By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
At the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Sibugay Wetland Nature Reserve (SWNR) in Zamboanga Sibugay and the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve (DCMR) in Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS) in Surigao del Norte were designated as Wetlands of International Importance.
The convention serves as an intergovernmental treaty providing a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Article 2.1 of the Convention on Wetlands calls for each Contracting Party to designate suitable wetlands within their respective territories for inclusion into the List, to highlight their significance not only to the host country but to the global community as well.
SWNR, which has been tagged as Ramsar Site No. 2252, is a wetland complex surrounded by nine (9) municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay that hosts thousands of migratory birds during migration season from September to March.
Five (5) waterbird species, namely the endangered Far Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), great white egret (Egretta alba), little egret (E. garzetta), intermediate egret (E. intermedia) and gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) have exceeded the 1% share of the East-Asian-Australasian Flyway population which qualifies the global contribution of the wetland to the conservation of waterbirds.
SWNR is also home to flying foxes and certain marine turtle species in the country, to wit: the Philippine endemic and endangered golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), the large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), and island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus).
Moreover, the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), and the vulnerable Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), likewise find refuge in the SWNR.
DCMR-SIPLAS, identified as Ramsar Site No. 2553, serves as an important community asset to the municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte and the entire island of Siargao. Its mangrove cover of approximately 4,871 hectares comprises more than half of the island’s total mangrove forest.
At least eight (8%) percent of flora and 20% of its fauna found in DCMR-SIPLAS are endemic to the Philippines and the Mindanao region. These include the Philippine duck (Anas luzonica), Southern rufous hornbill (Buceros mindanensis), Mindanao hornbill (Penelopides affinis) and the yellowish bulbul (Hypsipetes everetti). Most importantly, the site supports food production, livelihood, and ecotourism activities, and protects nearby communities against storm surges.
SWNR and DCMR-SIPLAS were the 9th and 10th “Ramsar sites” of the Philippines, respectively.
The Philippines’ other Wetlands of International Importance are the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu (Ramsar Site No. 656), Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro (Ramsar Site No. 1008), Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan (Ramsar Site No. 1010), Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur (Ramsar Site No. 1009), Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Ramsar Site No. 2084), the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area in Negros Occidental (Ramsar Site No. 2271), and the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands in Pampanga (Ramsar Site No. 2445).
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