MANILA – National Geographic is set to arrive in the country before the end of this year to conduct a "deep sea research" in the Philippines to discover marine species that they believe can only be found here, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney revealed over the weekend.
Kenney said plans for the visit of National Geographic to the country are almost settled and they are only finalizing the exact date for the arrival of one of the world’s largest non-profit educational and scientific organizations.
Kenney said National Geographic may
arrive “sometime in September or October" for the research project in
partnership with the US and Philippine governments.
“They’re going to be doing deep sea
research on the sea species that they believe (could) be found only here in the
Philippines and nowhere else in the world," Kenney told reporters on the
sidelines of the Earth Day celebrations at Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon
City the other day.
“They’re going to do a special feature in
their magazines and it’s a great way of calling attention to the extraordinary
diversity in the Philippines and of course allowing us to think about how to
continue to protect that," she also said.
National Geographic’s conduct of a “deep
sea research” is among several initiatives that the US government is doing in
the Philippines, as it recognizes the need to preserve the environment of the
country, regarded as one of two countries in the world that is mega diverse yet
a biodiversity hotspot.
The US government is among the largest
foreign-grant donors for the environment in the Philippines. It has provided
nearly $10 million in grant-funding each year to support initiatives for
environment protection in the country.
The US government’s environmental
programs in the Philippines that are being carried out in partnership with
private companies include coral reef protection, preservation of whale sharks,
anti-illegal fishing campaign, wastewater treatment, promotion of renewable
energy such as solar power, and opportunities for eco-tourism jobs.
Aside from environment projects, the US
government also brings into the country volunteers for environment work.
