Wazzup Pilipinas and Puno Sagip Buhay form "Farmacy" partnership with the municipality of Montalban

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Wazzup Pilipinas and Puno Sagip Buhay in Montalban for #LagingHanda #HealthyNation Philippines!!

Forming Montalban Farmacy with Mayor Gen. Ronnie Evangelista 

Mr. Patrick D. Roquel and Dra. Elinor Tee Roquel of  RICHCORP and BinhiBiofarm, together with Ross Flores Del Rosario of Wazzup Pilipinas has formed an alliance with Montalban Mayor General Ronnie Evangelista by way of the Puno Sagip Buhay advocacy.

During the visit, they have also donated several lagundi and citronella-powered products for the benefit of the Montalbenos.

RICHCORP President Mr. Patrick Roquel and his wife, Vice President Dr. Elinor Roquel has partnered with Wazzup Pilipinas founder and Montalban-based influencer Mr. Ross Del Rosario, to discuss with Montalban Mayor Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, the many possibilities of lagundi, as well as other medicinal plants, and how they could help the municipality in exploring medicinal plants as among the crops the municipality could cultivate, process and distribute as among their main products.

Lagundi is the primary source of raw materials for making RICHCORP's products like HappyCha lagundi tea and Immune Advance capsules. These FDA-approved natural, non-synthetic and non-chemical based products does not only help in strengthening our immune system, their formulation were also scientifically proven as an effective defense against viruses like the dreaded Covid or Coronavirus.

Mr. Roquel's ROQS International Consumer Health Corporation or RICHCORP is the maker of HappyCha 100% dried Lagundi Tea Beverage, Immune Advance Lagundi Food supplement capsules, and other products like Citronella Andas spray, lotion, hand sanitizer, and scented candles, among many others. They are the biggest processor and supplier of lagundi and other well studied DOH-listed medicinal plants like Citronella used as raw materials by the many popular herbal brands that we know. Mr. Roquel is also the founder of "Puno Sagip Buhay" and "I plant, I share, I save Communities" that reaches out to communities to encourage communities to cultivate medicinal plants as alternative yet potentially profitable crops. These companies often gives out donations of their products as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, especially during the height of the pandemic, and since the fight against Covid should be continuous, the group have also donated several boxes of their products to the municipality of Montalban so Montalbenos, especially senior citizens and those with comorbidities, will have stronger immune systems against Covid and other illnesses.

The group also plans to donate lagundi seedlings and provide training programs to the people of Montalban so Montalbenos could learn more on how lagundi can help in improving both their health and source of livelihood.

. They have also invited everyone to freely come visit their farms in Tanauan, Batangas and other locations.

" Sa Lagundi, Tiwala Ako"

#WazzupPilipinas #RICHCORP #BinhiBiofarm #PunoSagipBuhay #Lagundi #Citronella #SaLagundiTiwalaAko #LagingHanda #HealthyNationPhilippines

Critically-endangered Irrawaddy dolphin subpopulation exists in San Miguel Bay

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



A joint team of researchers from the UPD-CS IESM and BFAR5 conduct a boat survey of the Bicol River as part of a reconnaissance trip in search of the rare and endangered Irrawaddy dolphin. (Photo credit: IESM/BFAR5)

Scientists from the University of the Philippines - Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) are hot on the trail of a subpopulation of rare and endangered dolphins in the San Miguel Bay area in Bicol. Key Informant Interviews with local fisherfolk indicate that the dolphins may have been thriving there for decades, even while so far eluding capture and official documentation.

Previous sightings of Irrawaddy dolphins

Last August 16, an Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) was found accidentally entangled and drowned in a fisherman’s net in San Miguel Bay off Calabanga, Camarines Sur. This was the first time that this species — considered critically endangered by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) — had been found in the Eastern part (Pacific side) of the country.

Apart from other Irrawaddy dolphin populations scattered in South and Southeast Asia, all previous sightings in the Philippines were exclusively in the Western part of the archipelago: in Malampaya Sound, Palawan, and in the Iloilo-Guimaras-Negros Occidental area.

The new discovery prompted Dr. Lemnuel Aragones, a professor at the UPD-CS Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) and president of the Philippine Marine Mammals Stranding Network (PMMSN), to organize a reconnaissance trip in the hopes of finding more of these dolphins in the area.

Careful interviews reveal telltale clues

From October 21 to 24, a joint team of researchers from the IESM and BFAR Regional Office 5 conducted opportunistic boat surveys and key informant interviews with local fisherfolk in areas surrounding the location of the initial Irrawaddy dolphin sighting and beyond (see map below).

From October 21 to 24, 2022, a joint reconnaissance team from the UPD-CS IESM and BFAR5 traversed the Bicol River from Camaligan to its mouth, which splits into Cabusao and Calabanga. The Tambang River was also surveyed by navigating through San Miguel Bay north of Calabanga, then eastward towards Tinambac, passing through Siruma, Camarines Sur, by boat. The team also made land trips to the areas of Mercedes and Vinzon’s-Talisay in Camarines Norte. (Photo credit: IESM)

The team carefully crafted open-ended questions for the interviewees, allowing the latter to describe the features of the dolphins that they saw, or still see, in their areas. The responses helped the researchers validate the species of the creatures in these sightings. Some of the informants noted telltale features that point to these being Irrawaddy dolphins — such as their small size (2-2.5 meters long); the absence of a beak; and a small rounded dorsal fin. Afterwards, the interviewees were shown pictures of Irrawaddy dolphins so they could confirm the actual appearance of the creatures they had seen. As an added step, the researchers also prudently documented the interviewees’ fishing gounds, gear, and catch.

A thriving subpopulation

Based on some local key informants’ long-term recollections, it seems that a subpopulation of Irrawaddy dolphins may be thriving in San Miguel Bay and seasonally visiting specific areas for several decades now.

“Some preliminary but important information derived from this recon trip includes the possible seasonal movement of the dolphins in response to prey abundance, and some localities have confirmed sighting these animals in their areas,” Aragones said.

“Our key informant interviewees provided preliminary information which showed that these animals may have been in the area since the 1960s, and are usually sighted in small groups of three to seven individuals. There’s even an exceptional sighting in 2021 of a group of over ten dolphins by a key informant from Tinambac, Camarines Sur,” he added.

Also, Aragones said that "the locals just referred to them as dolphins, and this might have been the reason why they all along thought that they were just the usual ordinary ones often sighted offshore.”

Researchers from the UPD-CS IESM and BFAR5 listen to one of their key informant interviewees describe his sighting of what experts believe to be rare and endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. (Photo credit: IESM/BFAR5)

Moreover, careful measurements of the temperature, salinity, and depth of the waters surrounding Tinambac point to an environment that is conducive to attracting Irrawaddy dolphins.

“The combination of the shallow depth of the Bay; nearby islands; isolated embayment; the wide range of available possible prey items such as small fish and crustaceans; and the wide range of salinities in San Miguel Bay, are some of the features that enable the Irrawaddy dolphins to thrive in this area,” Aragones explained.

The reconnaissance trip was part of the IESM’s Assessment and Mobilization of Research Initiatives on Philippine Marine Mammals (PHLMarMams) Project funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).

A full-blown survey to possibly quantify the relative abundance and range of distribution of Irrawaddy dolphins in San Miguel Bay and adjacent areas is scheduled for early 2023.

For interviews and further information, you may contact IESM Professor and PMMSN President Dr. Lemnuel Aragones via mobile no. (0928)5018226 or email laragones@iesm.upd.edu.ph; and BFAR5 Resource Management Section Chief Nonie Enolva at mobile no. (0915)9316884.

PAL set to attain Net Zero Emissions by 2050

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The PH flag carrier taps UN-awarded scientist to help achieve the ambitious goal


Philippine Airlines (PAL) is poised to attain net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in support of international agreements for climate action, including the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact.

The Philippine flag carrier is investing in an all-out carbon reduction program as part of a multi-year commitment to combat the worldwide scourge of climate change. According to United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), GHG emissions from aviation could increase by a factor of two to four times 2015 levels by 2050. Aviation produces around 2% of all global CO2 emissions: 1.3% international and 0.7% domestic.

“Our Net Zero initiative comes at a crucial time for the international aviation industry, which is seeking to further lessen its environmental impact in response to the global scientific community’s clarion call against irreversible climate change,” PAL President & COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng said.

“Being the country’s flag carrier and Asia’s first airline, we recognize that our essential role in bridging our country and the rest of the world goes hand in hand with the need for climate action across international borders,” added Captain Ng.

PAL’s Net Zero goal will be holistic and comprehensive, covering both flight and ground operations. PAL began this process by shifting to renewable energy for the electricity supply of its major offices and working on the potential use of sustainable aviation fuel to power its fleet of high-technology aircraft.

The airline is continually improving its operational efficiency by implementing fuel efficiency initiatives such as Single Engine Taxi In (SETI) and Reduced Acceleration Altitude (RAAL) that help reduce CO2 emissions while adhering to strict safety standards. In the long term, PAL seeks to develop a robust Net Zero Emissions (NZE) strategy and take substantive actions to foster a more earth-friendly aviation environment based on scientific best practices.

To underscore PAL’s commitment to improving its carbon footprint, the country’s premiere airline has tapped the services of U.N.-acclaimed climate scientist and science diplomat Glenn Banaguas to help guide the company’s efforts.

Sci. Dpl. Banaguas is the president and founder of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute (ECCRI). In 2010, he spearheaded the institute's flagship program, Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service, which brings scientific experts and stakeholders together in addressing disasters and preventing losses from climate change and other hazards. For these initiatives, Banaguas received the prestigious global UN Sasakawa Award, the first individual Filipino recipient in the award’s 35-year history. He is the honoree of The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Laureate, which is the Nobel Prize of the Philippines. He is the Chairman of the ASEAN Science Diplomats and the US-ASEAN Fellows for Science and Technology. He is the Climate Diplomat of the EU-Asia Expert Panel for Climate Diplomacy and Environmental Security. He is also the Executive Fellow of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the Lee Kuan Yew Senior Fellow in Public Service.

With Banaguas providing expert guidance, PAL aims to conduct comprehensive assessments of its overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and move towards full decarbonization.

In the long haul, PAL seeks to develop a roadmap for its own Net Zero Emissions (NZE) strategy; develop and integrate emissions scenarios projected until the year 2050 using internationally accepted models and relevant standards, and develop and recommend science- and evidence-based targets as well as gender-based programs for the entire PAL community.

“PAL’s commitment to climate action is a great service to the country and to the world,” Banaguas said. “More than just a rallying call, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility for, and stewardship of, the environment.”



PHOTO CAPTION: PAL President & COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng and UN Sasakawa Laureate Sci. Dpl. Glenn S. Banaguas


PHOTO CREDIT: PAL