2nd Annual Evaluation Report of the Mangal Marine Protected Area, October 10, 2019

Two and an half years have past since the start of enforcement of the Mangal Marine Protected Area (MMPA) Ordinance. Once again, it is time to evaluate the performance of the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team, picking-up from where we left-off from the 1st Annual Evaluation Report dated May 10, 2018. It is worth restating that this annual evaluation report is intended to provide concrete, constructive and actionable feedback to the relevant government agencies and officials (in particular, LGU of Mansalay, Barangay Don Pedro and BFAR MIMAROPA) in an effort to continually improve the enforcement at the MMPA and thus ensure its long-term sustainability and success by way of increasing the fish catch of local fisherfolks and restoring an attractive marine environment for tourists.

During the second year of enforcement up to the present, the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team has been led by Reynaldo Ladrera (Overall Head of Marine Protected Area Enforcement in Mansalay, including the MMPA, the Palaypay Marine Sanctuary and the Sta. Brigida Marine Turtle Sanctuary) and Alan Fabila (former Barangay Captain of Barangay Don Pedro and Head of the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team), who report to the Mayor of Mansalay (formerly Joel Maliwanag and currently Ferdinand "Totoy" Maliwanag).

It is fair to state that the enforcement at the MMPA during the past year and a half has been better and more consistent than during the first year of enforcement. This is in large part due to the commitment of the Mayor's office to provide the basic requirements for such enforcement, mainly in terms of human resources. This is no small feat as explained below.

MMPA Planned Bantay Dagat Headcount (6 LGU and 2 Mangal = 8 TOTAL) is now being sustained. After the issuance and review of the first MMPA Management Plan dated September 6, 2015, Major Joel Maliwanag approved a headcount of six (6) Bantay Dagat individuals under the LGU casual payroll and Mangal approved a headcount of two (2) Bantay Dagat individuals at its own expense to supplement the enforcement efforts of the LGU. During the first year of enforcement at the MMPA, it was a challenge to consistently maintain the planned headcount of eight (8) individuals. This was mainly due to the high turnover of LGU Bantay Dagat individuals who were consistently paid late--as late as four (4) months from the time they rendered their service. In addition, the six (6) LGU Bantay Dagat individuals did NOT have an LGU designated and compensated full time supervisor to instill discipline in the ranks, to closely monitor their performance and to attend to their needs (like helping them accomplish their daily accomplishment reports to minimize delays in the payment of their payroll). Mangal also lapsed briefly on its commitment to maintain its two (2) Bantay Dagat individuals as one of them was relieved due an integrity issue and a proper replacement could not immediately be reinstated.

After the Barangay Elections in May 2018, Mayor Joel recruited Alan Fabila (who had just completed the maximum three consecutive terms as Barangay Captain of Barangay Don Pedro) to head and supervise the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team. Under the leadership of Alan Fabila, the LGU Bantay Dagat headcount of 6 individuals has been maintained, no doubt due in large part to his assistance in preparing their daily accomplishment reports that have in turn reduced delays in the payment of their compensation. According to Alan, the delay in the payment of the compensation of LGU Bantay Dagat individuals today is about one (1) month--a substantial improvement to the three (3) to four (4) month delays a year ago. Hence, it is NOT surprising that, according to Alan, he replaced only three (3) individuals for cause (due to performance or other issues) since he headed-up the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team. This does NOT include replacements for individuals who resigned in good-standing and remain eligible to return to the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team.

Going forward, Alan is working towards having the LGU Bantay Dagat individuals compensated at the same time as other LGU casual workers, who, according to Alan, receive their compensation in the middle of the following month (i.e., 1/2 month delay instead of the current 1 month delay). This should close the issue of delayed compensation to LGU Bantay Dagat individuals once and for all and, more importantly, help sustain the morale of the entire MMPA Bantay Dagat Team.

The above eliminates the need for the revolving buffer fund previously offered by Mangal to temporarily advance the compensation of LGU Bantay Dagat individuals until such time they had been paid by the LGU.

Recent Sea Turtle Hatching at Casabangan
Click the above heading to view a brief video of Green Sea Turtle hatchlings (an endangered species) making their way to the sea (Casabangan Bay). Kudos to Pastor Ladrera, who personally and carefully transferred 113 eggs (making sure the orientation of each egg was NOT altered from its original position) from the original nest (which was too close to the shoreline and would have resulted in the rotting of the eggs due to the seepage of sea water) to higher ground, thereby increasing their chances of hatching.

We know this for a fact because, in September 2017 (two years ago), we found and secured a similar nest in Casabangan but did NOT know then that we had to move it to higher ground. It was only after over 60 days had passed (and there were no hatchlings) when we discovered that all the eggs had rotted due to the seepage of sea water. Hopefully, we have learned a valuable lesson in this tragic incident.

Pastor Ladrera explained that he even takes as much of the sand with the secretions of the mother to ensure the eggs feel right at home in their safer nest on higher ground. Thereafter, the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team secured the new nest with a fence and guarded the same over the next 60 days. It seems that all the tender loving care paid off because more than 100 hatchlings (out of the 113 eggs) made it to the sea, which is an incredible survival rate from eggs to hatchlings. We can only hope that most of these baby sea turtles make it to maturity and return to Casabangan to make more sea turtles. 

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first recorded/verified successful sea turtle hatching in Casabangan in over 30 years. This is a BIG DEAL! Congratulations to the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team!

UP Marine Science Institute Survey of MMPA and Palaypay
On October 9 and 10, 2019, a team of four (4) divers from the UP Marine Science Institute and the Department of Computer Science conducted a marine survey of the MMPA and the Palaypay Marine Sanctuary, respectively. The survey at the MMPA consisted of two (2) fifty (50) meter transects within the MMPA and one (1) (50) meter transect outside the MMPA. The survey at Palaypay consisted of one (1) one hundred (100) meter transect within Palaypay. Due to the strong currents in Palaypay, the team could not proceed with a transect outside the boundaries of the Palaypay Marine Sanctuary.

The goal is to establish a new and more meaningful (i.e., fuller picture) baseline of the marine biomass/diversity at the MMPA and Palaypay at a relatively early stage of "no take zone" enforcement, combining modern scientific/visual methods and artificial intelligence software jointly developed by the UP Marine Science Institute and the Department of Computer Science.

The results of this latest marine surveys may also be compared to a previous (albeit cursory) marine survey of the MMPA (before it was a marine protected area) and Palaypay (already a marine sanctuary but not strictly enforced) over five (5) years ago (February 2014) commissioned by the Fishery and Coastal Resource Management Division of the Provincial Agriculture Agriculture Office (PAGO) of Oriental Mindoro and prepared by Melchor Deocadez and Eznairah-Jeung G. Narida of the UP Marine Science Institute.

In due course, we hope to learn whether or not the conditions at the MMPA and Palaypay have improved since 2014 and, at the very least, have a meaningful benchmark starting October 2019 upon which to compare similar future marine surveys of the MMPA and Palaypay on an "apples to apples" basis.

This important scientific initiative, which was accomplished by the UP team free of charge, was made possible by the efforts of Alain Maulion. In the absence of a scuba diving shop in the vicinity, Mangal provided the scuba tanks free of charge to enable the divers to conduct their surveys.

Mangal application for US Federal Funding for Marine Turtle Conservation and Biorock Installation Capacity Building denied
The funding opportunity was identified by Alain Maulion and Mangal (with the endorsement of Mayor Joel Maliwanag) proceeded to attempt to secure funding from the US Federal Government (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of International Conservation) for capacity building of the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team with respect to Marine Turtle Conservation and Biorock Installation (accelerated coral reef restoration).

Under Project Description of the Application:
The Project involves supplementing and improving the management, operations and enforcement at the Mangal Marine Protected Area (MMPA) in the Municipal Waters of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro--a known marine turtle hatching area and habitat. The requested federal grant of $22,800 will be used for (a) the daily stipend of four (4) additional MMPA enforcers (known as Bantay Dagat or Sea Guardian) for a period of one (1) year ($6,000), (b) a training course on marine turtle conservation conducted by Pawikan Conservation Center of Bataan for all twelve (12) Bantay Dagat of the MMPA ($3,500) and (c) the cost (travel expenses and a nominal charge for time and expertise) of three (3) trainers (including Thomas J. Goreau and two of his associates) on the Biorock process of coral reef restoration ($13,300). The Biorock training course will be conducted at the MMPA over a two-week period for the benefit of forty (40) participants from various coastal communities in the Philippines.

Much effort was required to prepare the application for the federal grant. It was submitted on November 25, 2018 but was denied on March 13, 2019.

Going forward, Mangal is exploring the possibility of training in Indonesia on the Biorock process of coral reef restoration with the goal of installing, maintaining and continually expanding a Biorock installation at the MMPA and making the same the Biorock training center of the Philippines from which other coastal communities can learn to fast-track the restoration of their local coral reefs.

Installation of marker buoys remains a challenge.
At the outset of Alan Fabila's term, the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team implemented one of the recommendations in the 1st Annual Evaluation Report, which was to use less expensive buoys (e.g., small bamboo raft with flag and large stones tied with nylon rope as weights) that can be replaced inexpensively on a regular basis (say once a year AFTER the typhoon season) using smaller diameter (less expensive) nylon ropes. However, these only lasted for several months and were eventually overcome by the elements.

Going forward, in the absence of a more cost-effective alternative, this relatively inexpensive method of deploying marker buoys appears to be the way to go, subject to the availability of LGU funds (primarily to purchase nylon ropes). Ideally, such deployment of marker buoys should be undertaken by the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team NO MORE than once a year AFTER the typhoon season--say October or November of each year.

Guard post at Lalawigan is NOT yet installed.
This is one of the critical elements of the first MMPA Management Plan dated September 6, 2015 approved by Mayor Joel, which has NOT yet been implemented. It was also highlighted in the 1st Annual Evaluation Report dated May 15, 2018. In the absence of a guard post in Lalawigan, there remains a "blind spot" at the MMPA, particularly when conditions for spear fishing are ideal (i.e., Lalawigan is a favorite spot of spear fishermen).

Lalawigan is also the best vantage point to identify motorized bangkas travelling within the MMPA (which is not permitted) from Casabangan/Lalawigan to Sukbong Kugon, which gives enough time for the Bantay Dagat at the Sukbong Kugon post to aprehend a violating bangka after a radio call from the Bantay Dagat at the Lalawigan post and vice versa.

As in the past, Mangal willingly provides the bamboo for the construction of guard posts and marker buoys at the MMPA and other marine sanctuaries in Mansalay free of charge (a carrot, if you will), which has been suspended for the time being with respect to other marine sanctuaries in Mansalay until such time the guard post in Lalawigan is completed (a stick, if you will).

Pending commitments of LGU have been met . . . mostly.
In August 2017, Pastor Jemale Fajutnao committed to providing certain essential support/tools for the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team under the auspices of the Municipal Agrarian Office, including:

(a) a monthly allowance for fuel for the MMPA Bantay Dagat bangka of the LGU (Mangal provides fuel for its Bantay Dagat bangka),

According to Alan Fabila, he is now able to secure from the Mayor's office a monthly allowance of P1,000 for fuel for the MMPA Bantay Dagat bangka of the LGU. Much appreciated!

(b) rechargeable flashlights for the LGU Bantay Dagat individuals on the night shift (Mangal provides a rechargeable flashlight for its Bantay Dagat individual on the night shift) and

Still awaiting for these rechargeable flashlights for the four (4) LGU Bantay Dagat individuals on the night shift. We would also be grateful if the LGU could spare six (6) pairs of boots and six (6) raincoats for the LGU Bantay Dagat individuals.

(c) an MMPA Bantay Dagat bangka of the LGU.

After waiting for over a year, we are grateful that Pastor Fajutnao eventually delivered to the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team a brand new fiberglass bangka with a diesel engine. Unfortunately, the diesel engine was defective as it would run on reverse when it was started hot. In addition, the fiberglass bangka eventually cracked (and is currently unusable) because, according to Alan Fabila, this particular fiberglass bangka does not appear to be compatible with the size/weight and operating characteristics (in particular, excessive vibration) of the accompanying diesel engine. In short, the fiberglass bangka needs to be repaired and it also needs a gasoline engine. 

Close Season enforcement appears to be gaining momentum

According to Alan Fabila, the enforcement of the "close season" provision in the Fisheries Code, which was presumably determined by the BFAR/PAGO to be between November 15 to February 15 of every year, was initiated in 2017.

For ease of enforcement of the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team, let's focus on close season as it applies to commercial fishing vessels (defined as over 3.1 gross tons), which are NOT permitted to fish between the 10.1 to 15 km zone of Municipal Waters between November 15 to February 15. In other words, if there are commercial fishing vessels fishing between November 15 to February 15, they should at least be located past the 15 km mark of Municipal Waters. At the 15 km mark, the super lights of commercial fishing vessels should NOT be visible to the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team. Kung may makitang super lights yung Bantay Dagat during the close season, chances are the commercial fishing vessel is fishing within Municipal Waters and should be reported.

To date, the Team still needs to establish an efficient/seamless reporting protocol with the proper authorities with respect to commercial fishing vessels in clear violation of the Fisheries Code.

Superlights on bangkas below 3.1 gross tons
"Singgapong" is the local term for a bangka below 3.1 gross tons; therefore, it is, by definition, NOT a commercial fishing vessel and permitted to fish within Municipal Waters. The problem is, these singgapong also have superlights, which are NOT permitted within Municipal Waters.

According to Alan Fabila, there have been at least two (2) instances that a singgapong with superlights was sighted fishing near the boundary of the MMPA, which is a clear violation of the Fisheries Code. Section 93, Illegal Use of Superlights, clearly states:

"It shall be unlawful to engage in fishing with the use of superlights in municipal waters or in violation of the rules and regulations which may be promulgated by the Department on the use of superlights outside municipal waters.

Violations of this provision shall be punished by imprisonment from six (6) months to two (2) years or a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) per superlight, or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the courts. The superlight, fishing gears and vessel shall be confiscated."

According to Alan, the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team was able to speak with the operator of the singgapong after both sightings and requested the same to refrain from fishing with superlights near the boundaries of the MMPA and other marine sanctuaries of Mansalay. To date, the said singgapong operators appear to be heeding our request but it should be noted that they are still in clear violation of the Fisheries Code for as long as they are using superlights within Municipal Waters. In short, they should still be reported to higher authorities.

Outstanding LGU debt to Porek Tolentino
Towards the end of 2018, at the request of Pastor Ladrera, Porek Tolentino advanced P2,000 of his personal funds for the cost of some materials (nylon string) and labor (mostly labor as bamboo was provided my Mangal free of charge) to construct a bamboo raft for the deployment of jack stones and marker buoys at the MMPA. Pastor Ladrera assured Porek that his (Porek) advance would be reimbursed upon the return of Pastor Fajutnao, who was out of town when Pastor Ladrera initiated the request.

To date, Porek has NOT been reimbursed by the LGU for the P2,000 he advanced for the construction of the bamboo raft. 

The fact that the bamboo raft may not have even been used for its intended purpose until such time that it had deteriorated beyond use is another matter altogether--a total waste of resources that should NOT occur in the future.

This is basic accountability--a debt that should be paid and a scarce resource that was needlessly squandered. The "carrot and stick" discussed in the context of the installation of the Lalawigan guard post would apply until Porek is reimbursed.

Biometric Attendance Unit and Radio Repeater Installed
At its own expense, Mangal has provided a biometric attendance unit (a basic version of the biometric attendance unit at the Municipal Hall) at the house of Freddie Adan and a radio repeater at the Mangal residence (which is at a high elevation) between Alupiran and Casabangan. The radio repeater enables radio communications at any location within and around the MMPA, which was previously NOT possible. Both the biometric attendance unit and the radio repeater have been tested over a period of several months by Mangal personnel and may now be used by the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team for the purpose of monitoring attendance more precisely and improving communications/coordination among Bantay Dagat individuals on duty. Although modest additions to the "infrastructure" of the MMPA, these resources should be fully utilized by the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team to level-up its enforcement capacity in accordance with best practices.

To take advantage of the communication range of the radio repeater, MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel on duty need to set their individual radios as follows: receiving frequency of 430.050 and transmitting frequency of 462.700.

If the LGU needs to set-up a similar radio repeater elsewhere, it can be done cost effectively by the set-up explained in detail on the following video: Set up a Baofeng UV-5R Repeater System

Good Housekeeping and Other Important Reminders
The following pictures were taken on October 9, 2019 in the immediate vicinity of the MMPA Bantay Dagat guard post in Casabangan:

The MMPA Bantay Dagat Team is now well into its third year of enforcement and is nearing a "steady state" of operations. Before we get accustomed to bad habits, let's review some of the most basic requirements or expectations (and some new ones) of an MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel, which should be held to a higher standard as an enforcer of the MMPA Ordinance:

1. No littering. Whatever you bring inside the MMPA, you take back with you when you leave the MMPA. This includes any and all kinds of trash (plastic, styrofoam, carton, paper, etc.) like bottles, containers, bags, cigarette butts, etc.
2. No drinking of alcohol while on-duty. A Bantay Dagat should NOT bring any alcoholic beverage to the MMPA when reporting for duty. 
3. No barkada other than another Bantay Dagat allowed at the MMPA when Bantay Dagat is reporting for duty. Trabaho ito, hindi tambayan.
4. "No take zone" means no taking of any marine resource from the MMPA, including pang-ulam.
5. When reporting for duty, Bantay Dagat personnel should NOT bring any implements that may be used for fishing/collecting sihi (e.g., lambat, snorkeling gear, mask, goggles, fins, spear gun, water-proofed flashlight, fishing line, hooks and the like) and/or for cooking (e.g., grill, kawali, kaldero and the like).*
6. No more cooking allowed at the MMPA when reporting for duty. Bring your own baon of cooked food.*

*These are predicated on past sightings of violations at the MMPA, including a kawali filled with uncooked sihi (which is easy pickings at the MMPA), an individual with a flashlight underwater during the night shift (presumably spear fishing) and, just recently (hours before the release of sea turtle hatchlings at Casabangan), the discovery of a concealed spear gun. These were sightings by NON-BANTAY DAGAT individuals. As Cocoy Generoso aptly stated, "If you take away the knife of the hold-upper, he can't hold-up people anymore."

In short, everyone at the MMPA, especially Bantay Dagat individuals, should all adhere to the saying, "Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints."

For educational and awareness purposes, every MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel should be required to watch the award-winning documentary entitled, "A Plastic Ocean". Mangal shall provide a copy of the documentary film to Alan Fabila for viewing at the convenience of MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel. After viewing the documentary, each MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel should write down their thoughts on how they can contribute to eliminating plastic pollution in our oceans personally and in their capacity as a Bantay Dagat personnel.

Taklobo in Maasin, Bulalacao???
Although subject to verification, Mangal has been informed that there may be an abundance of giant clams (Tridacna gigas, the world's largest bivalve mollusk) growing in the waters of Maasin, Bulalacao. If so, Mangal, at its own expense, will purchase and transfer (initially) 100 juvenile giant clams from Maasin to Casabangan, which the LGU can utilize  to launch its own "Adopt-A-Clam" Program (similar to the one of UP-MSI in Bolinao, Pangasinan) to purchase and transfer more juvenile giant clams from Maasin to Casabangan.

Proposed Pawikan Conservation Center of Mansalay
Mangal reiterates the standing offer of Betta Gallego to provide US$10,000 of her personal funds to construct  the Pawikan Conversation Center of Mansalay at the designated Fisherfolks Parking Lot adjacent to the resort of James and Flor Keh within Mangal Estate, subject to a nominal extension of the MMPA to cover additional beachfront in Alupiran, which is a known and historical nesting area of sea turtles.

The Pawikan Conservation Center of Mansalay (the "Center") will serve as the "headquarters" of the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team, an information and educational center for the pawikan conservation efforts at the MMPA (among other marine sanctuaries in Mansalay) and a potential recovery facility for distressed pawikans that are inadvertently or accidentally trapped and/or injured in the area.

Upon seeking the endorsement of Barangay Don Pedro for the said nominal extension of the MMPA (to be conveyed to the Sangguniang Bayan of Mansalay for the appropriate SB resolution), Mangal was informed by Kapitan Madural that there have been several accidental trappings of sea turtles in the fish trap or baklad fronting Alupiran (outside the MMPA). According to Kapitan Madural, some of these entrapped sea turtles have been released (shaken but unharmed) while others that were not released in time had drowned and perished. On this basis, Kapitan Madural does NOT appear inclined to endorse the said nominal extension of the MMPA and is thus holding-up the Center, which is a valuable addition to the conservation efforts at the MMPA and Mansalay in general. The matter remains pending to this day.

Mangal respectfully explained to Kapitan Madural that the accidental deaths of sea turtles at the fish trap fronting Alupiran, while unfortunate, is a distinct and separate issue that should be addressed by the barangay and LGU officials and should NOT muddle or hold-hostage another distinct and separate matter like the said nominal extension of the MMPA and the corresponding establishment of the Center. On matters of governance and legislation, former President of the United States, Barack Obama, often stated, "Better is OK . . . it doesn't have to be perfect."

So, while the fish trap in front of Alupiran which accidentally traps sea turtles is far from a perfect scenario, it should NOT prevent another distinct and separate initiative (in this case, the nominal extension of the MMPA and the corresponding establishment of the Center) that would improve our conservation efforts at the MMPA. It's NOT perfect but it's still BETTER!

Summary of Actions Items Going Forward

1. Alan Fabila to continue to assist MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel with their Daily Accomplishment Reports to minimize delay in LGU payment of compensation, which is currently delayed about 1 month. Target is to reduce to no more than 1/2 month delay.
2. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to move sea turtle nests to higher ground to increase chances of survival.
3. Secure results/final report of UP MSI/Dept. of Computer Science on marine surveys of MMPA and Palaypay (October 2019), and compare to results with UP MSI survey in February 2014.
4. Mangal to seek permission from Thomas Goreau and his associates in Indonesia to train on Biorock Installation in Indonesia (i.e., accelerated restoration of coral reef) and apply in MMPA.
5. SOP to install low-cost marker buoys at the MMPA no more than once a year after the typhoon season, say between October and November every year. Need to secure nylon ropes from LGU.
6. Install Lalawigan guard post.
7. Secure from LGU: (a) four (4) rechargeable flashlights for LGU Bantay Dagat personnel for use on night shifts, (b) repair of LGU fiberglass bangka and gasoline engine replacement, (c) six (6) pairs of boots and six (6) raincoats (kapote) for LGU Bantay Dagat personnel.
8. Establish an efficient/seamless reporting protocol with the proper authorities (e.g., PNP, BFAR, among others) with respect to commercial fishing vessels (3.1 gross tons and above fishing within 10.1 kilometers) and singgapong (below 3.1 gross tons with superlights fishing in Municipal Waters) in clear violation of the Fisheries Code.
9. LGU reimbursement of P2,000 advance of Porek Tolentino for construction of bamboo raft requested by LGU MAO.
10. Utilize biometric attendance unit and radio repeater to level-up MMPA enforcement capacity in accordance with best practices.
11. Strictly adhere to above Good Housekeeping and other rules to reduce/eliminate violations of MMPA Ordinance by MMPA Bantay Dagat personnel.
12. Mangal to initiate transfer of juvenile giant clams from Maasin, Bulalacao to Casabangan, Mansalay and LGU to follow-thru with its own "Adopt-A-Clam" program to sustain funding for additional transfers of juvenile giant clams to Casabangan.
13. Revist the proposed Pawikan Conservation Center of Mansalay; in particular, the necessary endorsement of Barangay Don Pedro and the corresponding SB Resolution prior to the release of private funding for the Center.

Parrot Bebop 2 Flight Plan Demo

I have finally tested the Flight Plan feature of the Parrot Bebop 2 and it works quite nicely. I did have to purchase (one time only) the Flight Plan App for P999.00 but it was hassle-free and definitely worth it. After watching a brief tutorial in YouTube, I inputted a couple of flight plans into memory and opened it when my drone was ready to fly. Below are links to the two demo flights:

Around Two Hectares
New Napier Plot (formerly the airstrip at the ranch)

From the time I pressed the "play" button, the drone executed the flight autonomously until it returned and hovered at its final designated spot in the flight plan. For the purpose of an aerial survey, this Flight Plan feature may actually be better than manually piloting the drone. It's precise and economical. No detours or distractions, which normally occur with manual piloting. This is a very useful feature I will be using more often in future aerial surveys.

Parrot Bebop 2 Auto Follow Demo

As I have been banned by Selina from flying an aircraft, I have had to settle for flying a drone. After evaluating the multitude of recreational drones in the market, I opted to purchase the Parrot Bebop 2, which has an FPV or First Person View feature. It basically puts the pilot at the "cockpit" of the drone, so it feels like you are flying a helicopter without the risk of crashing yourself. I should point out that the real time resolution of the pilot's view (FPV while flying the drone) is NOT great--no where near the resolution of the actual video recorded and played back after the flight. And just to be clear, the drone will crash if you are not careful. The pilot, who is really a virtual pilot (because he or she is NOT actually inside the drone), just doesn't crash with the drone! You'll just have to spend on replacement propellers (which is more than I care to count when you are still learning to fly the drone properly), among other spare parts, due to the many crashes you will most certainly experience over the course of flying your drone.

The Parrot Bebop 2 has a maximum range of two (2) kilometers with direct line of sight. I have actually flown the drone as far as 2.4 kilometers out to the sea and back with direct line of sight--almost lost it too! However, this maximum range is substantially curtailed by any kind of physical obstruction or electro-magnetic interference (usually in urban areas).



Recently, I decided to check-out the "auto-follow" or "follow-me" feature of the Parrot Bebop 2. It's a decent image recognition feature that enables the drone to track and follow a moving subject--in this case, me. Enjoy my demo video by clicking the following link: Parrot Bebop 2 Auto Follow Demo. It also happens to contain the last images of the airstrip I carved out of the ranch over a decade ago for recreational flights. Oh well . . .

On my next drone flight, I will check out the "Flight Plan" feature of the Parrot Bebop 2, which allows you to pre-program the flight path and the camera orientation of the drone from take-off to the point before landing without any intervention from the pilot. In this case, it functions like an unmanned aerial drone. Watch out for this next demo soon!

Visiting Hung and Marianne in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

It's been nearly a decade since I last visited Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam, which was work related. This visit (between March 15 and March 22) is purely for fun while bonding with friends, Hung Bui Quang and Marianne Pham.

[An important note on Cebu Pacific. In spite of my reservations to patronize Cebu Pacific (no doubt due to some negative experience I had when I previously used Cebu Pacific many years ago but just can't remember what went wrong at that time), my frugal nature got the best of me. I booked online at a substantial discount relative to a comparable round trip flight with PAL and I was particularly careful to add check-in baggage for Selina and myself (which was NOT included in the basic charge) as well as seat selections for both flights (going to Ho Chi Minh and returning to Manila). To my disgust, I was informed by the attendant at the Cebu Pacific check-in counter that my booking only had my seat selections for the flight going to Ho Chi Minh but had no record whatsoever of my seat selections returning to Manila and no provision whatsoever for any check-in baggage in either flights. Even though I distinctly remember the price build-up from the basic charge to the price I paid online that included check-in baggage and seat selections for both flights, I was unceremoniously informed that I had to pay AGAIN for check-in baggage for both flights and my seat selections for our return flight to Manila. A clear case of double-charging. Cebu Pacific duped me again!

As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me! Hence, this is the last time I am going to be fooled by Gokongwei. I will never patronize Cebu Pacific ever again and I would recommend the same course of action (i.e., never patronize Cebu Pacific ever) to any traveler.]

At a glance, Ho Chi Minh City has boomed compared to a decade ago yet it is still affordable. Thanks to Marianne, who booked us at the SILA URBAN LIVING HOTEL at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, we were given a substantial discount and an upgrade on our room (US$62 per night, which is a great deal for the quality of the hotel). It's new, well-maintained and has a professional staff. SILA has a decent gym, lap-pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, free machine laundry at the basement (you need to buy detergent) and a kitchenette in the room. SILA is walking distance from the grocery (they call it the coop over here), a brief taxi ride away from the Ben Thanh Market and the Takashimaya Mall. What else could you ask for?






Of course, we purchased Vietnamese coffee and condensed milk so we had brewed Vietnamese coffee in the comfort of our hotel room every morning. We also purchased baguette and croissant from an authentic French boulangerie (owned by a relative of Marianne) at the basement of Takashimaya (beside the Baskin Robbins ice cream shop), which was a perfect match to the proscuitto, liver pate and Brie we got at the Annam Gourmet store (also at the basement of Takashimaya) and the mushroom omelette and bacon (ingredients purchased at the grocery) we prepared for breakfast.

We had Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), among other authentic Vietnamese dishes everyday. We sampled the avocado, atis, durian, mango and mangosteen in Vietnam. I thought the atis and avocado were better than the ones I would normally get in the Philippines. Durian was good (quite expensive though) but I have tasted better in Davao. The size of mangoes here are impressive but I think Philippine mangoes taste better.

The best value roasted duck in the world is probably in Vietnam, where we purchased half a roasted duck for about US$6.50. That would translate to US$13 for a whole roasted duck. A whole roasted duck in Manila (better quality, in my opinion, than the one I bought here in Ho Chi Minh City) would be about US$23 (and that's a promotional price); whereas, a whole roasted duck in Montreal (the very best in the world according to Hung and Marianne) would be about US$21.

Marianne was a great tour guide (Ben Thanh Market, Takashimaya Mall, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Post Office, the Opera House, among other landmarks in the City). She also brought us to the neighboring cities of Vung Tao and My Tho, where we visited churches, pagodas and, in the case of Vung Tao, the villa of the French Governor General (also served as a rest house for the last King of Vietnam, Bao Dai).

What struck me with Vung Tao and My Tho is that, while these cities are NOT Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, they appear to be quite prosperous. Economic inclusivity to the common folks of Vietnam seems to be happening; that is, in spite of the usual third-world corruption in government that remains palpable from the standpoint of our taxi driver. Indeed, it was a bit surprising that a Vietnamese taxi driver would even have the guts to discuss the topic of government corruption lest he be shot by the Vietnamese government. Some progress on the political front I suppose.

Selina and I had a fun-filled time in Vietnam, which was made possible with the company and hospitality of Hung and Marianne. We are even discussing the possibility of visiting them in Montreal next year--towards the end of May . . . lobster season!