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RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION OF PNG’S BIODIVERSITY

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Nestled in the heart of Goroka in Eastern Highlands Province is the Research and Conservation Foundation (RCF). It was established in 1986 first as a facility to manage the Crater Mountain Wildlife area, the second largest conservation area in PNG bordering Eastern Highlands, Chimbu and Gulf provinces. It is second to the Tonda Wildlife Management Area in Western province.

The Crater Wildlife Management Area was created in 1992 and through donor funding, the operations of RCF was moved to Goroka from Port Moresby. Enabling work to progress with locals especially those interested in conservation work.

An RCF officer holding a rare Bird of Paradise Species, one of many found in the Crater Mountains Conservation Area.

For over 20 years the Foundation has been collaborating with educational institutions providing learning and research aimed at protecting unique species such as the Bird of Paradise as well as several species of mammals and birds in the Crater Mountain Wildlife area.

Research and Conservation Foundation currently has two main programs, the National Resources Management Program and the Conservation Education Program. 

RCF’s passionate environment educator is Dr Sangion Tiu.  As a secondary school teacher back in 2000, she joined RCF to help set up the Resource Centre and create educational programs. Dr Tiu is the Director of RCF together with a dedicated team of 20 staff they manage the day-to-day affairs of the organization. As an NGO, Research Conservation Foundation relies on donor funding however it also has a guest house and conference facilities to help sustain its operations.  Local and international scientists as well as tourists are regular visitors where information on PNG’s biodiversity can be sourced.

RCF Director Doctor Sangion Tiu at work in her office.

In partnership with Balob Teachers College, Simbu Teachers College and the University of Goroka, RCF is able to take the message of conservation from the field into the classrooms. This week in Goroka, RCF together with Conservation Forum of PNG and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program hosted SGP grantees from the Highlands region.  The participants received training on management and leadership, project designing, proposal writing and effective communication strategies.

RCF is a current recipient of the Small Grants Program, implementing a project and assessing the effects of climate change on biodiversity in the Crater Mountain Wildlife area.  

Related: https://insidepng.com/transforming-papua-new-guinea-into-a-force-of-nature/

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News

Coca-Cola’s PET beverage bottle collection program launched

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Coca-Cola PNG has rolled out a new program to decrease the amount of plastic waste in and around the environment and encourage the collection and recycling of PET beverage bottles.

The program entails the collection of coke and other soft drink bottles for an incentive.

Tim Solly, the Commercial Director for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PNG said, as a beverage manufacturer, it is their responsibility to have a long-term commitment to sustainability in regards to packaging.

“Packaging waste is undoubtedly a major challenge, and it’s also a solvable one if we take action”.

This collaborative exercise between CCEP PNG, Coca-Cola PNG and Branis Recycling Limited aims to prevent plastic bottle waste from going into landfill, waterways and the environment in general.

Members of the public will be crucial in contributing to the program by collecting PET plastic beverage bottles and taking them to Branis collection centres at Ahuia Street, Gordons; Spondias Street, Hohola; Movivina Street, Gerehu, Stage 6; Gordons Market and Badili, along Hurbert Murray Highway.

There, the bottles will be weighed and the consumer will be paid one kina per kilo depending on the number of plastic bottles brought in.

To help the recycling exercise of plastic bottles, Coca-Cola PNG has purchased two PET shredders to pre-process the PET bottles into flake, which is a more cost-effective material to ship offshore; prior to this, all PET beverage bottles were baled before being shipped offshore.

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Moresby South DDA Supports Policing

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The Moresby South District Development Authority in NCD recently presented Seven (7) vehicles to support policing in the district.

The vehicles were purchased by Moresby South District Development Authority in Partnership with NCDC, and will be distributed to various police posts in Moresby South.

These police vehicles will help improve police presence in crime hotspot areas in the district.

Badili Police Station Commander Obert Jerry said there is a need for more police presence in hotspot areas like 2-mile hill, Koki, Kaugere, and Badili.

“We will place our policemen there permanently so that police presence and visibility must be maintained in Moresby South,” Jerry said.

In a growing city like Port Moresby, policing has always been a challenge.

NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Silva Sika said dealing with crime in NCD is tough and difficult, due to limited resources.

He further acknowledged this support to empower policing, and challenged police personnel to be disciplined and look after these resources.

“These assets come from the public purse. It comes with expectations and conditions from the commissioner, divisional commander and the citizens,” The Metropolitan Superintendent said.

Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko when presenting the keys to the police, highlighted plans to empower policing in the district.

With Koki being one of the hotspots of petty crimes in the city, a police post will be opened in the area, with police personnel to be stationed there.

The Moresby South MP said, plans are underway for a police post to be built in Taurama.

“Everybody has a role to play, most importantly to make sure our city and Moresby South is safe and sound,” Tkatchenko said.

Together with the vehicles, the police officers were also presented with new police uniforms.

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Gerehu Secondary School Alumni partner with School for future projects.

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Gerehu Secondary School in Port Moresby is one of the biggest secondary schools in Papua New Guinea with a population of 2,300 students and 69 teachers.

Current students and Alumni of Gerehu Secondary School on Sunday participated in a clean-a-thon, the group picked up rubbish along the outside of the school area.

The school is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, from a provincial high school to a secondary school. Gerehu secondary school opened its doors in 1983.

President of the Alumni Association Judith Kila says the partnership with the school is to aid the school in achieving some of its target activities for the 40th anniversary and in the long term help the school complete some of their projects.

Like most schools in the country, Gerehu Secondary as a Government school faces overcrowding and shortage of resource material that continues to plague the teachers and students alike.

There are a few projects that lead back to 2008 that have been left abandoned, two six in one classrooms have been abandoned and neglected by the Education Department and its sub contractors, also teachers houses have been left incomplete as well.

Deputy Principal Administration of Gerehu Secondary Paul Lolya says they try to cope with the increase of students with the school taking on grades 7 and 8 as part of the new one six six curriculum, the school has been forced to convert its science labs and practical skills rooms to cater for the increase in student numbers.

The school has only benefited from the tuition fee free education policy by the Government through school stationary, comprising of biros and exercise books, the school has not been allocated any money by the Government for new infrastructure projects.

The only way forward is for Public private partnership and the Alumni is spearheading the move, appealing to former students of Gerehu High School and Secondary school to participate in finding solutions to the schools predicament .

Contact with the Alumni of Gerehu Secondary can be made through their facebook page.

Other Gerehu Stories: https://insidepng.com/fire-destroys-guest-house/

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Arts & Culture

Coca Cola PNG Partners PNGFM to support PNG Music

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Coca Cola PNG and PNGFM has announced the continuation of their partnership, in nurturing local music artists through Coke Studio Music Platform and YumiFM PNG Musik Awards.

Coca Cola PNG Marketing Manager Rachel Nainggaian commented on the renewed partnership saying, prioritizing consumer relevance has always been crucial for Coca Cola PNG, and music is an essential aspect of PNG’s culture.

“Music Possesses a unique power to inspire and unite people, making it resonates with our target audience’s growing engagement in music and digital audio,”  

Coca Cola PNG has been supporting PNG music since 2016, through the Coke Studio Platform.

Coke Studio has served as a signature music platform, providing opportunities for legendary, seasoned, and emerging artists to showcase their distinctive musical style, initially introduced as a TV Music Platform.

Coke Studio expanded in 2018 to include higher production quality and integrated collaboration between TV, Radio and digital media through its first Joint Venture with the YUMI FM Musik Awards.

“Music remains at the heart of Coca Cola’s real magic philosophy, and Coca Cola PNG has a long-standing commitment to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of PNG Artists,” Nainggaian said.

On Saturday, PNGFM successfully hosted the 18th YUMI FM PNG Music Awards, with Coca Cola as the Platinum Sponsor.

The event recognizes and appreciates the efforts of PNG Musicians and Artists, under various categories.

The categories include, Best New Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, International Artist of the Year, Duo / Group of the Year, Producer of the Year, Justin Kili Award, and Listeners Choice of the Year.

PNGFM General Manager Rosemarie ‘Shaz’ Botong was excited about the enhanced partnership with Coca Cola. “With Coca Cola as our official partner, we look forward to providing fans with even better experience, making both Coke Studio and PNG Musik Awards 2023 essential platforms to appreciate local musicians and artists.” Ms Botong said.

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DDA WATCH Website Lures Keen Interest from the Public

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ACTNOW! an advocacy group in Papua New Guinea has recently launched a website called the “DDA Watch”.

The website is designed to be an information hub for district developments in Papua New Guinea, targeting to promote transparency with the use of the District Services Improvement Program funds.

The website has gained massive interest from diplomatic missions, other non-governmental organizations and the general public who are concerned about developments in their districts.

The launch itself saw attendants from the PNG Anti-Corruption Movement for Change, Catholic Professionals, Independent Commission Against Corruption, US Aid, ABC’s Media Development Initiative and the Media Council of Papua New Guinea.

They all shared similar views that such a website is timely as the Government increases DSIP funding from K10 million to K20million per year.

Other supporters sent messages via the DDA website itself seeking to find out more and how they can contribute in supplying information about developments in their respective Districts.

ACTNOW Campaign Manager Eddie Tanago stressed the importance of social auditing by the public as a crucial component of the website.

The DDA watch website has a landing page for each of the 94 District Development Authorities in the country and allows the public to upload pictures of DSIP funded projects in the district as well as comment on whether there is development in their districts or not.

District Development Authorities are encouraged to utilize the website in sharing their 5-year district development plans and other necessary auditing reports so that their people are aware of how the DSIP funds are being spent.

The public can also rank their DDA based on key documents such as the 5 year development plans, annual budgets, acquittal reports, Inspection reports and audit reports.

The website can be reached through www.ddawatch.org

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News

Frustration boils over after hotel turns away ANG passengers

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Passengers of Air Niugini who have been bumped off their flights and provided with hotel accommodations are now facing another challenge; the hotel partnered with the airline, the Crown Hotel has reportedly turned them away due to fully booked rooms.

According to reports, after a flight cancellation, the airline provides hotel accommodations to affected passengers until the next available flight. However, passengers have complained that they have been waiting for up to eight hours at the terminal, only to be turned away by the hotel due to the unavailability of rooms.

Crown Hotel management have confirmed their rooms are fully booked and will not be able to cater for any more.

Passengers have expressed frustration and disappointment at the situation, as they feel that they are being let down by both the airline and the hotel. Some passengers have reportedly been forced to find alternative accommodations on their own, which has caused them additional financial burden. And others are stranded trying to find other means of accommodation.

Air Niugini staff at the customer service have acknowledged the issue and stated that they are working to find a solution to the problem.

Related: https://insidepng.com/continuous-flight-delays-cause-frustration-among-passengers/

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Continuous Flight Delays Cause Frustration among Passengers

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PAPUA New Guinea’s national airline, Air Niugini, has been facing a wave of flight delays and cancellations, causing inconvenience and frustration for passengers.

According to Air Niugini officers at the Jackson’s International airport in the capital city of Port Moresby, the airline has been struggling with technical difficulties, and issues relating to crew members; which have resulted in a high number of cancelled and delayed flights. Passengers have been left stranded at the airport, unable to reach their destinations on time.

The situation has caused widespread frustration among passengers, many of whom have taken to social media to express their displeasure. Some passengers have reported waiting for hours without any updates or information from the airline. Other international passengers transiting through PNG are now faced with an added dilemma as they don’t have PNG visas to stay longer in the country.

With the cancellation of flights, Air Niugini Jacksons’ staff are advising passengers either to rebook for the next available flight or find a place to stay till the next available flight.

Many frustrated passengers both international and domestic travellers are calling for compensation for the inconvenience and financial losses they have incurred as a result of the delays and cancellations.

“The situation is unprofessionally handled because they won’t tell you why the flight is cancelled”, says a frustrated international passenger.

“They’re not very transparent on the cancellations and this causes passengers more money, also some of the Air Niugini officers are rude. This is not my fault that the flight is cancelled. The least they could do is explain to us properly”, another frustrated international passenger shares.

“The lack of communication and continuous flight updates from Air Niugini was a disappointment; half the time we were lost because of no announcements about the delay in timing…” said a third frustrated traveller.

One passenger said; “they should compensate us as, this is inconveniencing us and costing us beyond our budgets”.

The situation has also raised concerns about the overall state of the aviation industry in Papua New Guinea.

Attempts to get ANG’s comments about the issues have been unsuccessful.

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Agriculture

Sapuka Villagers Focus on Rice Farming

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Igu Kisua and OTDF CEO Havini Vira holding Sapuka Rice

The village of Sapuka in the South Fly District of Western Province has embarked on a journey to achieve food security through rice farming in their area.
Last month, the community witnessed the official launch, of a food security program, aimed at empowering the people to cultivate rice and drought tolerant crops at the village level.

This initiative has gained momentum, with more than 100 farmers producing milled rice at the Community Seed Bank Centre (CSBC) since November 2022.
Igu Kisua, a community representative said, the villagers were used to rely on the forest for sustenance, but with the introduction of rice farming in their area, their lives have been transformed.

The locally produced rice has not only met the needs of the village, but it has also contributed to feeding nearby villages along the Fly River.
However, the limited capacity of the milling equipment, resulting in delays have been a challenge for farmers.

The village representative said, there is a need for a larger and more robust milling machine.

He further emphasized that downstream processing plays a pivotal role in motivating farmers.

Fresh Produce Development Agency Executive Manager, John Kewa also expressed his anticipation to support food security through a collaborative partnership with the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).

“We are actively working towards deploying our officers to Sapuka Village this year to provide technical assistance on the ground.” He said.

OTDF Chief Executive Officer Havini Vira acknowledged the community’s efforts in taking ownership of the food security program, which will be rolled out across the province.

He further emphasized the significance of such community-driven initiatives, as a pathway to sustainable community development.

Related: https://insidepng.com/rigo-rice-supports-domestic-rice-demand/

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OTDF Observes World Environment Day

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OTDF Staff

Staff of OK Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) recently observed the World Environment Day, in Kiunga Western Province.
In commemorating this year’s World Environment Day, themed “Beat Plastic Pollution” the staff of Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) cleaned the public road and carpark around the main office area in Kiunga.
As a community development organisation serving the people in Western Province, OTDF values the environment, which is important for the people’s livelihood.

OTDF’s safety coordinator Shane Tarue said observing the day raises awareness on the environment and the effects of human activities on nature and people.
“Many issues relating to climate change and the environment is caused by us so we need to take care of our environment. Air, water and land are essential for human survival.” Tarue said
He said businesses and stakeholders and all citizens should take care of the environment and help reduce plastic pollution in PNG.

Chief Executive Officer Mr. Havini Vira stressed on personal responsibility, where everyone should be cautious of things they do such as throwing out plastic and other rubbish publicly.
He urged families and individuals to continue to play their part in disposing of plastics properly at home and in towns and villages, as it is a way of contributing to saving the environment.
“Safety and environment are OTDF values that underpin our work. We must continue to maintain these standards and eventually influence others to take care of the environment,” He said.
OTDF staff at field bases along the Fly River commemorated the day by planting trees.

OTDF staff planting trees at Nakaku Field Base

To end the day, all employees together with their families participated in collecting rubbish around their residential areas followed by quizzes and activities for the children.

The World Environment Day was observed on Monday, 5th June. World Environment Day (WED) encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the primary United Nations outreach day supporting the environment.

Related: https://insidepng.com/electronic-library-for-chw-school/

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