Glimpse of Catanduanes Watershed Forest Reserve

These photos taken in 2007 at the Catanduanes Watershed Forest Reserve, a protected area. Twenty-two years after being proclaimed as a forest reserve, now a part (500 hectares) of it, is under threat of inclusion in the looming coal mining operation on the island. Please view the map below.

The white line on the map is the area proclaimed as Catanduanes Watershed Forest Reserve on June 23, 1987 under Proclamation No. 123 by the former President Corazon C. Aquino. A 26,010 hectares of forested areas, covering the municipalities of Virac, San Andres, Caramoran, San Miguel and Baras.

...maybe, its about time to know the true value of our forest, now, and not by the time they are gone, permanently and irreversibly damaged.

RELATED LINKS:

• Rice, Not Mines - British MP Reports on mining in the Philippines
  
• Wildlife - Deers, wild boars and monkeys
• Bird Watching - Owls and birds.
• Will Northern Catanduanes Be Another Semirara? - Planned coal mine in Panganiban (Payo), Caramoran and San Andres
• Catanduanes Watershed Forest Reserve - Protected area in Catanduanes
  
• Church Forms Technical Working Group vs Mining - CT - Catanduanes Bishop forms group against mining
  

Wildlife in Catanduanes

Moving around the island, particularly in the remote barangays located in the hinterlands, one can find unusual pets and not often seen animals, some were hunted down to near extinction.

Monkeys or "ukay" are teeming in some parts of the island, often a menace to small farmers' crops.

Wild chicken or "abukid" are at times sold as pets by ambulant vendors. The look is no different from a domesticated chicken but I think its smaller and lighter.

Long ago wild deers or "usa" can be found in the lowlands and some even tried domesticating this wild animal. But in later years their population had drastically diminished.

Same with the wild pig or "opon", a delicacy for many because of less fat and tastier compared to hybrids. The look is very much different from domesticated pigs, mean looking, small and hairy.

A dreaded species of Philippine cobra or "haras" as the locals calls it, is found also in the island, but record of snake bites is almost nil.

Bird Watching in Catanduanes

Many of the threatened and restricted-range birds of the Luzon Endemic Bird Area have been recorded on Catanduanes. Extensive lowland forests are reported to remain there, so it could support important populations of many of these birds. This is one of the few islands near Luzon where there has been a relatively recent record of Philippine Cockatoo, and Cream-bellied Fruit-dove appears to be particularly numerous there. Two of the restricted-range species are represented on Catanduanes by endemic subspecies, Luzon Bleeding-heart G. l. rubiventris and Grey-backed Tailorbird O. d. nilesi.

Philippine Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia 2008 IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered

Cream-bellied Fruit-dove 2008 IUCN Red List Category: Near Threatened

Luzon Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba luzonica)2008 IUCN Red List Category Near Threatened

Grey-backed Tailorbird (Orthotomus derbianus) 2008 Red List Category Least Concern

Philippine Dwarf-kingfisher (Ceyx Melanurus) 2008 IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable

Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo Philippensis) 2008 IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable Philippine Duck ( Anas luzonica) 2008 IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable

Citation BirdLife International 2008 BirdLife's online World Bird Database: the site for bird conservation. Version 2.1. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. Available: http://www.birdlife.org (accessed 17/3/2009)

Catanduanes Watershed Forest Reserve

Site description: Catanduanes is an island of 182,300 ha which lies about 10 km off the tip of the Caramoan Peninsula in southern Luzon. The terrain on the island is hilly, particularly in the central portion, but the highest point only reaches just over 800 m. The substantial forests which remain in central Catanduanes are therefore all lowland dipterocarp in type, and are the largest remaining forest block in the whole of the Bicol Region.



Forest is found above 490 m, and is estimated to cover a total of about 69,770 ha. It includes considerable areas of old growth dipterocarp forest (reported in 1997 to cover 5,876 ha), and closed-canopy forest in areas that show evidence of having been logged. These forest areas are the source of water for Catanduanes Province. One hydropower project is currently operational, that supplies power to urban areas of the island. The forest areas was proclaimed as a Watershed Reserve in 1987 because of these important function, the whole area is state-owned.

Protection status The Catanduanes Watershed Forest Reserve was declared through Proclamation No. 123 in 1987, and covers 26,010 ha. It is proposed as a Natural Park (see Conservation issues below) with an expanded protected area of 49,000 ha.

Conservation issues In the past, there was little evidence of timber extraction and kaingin in the forested areas of this IBA, probably a result of the local forest protection program and the low population density in the province. However, the human population of Catanduanes is increasing, which is putting pressure on natural habitats. There is evidence that people are moving into forested areas, leading to uncontrolled kaingin, land conversion, illegal cutting of trees and forest fires. As a result there has been an increased occurrence of soil erosion, landslides and siltation in some major river systems. There is also large-scale collection of forest products, hunting and pollution from household waste. Typhoon Rosing is reported to have damaged (at least temporarily) areas of natural habitat on Catanduanes in 1995.

Citation BirdLife International 2008 BirdLife's online World Bird Database: the site for bird conservation. Version 2.1. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. Available: http://www.birdlife.org (accessed 16/3/2009)

Second Look At Tidal Power Development

For several months now since I posted a blog about tidal power development in our province. I noticed that there were a number of visitors on my site coming from the tidal power industry and enthusiasts. As well as fellow Catandungans of course, whom many of them are working and residents of US and UK, where the concern for environment is high.

Tidal power is one cheap source of energy that is sustainable and renewable in the long run. Many would ask how can it be sustainable when the cost of putting up a tidal power plant would cost million of dollars? Well, we need to look at other alternative industries that relies heavily on power to operate, like a cable transport system and cold chain facilities. With a stable supply of power we can operate a cable car system that would run from the bicol mainland up to the northernmost town of Pandan only in a few hours, to bring in and take back passengers, tourists and cargoes. No need to construct a very expensive bridge just to link us to the bicol mainland that would take years to be built.

The tidal power alongside with a cable car system and cold chain facilities would boost our island economy and create enough employment in tourism, deep sea fishing and aquaculture.

RELATED LINKS:

• Energy Dep’t Finalizing Deal to Develop Deep Ocean Power - DoE data indicate 16 possible sites in the country for ocean power development, including Davao Oriental, Camarines, Northeastern Samar, Bataan, Surigao, Catanduanes, Siargao, Tacloban, Ilocos Norte, Babuyan Island, and San Bernardino Strait.
• Catanduanes Skyway - Wild suggestion to connect Catanduanes to mainland Bicol through cable cars.
• Catanduanes Gets a Break from Wind - The provincial government of Catanduanes plans to harness “nasty winds” for power generation, according to a solon.