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By Merlito A. Villar, From the Communication
& Information Division, Haribon Foundation
Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape (MSPL), an
Important Biodiversity Area that lies within the Zambales mountain
range, and is the only dipterocarp forest area left in the province
of Pangasinan.
On the month of November 2006, the Haribon
Foundation team headed by Prof. Blas Tabaranza Jr. visited Manleluag
Spring Protected Landscape to conduct a Biological Survey. For me,
such an opportunity seemed very interesting because I would be
rediscovering the hidden treasures of Manleluag.
Manong Blas, as I’ve come to know him, shared
to me how Manleluag became part of the bio-survey activity. His
research on the area’s history revealed that Manleluag is a result
of Reforestation activities started in the middle of 1960s and
‘70s, and upon his visit at the Google Arcview in the internet he
further discovered that the area appeared to be covered with thick
foliage. This was a solid reason for Haribon’s GOLDEN Forests
team’s eagerness to conduct an on-site assessment of the park and
its buffer zone to verify the status of the park.
The results of the activity came to rediscover
different wildlife species involving critically-endangered to
threatened species; and different habitat types such as forest
plantation, open grassland, lowland dipterocarp, lowland-montane
forest to mossy forest types.
Djop Tabaranza of Haribon, observed and
photographed the Philippine Frogmouth (Batrachostomus septimus),
which according to him is a nocturnal bird, which spends its day
perched vertically, resembling a broken branch. This highly unique
bird is found only in the Philippines. The Philippine wild duck (Anas
luzunica), an endemic migratory bird found in rivers and in rice
fields; Montane racquet-tail; Luzon Tarictic Hornbill; Rufous
Hornbill; and many other species of birds were sighted within the
MSPL. The existence of these bird species, along with other wildlife
present within the park, are being threatened by habitat loss due to
timber poaching, slash-and-burn activities, and wildlife hunting.
The present status of the Protected Area has
encouraged concerted efforts by the Haribon Foundation, local
government (LGU) of Mangatarem, DENR-PAMB and the Protected Area
Superintendent to continuously coordinate together in minimizing
habitat loss and increasing biodiversity awareness among local
people within the project site.
In April 2007, the area was visited by Juan
Echanove of the European Commission, assisted by Annabelle Plantilla
of Haribon, wherein it was agreed that MSPL is to become one of the
pilot sites for the GOLDEN Forests Project implementation.
The 2007 activities of the Project, in
coordination with the Protected Area Superintendent, involved
conducting a Basic Ecology Orientation and Perception Survey. In
conjunction with the Project’s adoption of Brgy. Malabobo to the
Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape management objectives, a Basic
Ecology Orientation was conducted on September 26 to 27, 2007, which
helped increase the environmental awareness on the importance of
biodiversity among forest-dependent families, park staff, and forest
rangers from CENRO Dagupan City.
Perception Survey within the pilot sites Brgys.
Malabobo and Pacalat took place in October. Results of which will
serve as sound basis for the awareness raising program of this
Project site.
From that point onwards, the Local government (LGU)
of Mangatarem became even more supportive of all activities being
conducted within the Protected Area thru the GOLDEN Forests Project.
On December 2 to 6, 2007, Important Biodiversity Area Monitoring
System Installation was held together with Mike Crosby from BirdLife.
The Manlelaug Spring Protected Landscape was the first protected
area in the Philippines installed with this kind of monitoring
system.
This project has spurted hope for the people of
Barangay Malabobo, as well other nearby barangays such as Barangays
Calomboyan and Catarataraan, all of which are located within the
protected area. Unfortunately, however, Barangay Pacalat resisted in
adopting the project and only barangay Malabobo remain very
receptive today. The communities where the Project is currently
active believe that the MSPL has been longing for attention for
conservation and its forest, which harbors diverse biological
species— remain, highly endangered.
The GOLDEN Forest Project is now within the
hearts of the forest dependent families.They are now beginning to
organize their community to help develop, protect, and preserve the
environment. They are starting to realize that the forest is
important; and the bountiful resources it gives is God’s given
gift for the present— as well as for the future generations.
Nursery establishment, using endemic forest tree species, is now an
on-going project by the local community in preparation for the next
planting season.
The rapid dwindling of forest resources within
the north-eastern side of Zambales mountain range seems to have hope
and it’s not too late for the GOLDEN Forests Project to help
reduce habitat loss that harbors the rediscovered biodiversity
within the Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape.
For information how you can join Haribon
Foundation’s initiatives to conserve our endemic species, email:
communication@haribon.org.ph, or visit www.haribon.org.ph.
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