PHP1M to Go to Mindoro’s Rangers this Tamaraw Month

Wazzup Pilipinas!


Pong Capati emigrated from the Philippines to America in 1982, retiring after 30 years of work. Last July, he heard about #TogetherforTamaraws, an online fundraising campaign to help conservation frontliners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I realized that without rangers, we cannot protect the tamaraw. I really wanted to help so I shared the campaign to my family, friends and colleagues. With my niece Sofia, we fused our love for food and art and managed to raise over PHP30,000 for our rangers.”

Other funds were raised in the most creative ways: Ruth Ann Cabria sold items online to declutter her home; Artist Issa Barte auctioned art pieces; Photographer Derald Umali raffled off a film camera.

All put, some 150 individuals and institutions raised over PHP1.1 million to help Mindoro’s tamaraw rangers and forest wardens, many of whom lost their jobs because of the pandemic. The funds shall be turned over on 29 October to cap off Tamaraw Month, celebrated in the Philippines each October.

“These creative fundraising efforts show how the worst times can also bring out the best in people,” says DENR-BMB Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon. “Our Bayanihan Spirit lives on through crowdfunding. We thank our partners, donors and contributors in proving how everyone can do their part for conservation.”

Together for Tamaraws

Since March 2020, most of the Philippines has been under general or enhanced community quarantine. The country’s national parks were closed to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.

This left Mindoro’s Iglit-Baco Natural Park with little funding, cutting off the sole source of income for 32 wardens and one ranger, all members of Mindoro’s indigenous Taw’buid, Buid and Iraya tribes. Only 23 TCP rangers and three wardens are currently patrolling a core area of 2500 hectares inside the 106,655-hectare Iglit-Baco park, which hosts at least 480 of the world’s last 600 tamaraws.

“The Tamaraw Conservation Programme (TCP) and Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP) are indebted to those who have and will continue to help us,” says TCP head Neil Anthony del Mundo. “The assistance to be given to our wardens and rangers will go a long way in keeping both our tamaraws and protected areas safe.”

Critical Time for Biodiversity

#TogetherforTamaraws is led by the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) project under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau and MIMAROPA Regional Office.

In July, the Philippine Parks & Biodiversity NGO further created the Tamaraw Society for its 20 for 20 campaign where they called on 20 organizations or individuals to pledge or fundraise PHP20,000 each. The Tamaraw Society is currently comprised of the following 18 entities: D’Aboville Foundation and Demo Farm, Eco Explorations, Masungi Georeserve Foundation, Ecoheroes, Far Eastern University, Fund the Forest, JaDine Habb Fans Club, Kids for Kids / Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Giselle Sy, Hey Namski x FIASFUD, Michael Montesano, Oscar Lopez, Planet CORA, Elmer and Kitkat Mercado, Ruth Cabria, The Learned Tribe, Thirty Five Studio, and WWF-Philippines.

“This is a critical time for Philippine biodiversity,” says UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Enrico Gaveglia. “With Philippine protected areas undermanned because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of plant and animal poaching is at its highest. We need to do our part in ensuring that our conservation frontliners have the means and capacity to continue their mission. After all, if not for the TCP and MIBNP rangers working hand in hand with the Mangyan communities of Mts. Iglit-Baco, the tamaraw might well be extinct.”

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the past few months have been a challenging time for Tamaraw conservation in the country. In September, MIBNP and TCP rangers successfully intercepted and caught three tamaraw poachers drying meat inside the park. The poachers later escaped and are still at large. Kalibasib, the world’s only captive-bred tamaraw, also died last 10 October after 21 years in captivity.

Space Needed for Tamaraw Herds

Today’s tamaraw populations are fragmented, with only four remaining populations spread throughout Mindoro. From an estimated 10,000 heads in 1900, tamaraw numbers plummeted to under 100 heads in 1969. Conservation efforts have paid off tremendously, helping the population recover to over 600. Impressive, but still a far cry from the original population.

"To truly allow the tamaraw population to grow, it is essential to provide more space for the species," says D'ABOVILLE Foundation program manager Emmanuel Schütz, another donor. "This is a landscape approach where local communities must and shall benefit from the environmental enhancement and security that tamaraw conservation induces."

The donation turnover ceremony shall be held at Barangay Poypoy in Mindoro Occidental. The funds shall be used to pay for wages, supplies and equipment.

The DENR-BMB, UNDP-BIOFIN and its allies shall continue fundraising for Mindoro’s tamaraw rangers. Individuals who wish to donate can click bit.ly/TogetherForTamaraws or email biofin.ph@undp.org while those who wish to join the Tamaraw Society can click bit.ly/TamarawSociety.

5 Reasons To Start Your Business In Montreal

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Starting a business is one of the best ways to become more financially independent and even realize your own dreams and needs. But contrary to popular belief, starting your own business is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance.

A Montreal startup, for instance, can be fairly easy to pull off once you know what the city has to offer and what are the steps to start a small business that you should follow closely. Here are the five reasons to start your business in Montreal.

What Are the Main Reasons for Starting A Business?

Before we dive into the benefits of Montreal, it’s important to understand why people decide to start their own business in the first place. Here are some common reasons you might have heard before:

“I want to be financially independent.” – Indeed, this is by far one of the most common reasons for starting a business. Of course, running a business doesn’t automatically mean you’ll become a millionaire, but you won’t have to depend on your boss as much.

“I’ve always dreamed of it.” – Some kids and teens, especially nowadays, are specifically interested in starting their own business, so naturally, when they grow up, that’s what they try to do.

“My father/mother/relative/friend has one, so I wanted one too.” – In other cases, these very children and teenagers have seen other people close to them own a business (and sometimes worked for their parents in their company). Of course, they’ll want to have something similar of their own.

“I wanted to try something new.” – Sometimes the reason for starting a business is way simpler which is especially true for those who are easy-going and don’t take life too seriously. This helps them take risks and experiment from time to time as well as helping them to adapt to new circumstances and easily overcome challenges.

#1 An Existing Strong Business Community

First and foremost, an existing strong business community is probably one of the most important aspects of Montreal. Not every city supports its startups and small businesses, so Montreal stands out and appears in a very favorable light in this sense.

Why is a strong business community important though? Though there will definitely be enough competition in any region, it’s much harder to find partners or even just other business owners who are willing to help you out and collaborate with you. The numerous startup events – both local and international – held in Montreal yearly prove that this city has one of the best business communities you can find.

#2 Affordable Costs on Real Estate and Other Necessities

Another important “environmental” feature for starting a business is the affordability of real estate. If the cost of renting your business office or buying a place for your café is too high, you risk going overboard with expenses and not making enough profit to balance that out. Montreal, however, is not a city that will make you stress about finding the best place for your business that would also be fairly affordable.

As Rick Scott from the writing services reviews site Pick The Writer puts it, “Montreal is great for startups. It has very competitive operating costs and various tax incentives, but the best part is that it has one of the lowest costs of living and doing business among large North American cities.”

#3 Good Startup Support and Bountiful Talent Availability

As mentioned earlier, Montreal’s startup community is very welcoming allowing you to feel like you are wanted. You will be able to find good support and collaborative partners for your business endeavors. On the other hand, Montreal also has bountiful talent available perhaps precisely due to all the previously listed benefits and opportunities that the city has to offer.

For example, let’s say you will need a specialist in the freelance web design field once you launch your business and start looking for employees. You will probably be able to find many experienced and well-educated candidates in Montreal. Moreover, the city is well-known for its creativity and focus on design.

#4 Easy Transportation and International Opportunities

Probably one of the most overlooked aspects of a good startup environment is transportation. When you can’t transport all the goods you need and deliver your products and services, you will find it very difficult to run your business smoothly. At the same time, the international opportunities offered by Montreal can be very beneficial for anyone planning to expand their business and eventually get to foreign markets.

As Kelly Carlson from the custom writing reviews site Writing Judge says, “Expanding your business is a natural stage in the life of your company. Of course, you may want to stay on the local level, but most business owners ultimately decide to grow their business and get on a different level. Of course, to do this, you will need to have a favorable environment where you will be able to meet the right people and make the necessary connections.”

#5 Exceptional Quality of Life and Technological Advancements

Last but not least, Montreal has an exceptional quality of life and is famous for its technological advancements implemented almost in every sphere and industry. The quality of life in Montreal means that you can expect to have clients at any time of the year which will help your business prosper.

Technological advancements, on the other hand, mean that the city isn’t afraid to embrace the latest tech developments and make life easier both for business owners and their customers. You will be able to benefit from a well-developed urban environment while also being able to integrate technological advancements into your own business practices that will set you apart from other small businesses and startups like yours.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, starting your own business is fairly simple, especially if you are doing it in a city like Montreal. You should follow some steps closely and make sure that you are ready for any unexpected challenges – and you’ll be able to start your own business!

If you want to know more about starting a business, you can find relevant information at romanianlawoffice.com.

Jamie Fry - Purposeful and promising author. At this moment he is working in such company, as Writing Judge essay writing service reviews and enhances his blogging skills. Confidently goes to his goal. He has a talent for writing original content. The main conviction in his life: «To be the best in the field in which you are developing». Always in search of fresh ideas.

The Chanel-inspired Fries and Pizza of Heart Evangelista

Wazzup Pilipinas!

On a scale of 1 to Heart Evangelista, how socially tone deaf are you?

I'm actually surprised about the hype over Heart Evangelista? I think these media are giving too much significance on her online presence. She's literally a public official's wife who's unnecessarily flaunting her wealth in the middle of a pandemic and economic recession. So it's like hitting two birds with one stone.

She's flaunting her affluence, but we know it's wrong since she's the wife of Senator Chiz Escudero.

Now I understand why most moms - the kindest, most forgiving persons I know - dislikes her with a passion beyond acceptable comprehension. She makes us feel poor everytime she goes online, but I’d still thank her because I now know who to add to the list of insensitive politicians' wives.

She deserves to be in Crazy Rich Asians 2, and not Kris Aquino who has been lying low with no noise except for her Shopee stint.

When Heart flaunted her "Chanel fries"  and "Chanel pizza" on her social media accounts, we should not be envious but furious of her.

Well, add to the fact that she played with food by probably hiring someone to exclusively make those potatoes and meat look like the Chanel logo, she is also implying that she values the brand rather than the actual fashion.

Logos are not the basis of creativity, quality, comfort and function, but it's only like a shout-out for branding prominence. She's just parading the brand logo like it's all that matters. 

We could have our own homemade clothes but it is appreciated not by its branding but by it's looks, feel and value for money. 

Heart isn’t obsessed with fashion, she’s obsessed with logos and brands — Just facts.

Real fashionista won't even want to show the brand's logo but the design and style instead.

Let's just channel our energies to social issues that ACTUALLY matter. Let's leave her whims to herself.