Who We Are

Organizational Profile

Palawan Biodiversity Conservation Advocates, Inc. (PBCAI) is a non-profit environmental organization committed to the protection, conservation, and sustainable management of Palawan’s unique biodiversity and natural resources. PBCAI is an environmental interest group composed of conservation practitioners, researchers, and community advocates working across marine, forest, wildlife, and indigenous peoples’ landscapes.

PBCAI was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in November 2017. Since its establishment, the organization has implemented and co-implemented science-based conservation, community development, and environmental governance initiatives across Palawan and other parts of the Philippines. 

Vision

We at PBCAI (Palawan Biodiversity Conservation Advocates, Inc.) envision Palawan to have healthy and rich natural resources sustainably providing ecosystems goods and services to the local populations thru the dynamic process of resource-proprietorship and sustainable development and initiatives.

We likewise envision a Philippines that pursues a zero-waste pathway and contributes meaningfully to global efforts to address climate change and environmental degradation. 

Mission

PBCAI works to protect biodiversity and strengthen environmental governance by:

• Advancing science-based conservation and monitoring
• Empowering communities and indigenous peoples as stewards of their ancestral lands and waters
• Promoting sustainable livelihoods and social enterprises
• Supporting evidence-based advocacy, policy reform, and environmental accountability

Goals

PBCAI aims to:

• Change local perception and attitude from destructive to eco-friendly by instilling the ecological importance of biodiversity.
  
• Capacitate local IP (Indigenous People) and non-IP communities to manage, protect, and conserve existing natural resources and biodiversity.
• Implement ecosystems-based livelihood activities that will improve the human well-being of local and indigenous communities.
• Organize communities to enable them to benefit from services derived from natural resources.
• Habitat protection and conservation of key species of plants and animals.
• Advocate for local legislations for better services and stronger implementation of environmental laws.

Core Areas of Expertise

PBCAI’s core competencies include:

• Biodiversity conservation (marine, forest/terrestrial, and wildlife)
• Biophysical assessments (flora and fauna surveys, coral reef, mangrove, and seagrass assessments)
• Indigenous Peoples’ support, including ADSDPP and IKSP processes
• Sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, and social enterprise development
• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and baseline assessments (e.g., WACS and other field-specific tools)
• Project development and proposal writing
• Environmental data collection and analysis for advocacy and planning

  
  

Projects Implemented and Key Engagements

PBCAI has implemented and supported a wide range of conservation, governance, and humanitarian initiatives, including:

Marine and Coastal Conservation

• Biodiversity Conservation in Puerto Princesa’s Northwest Area and Interconnected Ecosystems, funded by USAID-PhilAm Fund, with a flagship focus on sea turtle conservation along the west coast of Puerto Princesa and parts of Aborlan, Palawan
• Green Island Bay MPA Networking and Management Effectiveness, Roxas, Palawan (UNDP-GEF/SGP OP5), supporting the management of 14 Marine Protected Areas through the installation of MEAT and METT tools
• Nesting Survey in Dumaran, funded by SEE Turtles
• Ridge-to-Reef Ecological Resource Management in Dumaran Island, covering eight barangays in Dumaran and Araceli (USAID-GRF INSPIRE Project)

Forest, Landscape, and Climate Initiatives

• Restoring Northern Palawan’s Typhoon-Damaged Ecosystems, USAID-GRF INSPIRE Odette Response Project
• Landscape Scenario Development Workshop, under the USAID-FFP SIBOL Project
• Preparing Communities of the Victoria-Anepahan Mountain Range for REDD+ Engagement, in partnership with the Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines

Environmental Health and Research

• Phase 2 Studies on Mercury in Wild Flora and Fauna in impact areas of the former Palawan Quicksilver Mines, Inc. (PQMI), Puerto Princesa City
• Study of Mercury in Humans and Wildlife in Palawan, commissioned by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), where PBCAI served as intermediary and cash custodian through the Palawan Knowledge Platform

Governance, Advocacy, and Solid Waste Management

• Save Palawan Movement Campaign on the Division of Palawan, with IUCN and ELAC
• Digital Protection of Ancestral Domains through Geo-tagging and Mobile Platforms, with IUCN and ELAC
• Marine Conservation through Functional Solid Waste Management, Coca-Cola Foundation, Inc.
• Mitigating Threats to Marine Protected Areas through Waste Reduction and Recycling, with Candis 3 Marketing Cooperative

  
  

Humanitarian and Social Enterprise Engagement

Beyond conservation, PBCAI has engaged in humanitarian response and post-conflict recovery work. In Marawi, PBCAI partnered with Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and the Maranao People Development Center (MARADECA), assisting in the development of a successful CSO-SEED British Council–EU project proposal aimed at improving livelihoods through social enterprise for internally displaced communities

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Networks and Partnerships

PBCAI is an active member of the Palawan Knowledge Platform (PKP), a multi-agency initiative that supports biological and socio-economic data sharing in line with the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan. Through this platform, PBCAI contributes to research, evidence-based planning, and environmental policy processes at the provincial level.

Leadership and Contact Information

John Sornito
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Roxas, Palawan

Grace Sescon
Executive Director
Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
+63 917 810 4930
gtansescon@gmail.com

Corazon Liwanag
Project Manager
San Jose, Puerto Princesa City
0927 806 0665
cmontesliwanag@yahoo.com