ABOUT CORON AND CORONGALERI

Established in the year 2000, Corong Lokals is a local based micro entity in Coron Palawan promoting community based projects from locally produced and environmentally-friendly products to eco-tourism operations. It highly promotes handworks of local populace especially from tribal minorities situated in the island barangays and upland communities. We have adopted a fishing village who community members are willing to provide logistics in the marine based activities such as island tours.

During its second year, partnership programs and projects with the Indigenous people local artist was extended to the rest of Calamianes Group of Islands namely Busuanga, Coron, Culion and Linapacan that provided avenue for the promotion of Calamianes' traditional products, arts and related handicrafts. Corong Galeri Lokals, encourages its local artists to exhibit their creations in its space free of charge, and products for consignment basis. Taga-Banwa Lokal Artist group is now being set up.

A local based Non-Government Organization called Calamianes Conservation and Cultural Networks Inc. is also extending technical assistance to Corong Galeri Lokals and partnership for the promotion of its local heritage, proposal packaging possibly looking for further skills trainings, product development, and links to other concerned sectors. To date, Corong Galeri Lokals is now an accredited establishment of Department of Tourism and currently been recognized partner of UNESCO Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, due to its efforts and programs extended to its local talents and skilled craftsmen.

Who We Are

Al married to a Palawena Mae Linsangan who's from Puerto Princesa operates Corong Lokals Marketing & Services- an enterprising business couple and a true resident of Palawan. Al's family has been in Coron for five generations already. They started off with a souvenir shop called Corong Galeri Lokals, which sells Calamianes' traditional products, arts, and handicrafts made by locals, including Filipino tribal minorities from the island barangays and upland communities.

The couple has since expanded to related ventures, including Palawan Outdoors, an adventure products and equipment shop, Calamian Planet Online, an internet café, AL3 Professional Studio, which offers graphic design and conceptualization, layout, large format printing, digital photo and photography services. Al, is a photographer who knows the Calamianes' many picturesque spots, frequently goes island expeditions to take pictures for travel publications, postcards and coffee table books. As a travel photographer and geographer he combines his expertise in the tourism product development and share his immersion experiences with the tribal communities. In this line of interest the couple manages Calamianes Expeditions & Ecotours, the first community based ecotour in Coron.

Natural Explorer & Geographer

After studying at university, native Calamianan Al Linsangan returned home and spent two years living in Coron Island with the native Tagbanua, where he served as an outreach officer in an environmental project. This stint of rugged living in the island fired him with a passion for ethnography, nature, photography and outdoor activities (later he became a licensed mountaineer and scuba diver). Later he worked with the Department of Tourism in planning sustainable tourism, and served tenure as president of the Calamianes Association of Tourism Establishments. Now he runs the only art gallery in the Calamian Islands and plays in the band Tribu Calamianen, which uses traditional instruments to produce a repertoire of tribal songs whose lyrics celebrate nature and culture. He runs Pepper Mountains tours in the Calamians, and he brings to the job the combination of background qualities (enthusiasm, local business contacts, unparalleled geographical knowledge) and studious expertise about Calamian culture, wildlife, and photographic scouting. One of his pictures garnered first prize at the prestigious Philippines Canon National Photo Contest.

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Meet Al Linsangan, innovative Eco hero of Palawan

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Our Commitments

As member of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

community we support its Mission to Promote Ecotourism Which is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people," by:

• Creating an international network of individuals, institutions and the tourism industry;
• Educating tourists and tourism professionals; and
• Influencing the tourism industry, public institutions and donors to integrate the principles of ecotourism into their operations and policies.

Ecotourism Principles

Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Based Ecotourism

Our operation highly encourages community participation. Corong Galeri Lokals promotes local artists' handicrafts, arts and music while Calamianes Expeditions & Ecotours involves minimum of seven families in each ecotour activity.

Community-based tourism is socially sustainable tourism which is initiated and almost always operated exclusively by local people. Shared leadership emphasizing community well-being over individual profit, balancing power within communities, and fostering traditional culture, conservation, and responsible stewardship of the land

We adopted a coastal villagers from Barangay Lajala who are former fishermen and engaged their boats into a tourists compatible boats with MARINA ( http://www.marina.gov.ph/default.aspx ) Standards and Safety Requirements. With proper training on safety and basic handling of tourists they are now service oriented frontliners with deep foundation on environmental protection and conservation.

Corporate Social Responsibility is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. It respects cultural differences and finds the business opportunities in building the skills of employees, the community and the government" from Ghana, through to "CSR is about business giving back to society" from the Philippines

How our Community Based Ecotour Works

Corporate Social Responsibility
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its publication "Making Good Business Sense" by Lord Holme and Richard Watts, used the following definition. "Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large"

Community Based Tourism

What is community based tourism?
A community by definition implies individuals with some kind of collective responsibility, and the ability to make decisions by representative bodies.

Community based tourism is tourism in which local residents (often rural, poor and economically marginalised) invite tourists to visit their communities with the provision of overnight accommodation.

The residents earn income as land managers, entrepreneurs, service and produce providers, and employees. At least part of the tourist income is set aside for projects which provide benefits to the community as a whole.

Community based tourism enables the tourist to discover local habitats and wildlife, and celebrates and respects traditional cultures, rituals and wisdom. The community will be aware of the commercial and social value placed on their natural and cultural heritage through tourism, and this will foster community based conservation of these resources.

The community may choose to partner with a private sector partner to provide capital, clients, marketing, tourist accommodation or other expertise. Subject to agreement to the ideals of supporting community development and conservation, and to planning the tourism development in partnership with the community, this partner may or may not own part of the tourism enterprise. )

Partners & Affiliations

Please refer to the bottom of the website for our Partners & Affiliations.