DENR braces for migratory birds influx in Leyte’s wetlands

 By Sarwell Q. Meniano

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 11 (PNA) –- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is stepping up their watch in the Carigara Bay and Ormoc Bay wetlands in Leyte, one of the regular paths of migratory birds in the country.

Within this month, the DENR will send a monitoring team to Baruguhay Norte and Can-omantang villages within Carigara Bay wetlands and San Juan and Naunagan villages covered by Ormoc Bay wetlands to conduct bird count.

“Just like in the past, there’s a big possibility that birds from other countries will migrate to Region 8. We have identified sites for conservation efforts and we will closely monitor observatory areas,” said DENR assistant regional director for technical services Carlito Tuballa.

The two areas are the permanent monitoring sites for migratory birds being monitored every first quarter of the year. The wetlands’ beach type with an expansive sand bar is an ideal place for migratory birds to take shelter and hunt food.

Tuballa identified hunting and loss of habitats as the major threats to migratory birds. These are being addressed through the enforcement of the Wildlife Protection and Conservation Act and the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.

These laws prohibit the harvesting of forest products and hunting of wildlife, including migratory birds.

“To ensure compliance, we educate the locals, come up with an agreement, and provide alternative livelihood to communities like enlisting them in reforestation program for them to avail incentives,” Tuballa explained.

Last year, a total of 723 of migratory birds were counted by the DENR in Carigara and Ormoc, both in Leyte province.

Topping the list was the Philippine Duck with a total of 286 heads counted. The Egrets (Little Egret, Chinese Egret and Great Egret) comes in second with a headcount of 127. This account is followed by the Plovers (KentishPlover, Malaysian Plover, Mongolian Plover and Greater Sand Plover with a collective count of 92 heads).

Other species observed were Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Little Curlew (Nemenius minutus), Whimbrel (Nemenius phaeopus), Redshank (Tringa tetanus), Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoluecos), Great Knot (Caladris tenerius) and Curlew Sandpiper (Caladris ferruginea).

The DENR encourages the continued protection of migratory birds and the host wetlands as this will open opportunities for eco-tourism development. (PNA)
JMC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

2016 Greening Program targets 15,000 hectares in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PNA) -- The government’s National Greening Program (NGP) aims to plant trees in 15,000 hectares of land in Eastern Visayas on its fifth and last year of implementation this 2016.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the target is lower compared to the past years due to budget limitations.

The new area is part of the national target of 1.5 billion trees covering 1.5 million hectares for a period of six years from 2011 to 2016, said DENR Eastern Visayas assistant regional director for technical services Carlito Tuballa.

The DENR expects to plant 2,000 trees for each hectare.

Last year, the DENR has embarked on reforestation of 27,000 hectares for upland, beach and coastal forest. In 2014, the government has reforested 20,700 hectares in all areas.

“We are still on the process of finalizing our monitoring and validation of the final report for last year. We are almost 100 percent of 13,950 hectares of coastal and beach area and 14,260 hectares for upland last year,” Tuballa explained.

About 82 percent to 85 percent of all newly planted trees under NGP survived after planting despite factors detrimental to growth such as human activities, natural calamities, and extreme weather conditions.

“After 2016, we are hoping that massive tree planting will be institutionalized so that this will continue whoever will lead the country,” Tuballa added.

The NGP is a massive forest rehabilitation program of the government established by virtue of Executive Order No. 26 issued on Feb. 24, 2011 by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

In Eastern Visayas, the NGP targets planting of timber, fuel wood, coffee, cacao, bamboo, rattan, other fruit trees, indigenous species and mangrove. The target for Eastern is the highest among the 16 regions in the country in the past three years.

To hit the target for NGP, the DENR has forged partnership with government agencies and non government organizations. Another major strategy is provision of incentive to people’s organization involved in preparation; seedling production; planting; maintenance and protection; and harvesting, utilization and re-planting.

Aside from being a reforestation initiative, the NGP is also seen as a climate change mitigation strategy as it seeks to enhance the country’s forest stock to absorb carbon dioxide, which is largely blamed for global warming.

It is also designed to reduce poverty, providing alternative livelihood activities for marginalized upland and lowland households relating to seedling production and care and maintenance of newly-planted trees, according to the DENR website. (PNA)
PGL/SARWELL Q. MENIANO