Amid the fatal Covid-19 pandemic with the strict quarantines imposed to prevent its spread, and the destructive typhoons that occurred in the Philippines in 2020, the year was considered bright in terms of protection and conservation of the country’s biodiversity.
In its year-end report, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported the increased number of protected areas covered by law under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas), and the Expanded-Nipas increasing land, coastal and marine areas set aside for conservation.
More importantly, the DENR, through its Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), reported dramatic improvement in the conservation status of endangered Philippine species.
DENR Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon said the downgrading of the status of 12 threatened species is proof that under the leadership of Secretary Roy A. Cimatu the DENR is on the “right track” as far as protecting and conserving the country’s rich biodiversity is concerned.
244 protected areas
In a news statement, Cimatu attributed the BMB’s success to its unwavering commitment to making sure the country’s flora and fauna are well protected even during the Covid-19 lockdown when people’s mobility is limited and environment-related crimes are rampant.
“The effects of the community quarantine did not dampen the spirits of our people at BMB. They made sure that the agency’s mandates are still fulfilled to the fullest extent possible,” Cimatu said.
The BMB reported that a total of 244 protected areas covering more than 7.1 million hectares of land and water have been either legislated or proclaimed in 2020 pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 11038, or the Expanded-Nipas Act of 2018.
Calderon, the concurrent BMB director, said the importance of designating protected areas could not be overemphasized, with the serious threats posed by habitat loss to the country’s threatened species.
Bigger area coverage
Anchored on effective protected-area management, the government has put in place various measures to ensure the protection and conservation of the country’s rich biodiversity.
As a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the DENR, through the BMB, continuously works toward the achievement of the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Target. These are global targets under the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
Thanks to the passage of the Expanded Nipas, additional 94 Protected Areas are now protected by legislation making a total of 107 covering a total of 7.76 M hectares, the DENR report said.
Of the 244 protected areas under the Nipas, 107 are legislated (4.38 million hectares), 13 are proclaimed (1.11 million has), and 124 are remaining initial components (2.27 million has).
To date, the 244 protected areas make up 15.40 percent (4.62 million has) of the Philippine land area, and 1.42 percent (3.14 M has) of territorial waters, contributing to the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 by increasing the percentage of protected areas in the country.
The Philippines is considered as a champion in Asean by achieving nearly its contribution to the Aichi Biodiversity Target 11.
Protected areas management body
According to Calderon, the DENR-BMB will work this year to activate and ensure a dynamic Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), especially for the 107 legislated protected areas.
A protected area needs a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), the highest policy-making body for the area, and headed by a superintendent.
This means institutionalizing the funding for the entire PAMO, or field office, that will cover the staffs’ salary and allowances, and other operational costs.
“This will help ensure we have a working protected area management body on the ground,” he said.
“Each of the 107 legislated protected areas also need park rangers to protect the parks,” he said.
Defense against calamities
Maintaining a healthy ecosystem effectively carried out through a constructive protected area management system, according to Calderon, comes with enormous benefits. It includes human survival against the threat of natural calamities.
Without the legislated and proclaimed protected areas in the Cagayan Valley and Marikina River Basin, the devastation of Typhoon Ulysses could have been worse for communities that are dependent on these natural ecosystems, said Calderon, a forestry expert.
The official said that the no-take policies in strict protection zones ensures the integrity of the natural ecosystems to remain intact and functional, thus providing ecosystem services that benefit the people and the environment.
Home to threatened wildlife
Protected areas, where forests are allowed to thrive, serve as home to plant and animal species, including those that are threatened with extinction.
In its report, the BMB said that 12 species are no longer on the brink of extinction, crediting the effective protection and conservation measures put in place in various conservation partners.
The conservation status of the species was either down-listed from endangered to vulnerable or from vulnerable to other threatened species (OTS).
OTS, a classification under DENR Administrative Order 2019-09, refers to species or its varieties that is “not critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable” but is still under threat from adverse factors, such as over-collection throughout its range.
Turtles, frogs, lizards
The Asian giant softshell turtle was down-listed two levels from “endangered” to OTS.
Other species that were down-listed from “endangered” to “vulnerable” are the Negros forest frog, Mount Data forest frog, Mindanao bleeding-heart, and Luzon water redstart.
Down-listed from “vulnerable” to OTS are the Mindanao fanged frog, Basilan island caecilian, Todaya caecilian, yellow-headed water monitor, marbled water monitor, large-scaled water monitor, and Mount Isarog shrew-mouse.
Welcome development
Calderon said the effective protected area management and the down-listing of the 12 threatened species proves that the DENR is on the right track.
“This is a welcome development because it only means the population of these threatened species is increasing,” he said.
More importantly, this means their habitat is protected, too, he added.
The down-listing of the species to their improved conservation status stands on solid ground, Calderon noted.
A population count or estimate of their distribution is considered carefully before deciding to down-list a species, he said.
“We have the biodiversity monitoring system transects in all protected areas. Second is the wildlife population monitoring being undertaken by our [DENR] regions, Penro and Cenro [Provincial and City Environment and Natural Resources Offices]” Calderon explained in an interview by the BusinessMirror on December 28, 2020.
Wildlife law enforcement
He attributed the improved status of this species in general to the unwavering commitment of the DENR’s forest protection officers and Bantay Gubat (Forest Guard) volunteers.
He said despite the pandemic, the aggressive wildlife law enforcement thwarted attempts by illegal wildlife traders to conduct their activities, such as harvesting plants and animals, or destroying their habitats, particularly in areas that are home to species that are considered critically endangered.
These operations led to the confiscation of 53 wild fauna and 27.36 kilograms of agarwood or derivatives of Aquilaria species with an estimated cost of P5.6 million.
Moreover, a total of seven new cases against wildlife criminals have been filed last year.
As of September, the DENR secured 30 convictions out of 32 criminal cases it had previously filed against violators of RA 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.
Encouraging development
The reported down-listing of 12 species in the Philippines to an improved conservation status is an encouraging development, said Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).
The ACB is still monitoring the efforts of Asean member-states and their respective biodiversity protection and conservation efforts as part of their commitment to the CBD and in hitting the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
Weighing in on the down-listing of 12 species in the country, Lim said that while the criteria used by countries vary and may not necessarily be exactly the same as those of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, countries adopt some parameters that are more applicable to their specific situation and best available information.
“But whatever process is applied, the downgrading of species from a higher threat category is always encouraging, especially for those who are at the frontline of protecting our wildlife habitats, our protected areas,” Lim told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on December 30, 2020.
Positive indicator
“Generally speaking, downgrading of species in relation to conservation efforts, especially if such efforts are within protected areas, is a positive indicator and a reflection of the good work that PA [protected area] managers, rangers and staff do,” she added.
However, Lim, a former DENR-BMB director, cautioned that “such progress should by no means be a reason for relaxing or reducing seriousness in the application of biodiversity protection policies and related actions.”
She added: “Downgrading does not mean that threats to the species are no longer present and their conservation should no longer be addressed.”
In fact, it should be considered “a challenge for everyone to continue their efforts until such time that the species’ population status become healthy enough to eventually be taken out of the threatened species lists at the national, regional and global level,” she said.
Calderon agreed. He said that even with last year’s achievements the BMB should not be complacent, knowing that those species under improved conservation status might revert to its vulnerable or endangered level if left as they are.
He said the DENR-BMB will continue its aggressive wildlife law enforcement and campaign against the illegal wildlife trade.
Image credits: Gregg Yan