Kristina and Mary Jane

Quiet and shy Kristina

This is Kristina, Crysle's 17 year old single mom sister. She has a daughter, Mary Jane who is almost a year old. My next focus will be to get some kind of job training for Kristina so she can support and send her daughter to school in the future.

Boys gather rattan from the jungle for the baskets.

New Family Business

This has indeed been a good year so far for Crysle and her family. A new nipa hut home, children going to school and a rattan basket weaving business that all family members contribute to.

The Man!

Edward Solon Hagedorn was elected Mayor of Puerto Princesa, one of the Philippines' largest cities, in 1992. Immediately upon taking office, he showed that he was a different breed of politician. Through his Princesa Watch Program, he stopped the destruction of the City's terrestrial and marine resources from logging, slash-and-burn farming, blast, trawl and cyanide fishing. As a result, these resources have been restored. His Operation Plan Cleanliness Programme has earned Puerto Princesa the distinction of being the country's cleanest and greenest city, and today it is considered a model city and the country's tourism capital.

El Nido

Relocating to El Nido

Having spent most of this year ( while in Palawan ) working in and around Puerto Princesa, I've recently decided to relocate up to the northern part of the island to El Nido. Hopefully we will have the kids centre up and running in 2008.