Futuristic ranger station to rise in Tubbataha

The Martians have not landed in Tubbataha. The space-ship-like structure appearing to hover above the sea is part of the proposed design for a modern ranger station that can better monitor other unexpected visitors like US warships and Chinese fishing vessels. The station is planned for the 97,030-hectare Tubbataha Reef National Park, so large that big ships pass through without being noticed unless they get stuck on the reef, like what happened to the USS Guardian and a Chinese fishing boat this year.

 

Located at the southernmost tip of Tubbataha’s North Atoll, the current ranger station is a rickety structure that is literally falling apart. From there, a team of park rangers do their best to protect the park from illegal activities, including the collection of marine life. Previous ranger stations were blown down by strong winds. The new futuristic one being planned is not only expected to remain standing during typhoons, but will have a helipad to assure rangers of a quick evacuation in case of an emergency.

 

"The plan for a new ranger station was initiated to provide the team of seven rangers – who live isolated in Tubbataha for two months at a time, on the frontline of marine conservation – with a more modern living space and up-to-date facilities," the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) said on its blog.

 

The current ranger station is unable to support the park rangers' operations, architect Dylan Melgazo noted. "Tulad nga ng nasabi natin, maraming insidenteng nangyayari ngayon sa Tubbataha ngayon. Kulang ang capability nila to respond at kailangan natin magtayo ng bagong station," he said on News to Go on April 23.

 

Station history, 1995 to present

 

The Park's first ranger station in 1995 was a makeshift base station, followed by a triangular-shaped station built in 1997. 

 

The current ranger station is already the Park's third, but has been battered by more than a decade of storms. "Over the years, the Styrofoam-reinforced structure has undergone a litany of repairs to prevent seawater and rain from entering and has also needed additional facilities built, such as a water cistern and septic tank," TMO shared on its blog. 

 

The current 80-square meter ranger station, built in 2002 and which Melgazo said is about the size of two condominium units, runs on a minimal amount of solar power.

 

"Right now, they can only operate for a few hours per day. It hinders their ability to perform," said Melgazo, who in 2012 volunteered through WWF-Philippines to visit Tubbataha and assess the condition of the present ranger station, and to conceptualize a design for its replacement. 

 

Melgazo told GMA News Online that the current ranger station only has enough electricity for a few lights and a few hours of television. The rest of the energy is reserved for the radar, which the rangers are unable to use continuously.

 

Need for sustainable radar

 

The current ranger station lacks the required electrical capacity to sustain the radar, the TMO said in a previous report. 

 

Caretakers of the reef said they may have failed to detect the Chinese fishing vessel, which ran aground Tubbataha on April 8, because their radar was switched off at the time.

 

TMO head Angelique Songco said in another report that the radar was switched on every three hours. "Hindi kayang buong araw nakabukas yan. Minsan it's between those three hours hindi nila makita," Songco said. 

 

But Melgazo told GMA News Online that the new ranger station will use both wind and solar power.  "Renewable energy is available. The technology is there. We just need to pluck it out," he said, adding that since WWF launched a capital campaign to raise funds for the project, people and companies have approached them and offered to contribute.

 

"The nice thing is, people are coming up to us and saying we have the technology, we want to help out, and that's great. Amazing lang 'yung response of everyone," Melgazo said.

 

Projected cost

 

According to WWF's estimates, the project will cost P50M worth of donations, both financial and material. Melgazo said they will come up with a more detailed estimate with help from quantity surveyors.

 

So far, they have raised around 10M material donations. "May mga kumpanya na nagmamagandang loob na nagbibigay sila ng materyales, halimbawa ang semento, bakal, binibigay ng mga kumpanya na gustong tumulong," he said.

 

Located at the heart of the Coral Triangle in Sulu Sea, Tubbataha celebrates its 25th year as a Marine Protected Area this year. 

 

Tubbataha is a strictly "no take" zone, but as the TMO noted, the sheer size of the Park makes law enforcement challenging. 

 

Facilities and amenities

 

Designed by a team of architects from EASt Studio led by Melgazo, the new ranger station will have a main structure in the middle, a research structure, and a transport structure.

 

The main structure includes the ranger's quarters, command center, visitor center, a mini-museum and library, and a detention center. There will also be a hydroponics garden in the main structure, where the rangers can plant vegetables.

 

The research building will house researcher's quarters, laboratories, and work areas. Meanwhile, the transport structure includes fuel storage, auxilliary power, an observation deck. There will also be a helipad, although Tubbataha management does not have its own helicopter. According to Melgazo, it will be up to the Philippine Navy or Coastguard if a helicopter will be present at all times.

 

"The intention however is to provide the platform to allow airlift operations which are periodically critical to park operations," said Melgazo.

 

Melgazo said the plan is to build all the parts in Puerto Princesa before shipping them to Tubbataha, where the new ranger station will be assembled some 250 meters from the current station.

 

"Mayroong impact for sure. Kasi ang lumang station ngayon, ganoon din ang ginawa. Pero ang intention is very, very minimal ang impact. Maliit na maliit lang," Melgazo said on News to Go, noting that Tubbataha itself is almost a billion square meters. The new ranger station will be about 450 square meters. 

 

Call for support

 

By October, they plan to hold a groundbreaking for the project, depending on fundraising. Melgazo said everyone is welcome to contribute to the project. 

 

"Kahit anong maibibigay, kahit limang piso, kahit sampung piso. Ang maganda pa doon parte ka ng pagproprotekta doon," said Melgazo, who stressed that Tubbataha is not only a beautiful place, but a vital part of our ecosystem. 

 

"Ang Tubbataha hindi lang siya maganda tingnan. Ang pagkain natin sa Metro Manila, galing po diyan. Ang mga nahuhuling mga isda sa Luzon, dahil sa Tubbataha. Hindi biro ang pagproprotekta ng reef na ito," he said. 

 

Melgazo also said that the new ranger station will provide researchers with better facilities. "Actually, nahihirapan ang researchers ngayon sa Tubbataha dahil kailangan nilang tumira sa boat para makapagresearch sila. At this point, kapag napatayo natin ito puwede silang tumira mismo doon, para makagawa sila ng long-term studies," he said.

 

Although many studies have been conducted on Tubbataha, Melgazo said the information is still not enough. "The more that we know, the more that we discover, the more that we learn, mas maproprotektahan natin ang Tubbataha Reef na napakahalaga," he said.  — TJD/HS, GMA News