Ivan Henares

20/08/2026

20/08/2026

14/08/2026

Megaworld and its clueless replicas. They demolish the originals and claim to build replicas.

A piece of Iloilo’s aviation history is making a comeback.

Megaworld has unveiled a replica of the iconic old Iloilo Airport control tower, bringing back a familiar landmark from the city’s past.

The original Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao served as the city’s main gateway before operations were transferred to the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan in 2007.

Today, the former airport site has been transformed into Iloilo Business Park, a major mixed-use development featuring offices, hotels, residential towers, retail spaces, and lifestyle destinations.

The replica pays tribute to the site’s aviation heritage while giving younger generations a glimpse of what once stood here. ✨

09/08/2026

Meeting of the National Memory of the World Committee in Panglao Island, Bohol. Tomorrow, the committee will lead a workshop in Tagbilaran City for the preparation of the nomination of the Cantorales of Bohol.

08/08/2026

The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission turned over markers of the Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark to the Provincial Government of Bohol. The markers are located in Tagbilaran City and the Chocolate Hills View Deck in Carmen.

07/08/2026

The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission hosted dinner for the evaluators, advisers, and organizers of the 1st Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark Revalidation Mission. We wish the evaluators Nire Kagaya (Japan) and Sungok Ju (Korea) safe travels as they return home.

25/07/2026

The Comoros just got their first World Heritage site — the Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros. And H.E. Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of the Comoros, was here to witness the inscription. He is the first head of state to participate as a delegate at the World Heritage Meeting. I was able to congratulate him personally on behalf of the Philippines.

24/07/2026

Philippine Delegation at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea – with PCG Busan Consul General Leah Victoria Carada and Vice Consul Mahgie Lacaba

23/07/2026

No to mining in Sibuyan Island!

The biodiversity of this island needs to be protected because of the unprecedented endemism (species found only on Sibuyan) and undisturbed, dense ecosystems.

𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗨𝗬𝗔𝗡 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘⛰️

Sibuyan Island in Romblon holds an extraordinary concentration of life found nowhere else in the world.

Around 700 vascular plant species have been documented on the island, including 54 that are endemic to Sibuyan. At least 83 Philippine-endemic animal species have also been recorded, four of which are considered exclusive to the island.

Scientists are still discovering how distinct its wildlife is. In 2026, researchers formally described Luperosaurus alvarezi, a fringed forest gecko known only from Sibuyan. They also identified Platymantis guiting, a tiny forest frog recorded on Sibuyan and Tablas islands in the Romblon Island Group.

Much of the island's biodiversity is supported by the forests of Mount Guiting-Guiting Natural Park, which covers more than 15,000 hectares. The island also includes mangrove reserves, marine protected areas, and ancestral domains of the Sibuyan Mangyan Tagabukid.

Despite these protections, mining remains a source of concern.

The Sangguniang Bayan of San Fernando recently endorsed an application by Altai Philippines Mining Corporation for a Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility involving 42 hectares in Barangay España.

The endorsement is one requirement in the application process. It does not constitute final approval, and the proposed operations must still undergo evaluation and secure the permits required by national laws and government agencies.

The company was granted a mineral production sharing agreement in 2009 covering approximately 1,580.8 hectares in San Fernando. Mining activities on the island have faced years of opposition from residents and environmental groups concerned about their possible effects on forests, rivers, coastal ecosystems, and surrounding communities.

Sibuyan’s mineral deposits may carry economic value, but its endemic wildlife, forests, waterways, and communities cannot simply be restored once damaged.

Any proposal involving an island of such ecological importance must be examined with transparency, scientific evidence, and the highest level of environmental caution.