DEVELOPMENT OF PaLaBIS: AN ONLINE SPECIES INFORMATION

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR MT. PALAY PALAYS

BIODIVERSITY

Undergraduate Thesis Title Proposal

Submitted to the Faculty
of the Information Technology Department (ITD)
Cavite State University Naic
Bucana, Naic, Cavite

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree,
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

JANILA ALELI DELA PEA

JANNA RIA B. NOVERO
MAC JOHN T. POBLETE
March 2013
Background of the Study

Mt. Palay Palay is Cavites biggest protected area teeming with unique biodiversity and
high endemism of wild life. Its forest has been a major water source of thousands of generations
of Caviteos and is home to some of the magnificent natural treasures of the country that cannot
be found anywhere else in the world.
The area of Mt. Palay Palay could be a recipient of population over spill from the
Metropolis and nearby provinces. Its vicinity possesses a threat to the parks ecological balance.
This consists of resource extra active activities such as cattle grazing, upland farming, charcoal
making, collection of minor forest products and illegal cutting of trees.
Mt. Palay Palay Natural Park hosts at least 123 species of wildlife. Thirty one percent
(31%) of these are endangered or threatened. For a fact that there is lot of these endangered
species, most of us were lacking the knowledge about them (http://www.cavite.info). Since
people lack information about this fact, resources coming from Mt. Palay Palay become
endangered.
As for that matter, the researchers come up with the idea of developing Mt. Palay Palay
Biodiversity Information System (PalaBIS): An Online Species Information Management
System for Mt. Palay Palay, to aid the people with knowledge about the rich biodiversity of Mt.
Palay Palay.

Statement of the Problem

This study will attempt to develop an information system about the biodiversity of Mt.
Palay Palay.
Specifically, this study will seek to answer the following questions:
1. What system will provide people the information about the biodiversity of
Mt. Palay Palay?
2. What system will disseminate information about the biodiversity of Mt.
Palay Palay?
3. In what way will the system be proven functional?
4. In what way will the performance of the system be determined?

Importance of the Study

Since the information about Mt. Palay Palays biodiversity is very limited online, the
PalaBIS will be a useful tool in dissemination of information about the biodiversity of Mt. Palay
Palay.
Citizens around Mt. Palay Palay will be one of the beneficiaries of the system. They can
have an easier access about the information of the rich biodiversity of the said Natural Park.
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Maragondon, Cavite and
Ternate, Cavite can also easily inform the people regarding the biodiversity of Mt. Palay Palay
and they can make actions as soon as possible to rescue the endangered species. MENRO can
also make seminars about Mt. Palay Palay through the help of PalaBIS. Provincial Environment
and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), which holds the different information about natural
resources here in Cavite, can efficiently monitor the biodiversity of the Natural Park.

Objectives of the Study

This study will attempt to develop an information system about the biodiversity of Mt.
PalayPalay.
Specifically, this will aim to:
1. Design an information system that has the following features:
a. Images about each species found in Mt. Palay Palay
b. Taxonomic information about each species found in Mt. Palay
Palay
c. Database
d. Standard buttons/ Menu Interface
e. Discussion Forum
f. Animations
2. Create an information system that will publicize information using:
a. Adobe Photoshop for aesthetic designs
b. MySQL for the database back end
c. PHP for programming purposes
d. Adobe AfterEffects for animations
e. PhpBB for the forum
3. Test and improve the system by using the following criteria: correctness,
efficiency, integrity, reliability and usability
4. Evaluate the performance of the system based on ISO-9126 software
evaluation criteria

Time and Place of the Study

Upon approval of the study, the researchers will start to gather information about the
biodiversity of Mt. Palay Palay. Gathering of data will be from March 2013 July 2013. The
data will be obtained from the DENR Headquarters at the Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

and DENR Regional Office at Trece Martirez City, Cavite. Additional data will also be gathered
at De La Salle University Dasmarias. Photos of the different species will also be taken in Mt.
Palay Palay, Maragondon, Cavite. In case that the researchers cannot find the species, photos
from the DENR or Internet will be taken.
The preparation of the outline will be on June 2013 September 2013. The system
development will also start on June 2013 November 2013. The system development will be
conducted at Cavite State University Naic and at the researchers houses. Testing and
debugging will be on August 2013 November 2013. Testing includes alpha test and beta test. In
beta test, the beneficiaries will be the one to test the system. System evaluation will be on
December 2013 January 2014. System evaluation will be conducted at Maragondon, Cavite
and Ternate, Cavite (See Figure 1).

Scope and Limitation

This information system will only cover the flora and fauna species found in Mt. Palay
Palay. Mt. Palay Palay Biodiversity Information System will have the core functionalities of a
biodiversity information system. Administrators will be the one to encode the taxonomic
information to the system.
There will be a log in form for the users and administrators. Ordinary users can have
their account through signing up, in order for them to join the forum and to report about new
species or illegal activities. Sign up forms will be available for the new interested users. Report
forms will also be available for new reports of new species or reports regarding illegal doings.

PENRO of Cavite will be acting as administrators and can only be the one to add/approve
another species. Ordinary users will be only allowed to view species information either through
the search function or browse the Taxonomic Tree even they do not have their account.
Reports about new species and illegal doings may be done by registered users. Photo of
the species and the event of doing an illegal act shall be included in the report.
Information about Mt. Palay Palay will also be included. The effects of illegal activities
will also be added. Ways on how to protect and conserve the resources of the Natural Park will
be integrated for the education of the people.
Only the following information will be included in each species: the photo of the species,
the conservation status, the scientific classifications including kingdom, phylum, class, order,
family, genus and species, the present number of the species present in Mt. Palay Palay and the
description of the species.
The limitation of the system is that chat box will not be included in the system. Another
restriction of the system will be the bounded information provided by DENR and PENRO as the
initial information found in the system.
The specific ISO 9126 criteria that will be used to evaluate the study are as follows:
functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and portability.

Figure 1 Gantt Chart

Activities
Data Gathering
Outline
Preparation
System
Development
Testing and
Debugging
System
Evaluation
Final Defense

Mar Apr

Ma
y

Jun

2013
Au
Jul
g

2014
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar