirty yellow underparts, grey upperparts and a short bill; its call was similar to, but not quite the same as that of the Gerygone). I thought I had the ID down pat, until I checked Kennedy, whose map shows that Panay is one of three islands where the Gerygone cannot be found.
One last note:
Antique is a beautiful (if somewhat dusty and grubby in its towns and along its horrendously bumpy main roads) and underdeveloped province. Having seen how “development” in the Philippines often produces the ugliest of urban areas, I hope I can be forgiven for wishing that Antique can long remain rural in character and aspect. It is bounded on one side by the lovely Cordillera range of mountains, and on the other by the (Sulu?) Sea. They tell me that the Sibalom Natural Park on the Cordillera is home to the rare Visayan Hornbill, among other birds (and also, for example, the endangered cloud rat, the palm civet and the Rafflesia Manillana with its enormous flower). They also tell me that birdwatching is an exciting experience in Pandan, a town in northern Antique.
I have names and telephone numbers of contact persons to suggest to anyone interested in venturing into the Antique wild bird land.
Leni Sutcliffe
Prepared by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
Group 4
by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
A.PROGRESS REPORT
1.
Mo Kim Cheng
2108 San Gabriel #404
Austin, Texas 78705
29 November 1983
Dr. David A. McMurrey
English Department
Austin Community College
Austin, Texas 78712
Dear Mr. McMurrey:
I am writing to bring you up to date on the progress that I have
made on my semester report project. As you know from my 20
September memo, my topic is the fundamentals of computer
structures and logic design. I have kept in my mind your advice
about narrowing this topic, but expect to solve this problem as I
continue to gather information.
After your approval of my project, I got to work right away
gathering detailed information on the four major components of
the computer system and the basic techniques of logic design.
After nearly two months of research, study, and rough-drafting,
the report project is about two-thirds complete. This letter
summarizes my work from 20 September to 27 November.
Mr. David A. McMurrey -2- 29 November 1986
The report project can be divided into three major tasks:
1. Finding information for the discussion of the four
2. major components of a computer, namely, the
3. central processing unit, the arithmetic and logic
4. unit, the memory unit, and the input/output
5. system.
6.
7.
8. Finding information for the description of the
9. logic design, which includes number systems,
10. Boolean algebra, logic gates, and logic circuits.
11.
12.
13. Developing graphics that adequately illustrate
14. as well as language that conveys these computer
15. concepts.
16.
My work on task 1 is nearly complete, although I'm still
searching for additional examples to present the concepts more
clearly. Most of the materials related to task 2 have been Mr.
gathered, and I'm working on different ways to organize and
present this information (logic design). In fact, that is where
most of my time on this project seems to be going: how explain
the basic techniques of logic design so that the nonspecialist
reader can understand readily.
David A. McMurrey -3- 29 November 1986
Project Description
As you requested, here is a review of what my report project is
all about.
Subject. The report will discuss the four major components of
the computer system as well as the basic techniques of logic
design. Logic design is a procedure for designing computer
components by using "black boxes" that perform specific
functions. The designer is not required to understand the
behavior of the actual electronic circuitry.
Purpose. The purpose of this report is to offer the
nonspecialist reader and the beginning electrical engineering
student an introduction to the fundamentals of computer
structures and logic design.
Topic 1: Computer Structures
Work completed. The library research on computer structures is
now complete. Also, I have written a complete draft of the
sections of the report involving this topic. The four major
components are described in detail; there are numerous examples
and illustrations. Several nonspecialists have read the draft and
have made suggestions for improving it.
Mr. David A. McMurrey -4- 29 November 1986
In this section, you'll learn about the central processing unit,
the "brain" of the computer, that part that controls the entire
system and processes information. You'll also learn about the
arithmetic logic unit, which performs numerical calculations at
high speed, and about the memory unit, which stores information
to be processed. You'll also see how the computer communicates
with the outside world through the input/output devices.
Work remaining. Based on the suggestions of my test readers,
I am still tinkering with finding different ways to explain
certain key events in a cycle of computer operation and with
developing better graphics.
Topic 2: Basic Techniques of Logic Design
Work completed. I'm still trying to locate up-to-date
information on logic design techniques, but most of the
information is in place. At this stage, I only have a very rough
draft and have not been able to test it out on nonspecialist
readers. Much of the writing in this draft is still in
specialist language and is going to require a good amount of
translating.
Work remaining. Currently, I am in the process of rewriting
the part of the report on logic design techniques. This may
entail some major reorganization; also I still must find or
create good examples and illustrations for some of the areas of
this part. I am particularly concerned about presenting Boolean
algebra in the clearest and the most concise way possible, since
it is one of the keys to understanding the operations of a
computer.
Mr. David A. McMurrey -5- 29 November 1986
Enclosed is a two-page outline of my report as it stands now. If
you have any suggestions about it or if you would be interested
in looking at the rough draft in its current state, please let me
know. Otherwise, everything is moving along well, and you should
have the report by or before the scheduled date.
Respectfully yours,
Mo Kim Cheng
Electronics major, ACC
2.
Progress Report: Built To Spill
Twice a week, Jessica Suarez's Progress Report updates you on what your favorite bands have been doing. Or not doing.
NAME:Built To Spill
PROGRESS REPORT: Doing final mixing for There Is No Enemy at Kingsize SoundLabs in Los Angeles with producer David Trumfio
About five years went by between the release of Built To Spill's fifth album, Ancient Melodies Of The Future, and 2006's You In Reverse. By that measure, the wait for There Is No Enemy seems short. Still, Billboard reported that Doug Martsch, along with his new lineup, were ready to wrap up their album back in May -- 2007. As you might guess, Martsch says their schedule was pretty relaxed: The band began recording in March last year, but, after recording 15 songs in Los Angeles, they re-recorded them at an old theater that was converted into a studio. "And we tried it there because we were going for a live sound. We even had a little show, invited some locals and performed the songs live in front of people and recorded those as well," Martsch explains. "But we ended up not really using that." The band returned to their original studio once every six weeks or so to do overdubs, vocals, and additional instruments before leaving for a tour last year. Martsch spent the last few months returning to the studio without the band to work on mixing. "And that's where we are now," he says. "It wasn't a year of hard work. It was a year of every once and while coming out and working. I like to sit on stuff for a while."
If you saw Built To Spill on tour last year, you heard some of the new album tracks, slower, pared-down songs like "Done" and "Hindsight." Martsch, says he's been working on these new songs too much to know if they'll sound as they did last year. "I don't think they've changed very much, but they probably have changed a lot because change is so gradual and I'm just working on it all the time," he says. While he wrote all the songs on his own, he says the rest of Built to Spill helped the tracks evolve over the recording sessions. Members traded off parts seamlessly, meaning that, if you followed Martsch as well as related Built To Spill bands like Caustic Resin, you might be able to pick out guitar players. At other times, Martsch says he couldn't tell you who was on each guitar. And because BTS edited via ProTools for the first time, Martsch had unlimited tracks and takes to use, making it even harder to pick out individual takes or players. But the band only used ProTools to edit and mix; Martsch says all the recording and effects were put on tape: "I'm pretty careful not to overproduce things. The time we're spending is not being spent tightening things and making things more pro at all, making them more slick."
That final recording may be the first chance everyone else will have to hear There Is No Enemy. Martsch says the band will likely not play any new songs this summer since they haven't had a chance to rehearse them: "Like I said, some of these songs have changed a bit. We never bothered learning them, so we kind of have our old songs to work with." In fact, he says he had a peek at some of the songs in contention for their Pitchfork Festival Write The Night show, and he was happy to see that most of the songs people voted for were "basically just the stuff we always play all the time anyway," without requests for newer songs. But that's just fine for Martsch. In fact, it also explains why he likes to take his time with recording. "We have a bunch of records out. There's no hurry for us to sell music. We can put out a a record every five or six years, and that's plenty of Built to Spill music. The world doesn't need a new Built to Spill record every year," he says. "A new band, I could totally see that. It's exciting to hear them put out a couple records in a hurry, but a band like us, we're just fine."
B.SURVEY REPORT
1.
2008 National Utilization and
Compensation Survey Report
Introduction and Table of Contents
The Participants
The data is based on analysis of the responses to the 2008 National Utilization and Compensation Survey report which was collected by a web based survey from October 15, 2007-February 15, 2008. There were 1434 responses received and utilized for this report. 5% of the population are males; 95% are females. The average age of survey participants is 45. 66% of the participants are members of NALA; 67% have received the Certified Legal Assistant/ Certified Paralegal credential.
Respondents are from a diverse geographical area. Forty-eight states, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia are represented by the population. Among the regions of the United States, the Southeast region was represented by 42% of the respondents; Southwest region was represented by 20%; Far West was represented by 11%; Plains States was represented by 14%; Great Lakes was represented by 5%; Rocky Mountain states were represented by 4%; and New England/Mid East was represented by 4% of the respondents. The average population of the cities represented is 544,897.
The respondents have about 18 years of legal experience; 8 years with the same employer. Most (64%) of respondents work for a private law firm, and, of those, 61% work in firms of 1-10 attorneys; 18% of the respondents work for corporations. With reference to educational backgrounds, 42 of respondents have a bachelor’s degree; 36 have an associate’s degree.
The 2008 National Utilization and Compensation Survey presents information concerning the work environment, duties and responsibilities, billing rates and compensation levels of legal assistants. Conducted bi-annually since 1986, the survey analysis includes a review of current findings in comparison with findings of previous surveys. Economic data is presented in terms of such factors as size of city, size of firm, educational backgrounds, years of experience, and specialty area of practice.
Please click on any of the following sections for reports of the survey findings. The files are in pdf format. If you do not have this already, download the Adobe reader - at no cost - from the following web site.
2.
Online Survey Report
This report is intended to be a short summary of the most interesting results from the online survey. It isn't a complete report by any means. For more information, you can view the response statistics.
Our methods were simple. We devised the short survey and publicized it through multiple channels for maximum exposure. We received 591 responses. Results were calculated as a percentage of the total responses for a question. Open-ended responses were collected, normalized (i.e., categorized under a controlled keyword), and counted. Cross-correlation was not performed, but may be at a future date.
Caveat: Nearly half (48.8%) the respondents were librarians, library staff, or information professionals. These respondents are generally more versed in information retrieval methods, which may be reflected in the data.
1. A majority of respondents indicated they were most interested in online journals and reference materials when they went online to look for information.
More than 80% of respondents selected these two types of digital resources (online journals 88.8%, reference materials 80.1%). None of the other responses for resources listed matched these high percentages (e.g., data 56.2%, images 53.2%).
2. Additionally, respondents indicated that these were the digital resources they were unable to find online.
This seems to point to an apparent trend, however, without further data analysis we don't know if these responses reflect differences in respondent roles. For instance, librarians might make up the majority of the 88.8% of respondents who indicated they were interested in online journals, while students might make up the majority of the 20.7% of respondents who indicated they were unable to find online journals. Cross-correlation may indicate that appropriate interfaces and publicity would be needed to reach certain audiences.
3. Top problems that respondents noted when looking for information online included not retrieving the resource itself, not finding older materials, having rights problems, not knowing of a comprehensive service for finding resources, and the ever-present problems with searching.
Respondents are clearly interested in being able to access the complete digital resource (67.1%), and not having to view the citation and take an additional step, whether that is performing another search or finding the resource in the physical library.
When respondents mentioned not being able to find older materials (32.2%), we considered this a plea for having more materials online. As one respondent put it: “It's great to have so many online journal articles! More please! I'd love to see more pre-1900 texts available in this format.” It seems we have a duty to perform, as the demand is clearly there.
Rights issues (8.9%) are sticky ones. Respondents want copyrighted items, which are often unavailable for digitization. A respondent states that he wants “free access to all the quality materials.”
One respondent says: “There are so many sources that I'm overwhelmed. I don't know what's out there.” A service that could offer one-stop, comprehensive access to all digital resources (8.2%) is, naturally, something OAIster hopes to address. Another respondent noted: "Can find most of what I need – but then again there may be resources out there I don't yet know I need." A comprehensive service could also benefit users interested in serendipitous searching.
Searching problems (13.7%) are nothing new. Particular problems that respondents noted were that they:
• don't have enough information to describe something
• don't know what words to use
• don't know how to narrow searches
• don't find relevant materials
• don't know where to start looking
One respondent puts it rather bleakly: “It's not that I haven't found them, it's the usual difficulty of finding the correct key word/phrase to bring it up. I think this is just an unsolvable problem.” That's probably an entirely separate discussion, but it's worth noting that we need to address these issues through a combination of designing appropriate interfaces, education and assistance.
4. Surprisingly, a number of respondents (5%) indicated that they were generally successful in finding resources online.
Typical responses included “I've been able to find what I need” and “So far have found all I wanted.” These comments could reflect the abilities of expert searchers, but could also point to the fact that searchers might not be aware of what they are missing, aren't looking for in-depth or comprehensive results, or, of course, are generally satisfied with the resources they retrieve. This would be a fascinating area for further research.
5. Several potential features of a service like OAIster were of interest to respondents, including looking for resources in a certain subject area, using a service that is continually updated, and searching the full text of the resource.
Respondents wanted to be able to narrow or limit their searching scope to a particular subject area (82.6%). The high percentage of responses to this question points to a pressing need for some type of subject categorization so that users can perform their searches within certain subject areas. We hope to research this issue and its solutions towards the end of this year, and hopefully into the next.
Respondents also indicated that using a service that featured a wide range of subject areas was not one of their top features (53%). One interpretation of this result is that it indicates that while we wish to offer an all-encompassing service for all types of audiences and all types of uses, we also need to make specific subject area access available and easy to use.
The desire for continuous updating of the service (78.4%) implies that respondents don't want to use a service that does not add resources on a regular basis or that is stagnant in the types of services it offers. Naturally, this is a challenge, but one that needs significant attention for the continued popularity of a service.
The desire to search full text (78.2%) is also nothing new. Providing the option to do so can be problematic as it can result in way too much information for the user. Our desire is to provide users with more tailored results by having them search within metadata that has been created to reflect the content of the resource. One respondent put this succinctly: “Tagged information so I don't get fire hosed.” If time permits, we hope to research the potential for offering even better search results through metadata normalization.
We particularly liked one comment we received: “You will never beat Google. No way.”
Probably true. However, it's not our intention to beat Google, but to provide an adjunct method for accessing information online. Our hope is that by providing a comprehensive service that caters to user needs – e.g., finding resources by subject, finding resources by format, retrieving the full resource – and addresses multiple searching problems, we can provide access to more, and more varied, useful and informative digital resources that are currently difficult to find.
A. Status Report
1.
Project Information
TODO: Copy this file for each status report. Fill in the information below. Email a notification to stakeholders when this report is made available.
TODO: Edit the rows in the following table. In some rows, multiple examples are given, you should select/edit only one.
Project: PROJECTNAME
Status Report Date: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Next Internal Release Number: X.Y.Z
Release Date: Original estimate: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Current estimate: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Change Since Last Report: No change
Change Since Last Report: Slipped 2 days
Change Since Last Report: Saved 4 days
Open Issues:
(needing development) 17 defects
8 enhancements
Resolved Issues:
(pending verification) 0 defects
2 enhancements
Closed Issues: 34 defects
3 enhancements
Resources used this period: PERSONNAME: 18 hours.
PERSONNAME: 15 hours.
PERSONNAME: 10 hours.
PERSONNAME: 12 hours.
Status Summary: Project completed. This is the final status report.
Low risk. Project on track.
Medium risk. Problems are being dealt with.
High risk. Advice from management and stakeholders needed.
Project canceled. This is the final status report.
Related Documents: Project plan > Resource needs
QA plan
Glossary
Process impact: This helps keep stakeholders informed of project status so that they may correctly set expectations. Reasoned explanations of slight changes in schedule are much better than major unexplained slips.
Detailed Status
TODO: Provide 1-4 paragraphs describing what has happened on this project. The text below is just an example, replace it with your own words.
This week we focused on...
Two major problems have been uncovered...
We are approximately 30% of the way through the project plan, and running about 2 days ahead of schedule...
The reason for the change in estimated release date is...
To stay on schedule, we have slipped enhancements issue 92, issue 101, and issue 129 to a later release. These issues were selected because ...
Risk Management
TODO: List 3-10 of the top project risks that are still outstanding. This list may be an updated copy from plan.html or a previous status report.
• We could face major difficulties with the technology chosen for this project. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• We could have low quality that demands significant rework. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• We could incorrectly assess our progress until it is too late to react. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• There may be a mis-alignment of stakeholder goals or expectations. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
Upcoming Activity
TODO: Provide a few bullets describing what you will do between now and the next status report. The text below is just an example, replace it with your own words. Link to open issues in the issue tracker whenever possible.
• Fix issue 130
• Fix issue 133
• Verify issue 102, issue 103, issue 107, and issue 109
• Conduct regular team meeting: Tuesday, 1 hour
• Conduct review meeting: Wednesday, 2 hours
• Make major progress on COMPONENT
• Work through next release checklist
• Continue functional testing
• Revise our integration procedure
• Release version X.Y.Z
Tracking to Plan
TODO: Copy the WBS from the project plan and paste it here. Add a new column for actual effort spent so far by all team members.
Step Description Planned
Hours Spent
To-Date
1. Preparation
1.1. Developer training 30h 0h
2. Inception
2.1. Requirements gathering 30h 0h
2.2. Requirements specification 20h 0h
2.3. Requirements validation 10h 0h
3. Elaboration
3.1. High-level design 5h 0h
3.2. Low-level design (break down by component)
3.2.A. Object design 10h 0h
3.2.B. User interface design 10h 0h
3.2.C. Database design 3h 0h
3.3. Design review and evaluation 5h 0h
4. Construction
4.1.A. System implementation
4.1.A.1. Implement Component 1 25h 0h
4.1.A.2. Implement Component 2 25h 0h
4.1.A.3. Implement Component 3 25h 0h
4.1.A.4. Implement Component 4 25h 0h
4.1.A.5. Integrate Components
(mostly done during component implementation) 5h 0h
4.1.B. Technical documentation (break down by component) 10h 0h
4.1.C. User documentation (break down by component) 10h 0h
4.1.D. Testing
4.1.D.1. Test planning 10h 0h
4.1.D.2. Test code implementation (break down by component) 30h 0h
4.1.D.3. Test execution 10h 0h
4.2. Implementation review and evaluation 15h 0h
5. Transition
5.A. Release packaging 3h 0h
5.B. Documentation for other groups 3h 0h
6. Reflection
6.1. Postmortem report 10h 0h
Total 329 hours 0h
2.
07.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-33
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson this week finished preparing their spacesuits for a planned July 23 spacewalk.
+ Read More 06.29.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-32
After the departure of the space shuttle Atlantis, Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov returned to their daily operations aboard the International Space Station this week, while newly arrived Flight Engineer Clay Anderson began conducting scientific experiments.
+ Read More 06.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-31
The Expedition 15 crew completed the second spacewalk in eight days and continued preparations for space shuttle Atlantis' arrival at the International Space Station.
+ Read More 06.01.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-30
The Expedition 15 crew completed the first of three planned spacewalks this week and prepared for the upcoming arrival of space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station.
+ Read More 05.30.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-29
Two International Space Station cosmonauts stepped outside Wednesday for a 5-hour, 25-minute spacewalk, installing Service Module Debris Protection panels and rerouting a Global Positioning System antenna cable.
+ Read More 05.25.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-28
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov prepared this week for two spacewalks while Flight Engineer Suni Williams prepared for her return to Earth.
+ Read More 05.18.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-27
The Expedition 15 crew this week unpacked supplies and began preparing for the arrival of the next visiting spacecraft and two spacewalks at the International Space Station.
+ Read More 05.15.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-26
A spacecraft automatically docked to the International Space Station early Tuesday, delivering 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the residents on board.
+ Read More 05.11.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-25
A new cargo freighter launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 10:25 p.m. CDT Friday with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, air, water and other supplies and equipment aboard.
+ Read More 05.04.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-24
Marking the second week working together, the Expedition 15 crew wrapped up various maintenance tasks, science experiments and preparations for the May 15 arrival of the Progress 25 supply ship.
+ Read More 04.27.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-23
The Expedition 15 crew aboard the International Space Station completed its first week of station orientation as the crew worked with experiments and hardware maintenance.
+ Read More 04.21.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-22
The 14th crew of the International Space Station, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi landed their Soyuz spacecraft in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 7:31 a.m. CDT Saturday.
+ Read More 04.20.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-21
The crew members aboard the International Space Station spent this week finalizing handover operations, conducting experiments and preparing for the departure of the Expedition 14 crew.
+ Read More 04.13.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-20
Two Expedition 15 cosmonauts spent much of the week in handover activities with their Expedition 14 predecessors. Their new crewmate, Sunita Williams who has been aboard the International Space Station for more than three months, also is helping them learn the ropes.
+ Read More 04.09.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-19
Two Expedition 15 cosmonauts and a spaceflight participant aboard a Soyuz spacecraft docked with the Earth-facing port on the International Space Station's Zarya module at 2:10 p.m. CDT Monday.
+ Read More 04.07.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-18
Two cosmonauts and a space flight participant launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:31 p.m. CDT Saturday for a two-day flight to the International Space Station.
+ Read More 04.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-17
The Expedition 14 crew of the International Space Station was busy this week performing fitness evaluations, working on scientific experiments and preparing for the arrival of the Expedition 15 crew.
+ Read More 03.29.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-16
The Expedition 14 crew continued preparations for the April arrival of a new station crew by boarding their Soyuz TMA-9 craft and taking a 24-minute flight from one station docking port to another.
+ Read More 03.23.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-15
The Expedition 14 crew continued work this week on scientific experiments and increased the bandwidth on the International Space Station's computer network.
+ Read More 03.16.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-14
The Expedition 14 crew was busy this week moving trash into the ISS Progress 23, installing a new window and preparing for upcoming missions to the station.
+ Read More 03.09.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-13
Science and setup for assembly highlighted the week on board the International Space Station, where the Expedition 14 crew members performed experiments related to human adaptation to space and made preparations for upcoming additions to the orbiting outpost.
+ Read More 03.02.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-12
The International Space Station's Expedition 14 crew continued work this week on scientific experiments, station maintenance and clean up following a Feb. 22 Russian spacewalk.
+ Read More 02.22.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-11
Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin retracted a stuck antenna on a cargo spacecraft during a 6-hour, 18-minute spacewalk that ended at 10:45 a.m. CST Thursday.
+ Read More 02.16.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-10
Following Sunday’s unexpected circuit breaker trip and subsequent reset and repowering of affected equipment, the International Space Station had no further incidents.
+ Read More 02.12.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-09
An unexpected circuit breaker trip early Sunday caused a power outage on the International Space Station, but the safety of the Expedition 14 crew and the complex was never an issue. All systems were back up by Monday morning with no impact to operations on board.
+ Read More 02.08.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-08
With all scheduled tasks accomplished, International Space Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams wound up a 6-hour, 40-minute spacewalk at 2:06 p.m. CST Thursday.
+ Read More 02.04.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-07
For the second time in four days, two residents of the International Space Station stepped outside for a spacewalk to complete connecting cooling loops from a temporary to a permanent system.
+ Read More 01.31.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-06
Two residents of the International Space Station stepped outside their orbital home Wednesday for a 7-hour, 55-minute spacewalk to begin the connection of recently activated cooling systems from their temporary to their permanent locations and to conduct other station assembly work.
+ Read More 01.26.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-05
The crew aboard the International Space Station focused this week on preparing for an unprecedented series of spacewalks set to begin in a few days.
+ Read More 01.19.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-04
New supplies arrived at the International Space Station Friday night as an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment.
+ Read More 01.17.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-03
A shipment of supplies began its journey to the International Space Station today as the ISS Progress 24 cargo ship was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
+ Read More 01.12.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-02
After a three-day holiday to celebrate the Russian Orthodox Christmas, astronauts on the International Space Station spent the week packing trash into the ISS Progress 22 cargo craft and unpacking items delivered by ISS Progress 23 as they prepared for the arrival of new supplies.
+ Read More 01.05.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-01
New gear helped the astronauts on the International Space Station kick off a new year as they prepared a second oxygen-generating system, upgraded soundproofing in the living quarters and unpacked supplies delivered just before Christmas by the space shuttle.
+ Read More
B. TRIP REPORT
1.
Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu
Site: Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu
Qualifier: approx. 2 km trail from N09 43.305 E123 27.427 to N09 42.679 E123 27.304
Elevation: 695masl (start of trail); 755masl (end of trail)
Conditions: 2-3-2/8 cloud cover; chilly Date: December 31, 2004
Time: 7:55am to 2:10pm
Birders: Mads Bajarias and Nug-as forest warden Pedro Villarta Trip report & bird list by Mads Bajarias
Olive-backed Sunbird
Thanks to Godo Jakosalem of Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, I was able to locate forest warden Pedro Villarta about 12 kilometers uphill from the poblacion of the town of Alcoy in southern Cebu. Pedro lives with his wife and small children in a hut on the edge of the Nug-as forest. He is one of the 22 forest wardens employed by CBCF to monitor the approx. 800 hectares (This is Pedro's estimate. Mallari etal's figure is c.582ha.) of forest here where exciting flora and faunal discoveries have occurred in the last couple of years, and where more scientific breakthroughs are surely to be made, as more local and foreign researchers visit the area.
After conferring with my habal-habal driver for a pick-up time, Pedro and I started walking along a trail that goes through an old reforestation site by a carbon-mining company called Manguerra. The company planted mahogany, gmelina and pine trees in the area, although now that another set of owners have taken over the company, it seems unclear if the reforestation is still on.
Pedro told me that we will walk 2 kilometers to get to a particular tree where he, Godo, Lisa, and other CBCF personnel have recorded Cebu Flowerpecker, and that the walk will take maybe 1 hour tops. I thought that 2 kilometers won't pose much of a problem until I found out (while huffing and puffing) that our tree was on the top of the next hill which means descending on loose and slippery limestone bits down a gully and then a taxing climb to 755masl.
Along the trail on three different locations, we encountered singing Black shama individuals but managed to get a glimpse of just one. Briefly, I tried luring them out with playback but met no success.
When we reached our target tree, loud shouts of alarm greeted us, I turned to Pedro who told me that those were the resident monkeys.
Artic Warbler
2) On flowering vine where CBCF has recorded Cebu Flowerpecker. After reaching the particular tree where CBCF and other researchers have recorded Cebu Flowerpecker and the (it seems to me) even more rarely seen bird-the local subspecies of the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Pedro said that the tree is a local (not part of Manguerra's parade of exotics) species called "Mala-iba." However, it was not the "Mala-iba" itself that attracted the birds but a parasitic vine (Pedro said he's seen host trees die) that grafts itself on to the host tree. The vine is called "Mampur" and its bright red flowers (the "Mala-iba's" is white) provide food for the sunbirds and flowerpeckers.
Checking out the state of the Mampur's flowers, Pedro said that there were more flowers last November, and back then the place was very busy. Today, I counted the bright red flowers I could see with my binocs and came up with only 8. Pedro guesses that by the looks of it, the next big flowering may occur in February so we were in the "off" season in terms of visiting birds. Despite the low turnout for nectar-feeders, I was happy to get excellent views of a brilliant male Lovely sunbird (bonita spp) which kept going back to get nectar from the "Mampur."
I racked my brain and figured that the only memorable view I've had of this species was a male in the Kokos-Nuss resort in Coron, Palawan (shelleyi spp.) but this "Mampur"-feeding male in Nug-as (bonita spp.) is far more beautiful.
I've read an account of the "Sampinit" vine in Tabunan visited by the Cebu Flowerpecker. The article said that the "Sampinit's" flowers are greenish-white and the vine itself has been described variously as "leguminous" and "thorny." I didn't see any thorns on the "Mampur" and I'm not in a position to say if it was "leguminous."
An interesting project would be to catalogue the vines, months when they blossom, and the host plants where the rare flowerpeckers have been observed.
3) On Cebuano bird names learned from forest warden Pedro Villarta.
1. Bag-hak (Slaty-legged crake)
2. Boriringon (Elegant tit)
3. Bulay-og (White-eye)
4. Buga-ongon (Pied triller)
5. Waw-ha (Pitta)
6. Aniniho (Whistler)
7. Salak (Balicassiao)
For Cebuano speakers, "bulay-og" means an uncoordinated person, and when I was growing up it was a term of derision reserved for athletes lacking in agility. I asked Pedro why the white-eye may have earned this name, and he said that white-eyes at high noon seemed to get confused by the bright light, become uncoordinated and thus easily trapped.
In certain times of the year, Pedro says that "waw-has" have been encountered within Nug-as in a locality named Kaw-rik. At times when water is especially scarce (all-year round in these parts water is always hard to source), he says that pittas are so weak they can be easily caught.
4) Birds seen and/or heard.
1. Slaty-legged crake [Rallina eurizonoides] - 1 Heard in a gully with thick grass. It must be a resident because Pedro knows well its call and appearance.
2. Philippine coucal [Centropus viridis] - 2 heard only
3. Swiftlet [Collocalia sp.] - 6
4. Pygmy swiftlet [Collocalia troglodytes] - 6 5. Coppersmith barbet [Megalaima haemacephala] - 2 heard only
6. Pied triller [Lalage nigra] - 1 fem Gleaning insects on a pine tree locally called "Marabuhok."
7. Philippine bulbul [Hypsipetes philippinus] - 2 seen; at least 2 more heard
8. Balicassiao [Dicrurus balicassius] - 1 seen; at least 2 more heard
9. Elegant tit [Parus elegans] - 4
10. Black shama [Copsychus cebuensis] - 1 male seen; at least 2 more heard Call partly tape-recorded.
11. Arctic warbler [Phylloscopus borealis] - 1
12. Striated grassbird [Megalurus palustris] - 1 in gully
13. Black-naped monarch [Hypothymis azurea] - 1 male
14. Olive-backed sunbird [Nectarinia jugularis] - 5
15. Handsome sunbird [Aethopyga bonita] - 1 male; 1 fem A male kept going back to the "Mampur" the whole time we were observing; we assumed it was the same individual. The female appeared only once. In his experience, Pedro says that if the aggressive male sunbird stays close to the "Mala-iba" and the "Mampur," the flowerpeckers generally will not be able to feed there.
16. Crimson sunbird [Aethopyga siparaja] - 1 male
17. Red-keeled Flowerpecker [Dicaeum australe] - 2 males; 1 fem
18. Everett's white-eye [Zosterops everetti] - at least 10 Call tape-recorded.
Crimson Sunbird 5) From "Key Conservation Sites in the Philippines" by Mallari etal. "Nug-as forest has fewer large trees than the main forest block at Tabunan, but it is much more extensive at c.582 ha. It has been relatively isolated from habitations and more rarely visited, and therefore under less immediate pressure than Tabunan, but the ongoing construction of a road to link Alcoy with Alegria will greatly increase its accessibility. Most of remaining forests at Nug-as are on karst limestone slopes and ridgetops, and in gulleys. There are two main forest types, secondary lowland forest and scrub at 200-500masl, and transitional mid-montane forest above c.500masl. Most of the trees
have small stem diameters and grow very close together, but there are a few large trees. There is an abundance of epiphytes and moss on the trees and rocks. Around the forests and scrubland are small farms with agroforests of mostly coconuts and other fruit trees. Exotic trees planted during a reforestation program are on the adjacent slopes and along the main road.
Sightings of the Cebu subspecies of Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (D. t. pallidus) at Nug-as are apparently the only recent record of this subspecies."
2.
Nogas Island, Antique
Date: December 8-9, 2004
Site: Nogas Island, Antique
Trip report and birdlist by : Leni Sutcliffe
I went island-walking with friends and the provincial Tourism Officer on Nogas Island on 8 December 2004 between 12.30 and 3.30 and went back without them the next day, birding from 6.30 to 9.15 am. On both days, it was clear and calm, with the sea - sometimes gun-metal-blue, sometimes deep turquoise - heaving slightly. Nogas Island, with its fringe of white sand and its crown of thick vegetation is about 3 km offshore from Anini-y, Antique’s southernmost town.
Ruel Castillo (‘Wewe’), of the Philippine National Police and police officer of Anini-y, owner of Chen2 (a motorized outrigged banca) was our soft-spoken boatman, birding guide and security officer (he carried a gun on his belt)
on both days.
According to a signboard on the island, the Nogas Island Fish Sanctuary covers an area of 65 ha, including 24 ha of mangrove and a coral reef. It is a protected conservation area, and the law forbids one from taking anything off the island. A legend supports the law: it says that the forest and the sea will “hold” anyone who tries to leave with even a small thing like a pebble or a seashell.
The path from the shore to the lighthouse in the middle of the island is lined with kalachuchi puti (Plumeria obtusa L.) and its flowers perfume the air. On both sides of the path (and all over the island) are an amazing variety of wild trees, shrubs, vines, plants and grasses: a botanist’s delight, more so as the island is apparently snake-free. Ficus trees of
various species (I saw several that were 3-4 metres wide), talisay (Terminalia catappa L.), anan (Buchanania arborescens), payhod, kalapini, kamachile (Pithecellobium dulce) are everywhere. Mangrove grows on one side
of the island, and fruiting pandan (probably Pandanus tectorius) on another.
The interior is sandy. Nearer the sea, coral fragments are everywhere and the surface is lined with rough stones.
On the kalachuchi path, I got my first glimpse of the Tabon Scrubfowl (Megapodius cumingii): three small, probably young, birds scurried across. In the interior, the birds were elusive, running away as soon as they sensed our presence. But their nests were everywhere: buried deep in the sand, these were either freshly made (as evidenced by the pile of leaves on top), or had been dug out by humans (the holes were 2-3 feet deep). From afar, we heard the Tabon’s eerie drawn-out wailing. Then suddenly, as we emerged on the first day from the interior onto the shore, we saw a plump, fairly large Tabon, pecking at the sand, oblivious to our presence for about five
Pied Triller
minutes before it, too, hurried away. It seemed to me that it had a grey-brown back, becoming grey in the underparts; it had a thick body (rounder than that of the Tikling, for example, which is also present on the island) and long legs. Its short tail was up in the air as it foraged for food in the sand. We were to glimpse several groups of Tabon throughout day one and day two, but never as clearly and for as long.
Magrove Blue Flycatcher In the interior: I saw a bird slightly bigger than a sparrow, and broader and more solidly built, sitting quite still in the middle story of a low tree. It had a blue-grey back; rufous throat and breast band; a distinct white streak on each side of the face; a longish blue bill; dark feet and legs; white underparts, longish blue-grey tail. I reckon this was a Mangrove Blue Flycatcher. In fact the bird I saw looked so much like Jon Hornbuckle’s Oriental Bird photograph of a bird taken in Boracay (which is off the island of Panay, where Antique is located) that I am tempted to venture that it was a female Cyornis rufigastra philippinensis.
Again in the interior, in a leaf-strewn open space on the sandy ground between the trees, was an all-brown bird about the length of a grassbird but wider of body and shorter of tail. I did not see much detail as it flew quickly into the low shrubs nearby. I guessed it was a Nightjar, but had second thoughts when Wewe said it had a “big mouth”. I opened Kennedy’s book to the page on frogmouths. “Not those,” he said. “It could be either one of these,” he continued, pointing to the Philippine Nightjar and the Savanna Nightjar, and settling for the latter. Caprimulgus affinis griseatus? Possibly. Nogas certainly has the features of its habitat: sandy ground, beaches, occasional open scrub.
A heavy flapping of wings drew our attention to a flock of about 40 Pink-necked Green Pigeons (Treron vernans), punay to Wewe. There were about 5 males; the rest looked like females. The birds had yellow-orange/red feet and legs; a yellow wing band, followed by a dark (black) wing band just before the yellow-green underparts; yellow-green thighs; darker olive-yellow upperparts; grey bills. The males had pink-orange breasts and what seemed to be dark undertails. We saw these birds several times as we moved around the island: they perched conspicuously on tree tops and they flapped their wings loudly as they flew from perch to perch. Wewe pointed out their nests: these were bowl-shaped baskets of twigs built on forking tree branches. He says the island has about 80 of these birds.
So in addition to the:
1. Tabon Scrubfowl (Megapodius cumingii): about 15
2. Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis griseatus): perhaps 1
3. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra philippinensis): 1 female
4. Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans): 5 males and 35 females
We also saw the following:
5. Pied Fantail or Maria Kapra (Rhipidura javanica): about 15
6. Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier): maybe 101
7. Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis; kee-yaw to the guide): 2 seen, 5 or more heard
8. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): about 20
9. Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica): maybe 20
10. Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), male and female: common; also seen feeding on coconut flowers. According to Wewe, this sunbird builds narrow pitcher-shaped nests which hang from branches of trees. (If he is right, then one of the nests I've seen in my garden at Westgrove belongs to the sunbird.)
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
12. Swiftlets (Collocalia spp.), possibly Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) (because of their white underparts): maybe 20.
13. Pied Triller (Lalage nigra); male and female; common; a flock of about 10 was feeding on a kamachili tree.
14. Barred Rail (Gallirallus torquatus): 2
15. White-collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris): 3 seen among the mangrove, many more heard. In addition to their usual ka-ka-ka-kak, the kingfishers of Nogas had another call which the guide pointed out to me: a repeated tik-rek, tik-rek. I had not noted this call before nor associated it with the kingfisher, but have heard it since in Westgrove right after the ka-ka-ka-kak.
Heard but not seen:
1. Coucal (Centropus spp.)
2. Zebra dove (Geopelia striata)
Seen and heard, but not identified:
A small bird like the golden-bellied flyeater (it had dirty yellow underparts, grey upperparts and a short bill; its call was similar to, but not quite the same as that of the Gerygone). I thought I had the ID down pat, until I checked Kennedy, whose map shows that Panay is one of three islands where the Gerygone cannot be found.
One last note:
Antique is a beautiful (if somewhat dusty and grubby in its towns and along its horrendously bumpy main roads) and underdeveloped province. Having seen how “development” in the Philippines often produces the ugliest of urban areas, I hope I can be forgiven for wishing that Antique can long remain rural in character and aspect. It is bounded on one side by the lovely Cordillera range of mountains, and on the other by the (Sulu?) Sea. They tell me that the Sibalom Natural Park on the Cordillera is home to the rare Visayan Hornbill, among other birds (and also, for example, the endangered cloud rat, the palm civet and the Rafflesia Manillana with its enormous flower). They also tell me that birdwatching is an exciting experience in Pandan, a town in northern Antique.
I have names and telephone numbers of contact persons to suggest to anyone interested in venturing into the Antique wild bird land.
Leni Sutcliffe
Prepared by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
Group 4
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)