PALAWAN -- Have you ever asked what is your carbon footprint? Dumarenos will take big steps in knowing how they can help avert the adverse effects of the global climate change. This year’s Kalabukay Festival in Dumaran, Palawan will cater young Dumarenos to gear up with awareness and knowledge about the alarming issues concerning climate change. The Festival’s theme, “Knowing your carbon footprints!” will hopefully open the minds of local partners to seriously consider actions towards a carbon reduced if not carbon-free practices and activities.

The 6th Kalabukay Festival will feature youth and adults alike from Dumaran engaging in a day affair with nature. This kicks off with a Tree Planting activity at the buffer of the Philippine cockatoo reserve in Omoi, Sto. Tomas. The Kalabukay Fun Day will be an entertainment galore of interactive lectures, puppet show, mascot appearances, face painting, coloring activities and more. All of which shall feature simple steps in reducing our carbon footprints. On the night of June 16, young Dumarenos along with wildlife wardens will showcase a night of environmental role plays and music. A night to remember certainly!

The festival is a joint effort of the Katala Foundation and the local government of Dumaran and jointly celebrated along with their 47th Founding Anniversary. Indeed, with the great environmental challenges before us, there is no theme more apt than “Porsiguer abante Dumaran!” (Keep on, go forward, Dumaran!) The joint festivities will be celebrated on 15 to 18 June 2009 in Dumaran Island, Northern Palawan, Philippines.

Kalabukay festival is named after the local term of the Philippine cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia. This festival is an annual event initiated by the Katala Foundation, Inc. to promote learning about environmental conservation with fun. Every year, local partners and communities look forward to celebrating the said festival with much excitement and preparations. With understanding, follows pride and a willing heart to take on the shared responsibility to protect and conserve nature!

Dumaran Island is a priority conservation site within the Palawan Corridor in the Philippines’ Hotspot. Viable population of the critically endangered Philippine cockatoo, KFI’s flagship species, is found in its mangroves and remaining forest patches. Other globally threatened species such as Philippine forest turtle Siebenrockiella leytensis, Palawan hornbill Anthracoceros marchei, Blue-headed racquet-tail Prioniturus platenae, are also on the island.

Aside from Kalabukay Festival, KFI also annually initiates the Katala and Kalikasan (Nature) Festivals in the Municipalities of Narra and Rizal, respectively. For several years of conducting these festivals, the level of awareness amongst the local communities on biodiversity conservation is remarkably increasing.

For more information about the PCCP, please contact Indira Widmann, Katala Foundation, P.O. Box 390, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan or at idlacerna@yahoo.com or www.philippinecockatoo.org.(PR)