Our almost-forgotten natural treasures

It was uplifting to trek in Tabunan, one of the remaining patches of Cebu’s thinning forested areas, and our almost-forgotten natural treasures. The long-awaited visit materialized with the help of the dedicated team from the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) namely, Jesse Cubijano, Flor Rosales, Juan Yao and, Cris Evert Lato Ruffolo, who joined the group one beautiful Saturday morning.

We were privileged to have, as companions, Nirmal Kulkarni, the ardent ecologist and wildlife photographer from Goa, India, and his lovely wife, Assavri, a talented artist and photographer. Edna Lee and her nephew Liam and Mishka Watin from the University of the Philippines Volunteers for Bike, my sister, Nenen Kho, nephew, Luigi Kho and this columnist completed the cast of visitors enthralled by the sights and sounds of Tabunan. It was quite a tough climb for me, with several falls, cuts and bruises as “souvenirs” of that momentous day. But every misstep was worth the journey.

Thankfully, we had Tabunan’s steadfast steward, Oking Son, as our guide, with his ever-helpful daughter, Hazel. Oking knows the Tabunan Forest by heart as he has walked its verdant trails since he was small. He mimics birdcalls and gets almost immediately the expected response from our feathered friends.

Tabunan is one of the Philippines’ important biodiversity areas. It is home to endemic and critically endangered birds – the Cebu Flowerpecker, Black Shama, the latest discovery, the Cebu Hawk Owl, and so many other species of fauna and flora. According to Lisa Paguntalan, Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation director for field operations, the congregation of these endemic species of birds in Cebu makes it one of the unique island ecosystems in the world.

Tabunan Forest is part of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL). The CCPL was formally established as one protected area under Republic Act No. 9486, known as The Central Cebu Protected Landscape Act of 2007. A protected area is defined by this law as “identified portions of land and/or water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation.”

The CCPL was created pursuant to the state policy “to secure the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable development of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape, particularly its role as a watershed for water generation and supply purposes; its associated biological diversity, other natural, ecological and physical processes and values; its communities, their culture and way of life insofar as these are in harmony with nature and the biophysical and ecological systems of the area.”

The management of the CCPL is entrusted to the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). The multi-sectoral PAMB is vested with the “sole jurisdiction, power and authority over the CCPL for all matters that may affect biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and sustainable development.” A multi-sectoral composition in PAMB is a must as government cannot solve the complex challenges of natural resources management alone. The collaboration of civil society and the private sector is essential as the task of overseeing almost 29,062 hectares of protected area is gigantic.

In the words of Architect Socorro “Bajing” Atega, the Executive Director of Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water and member of the CCPL-PAMB, “Given the topographic constraints of an island, Cebu’s watersheds, as water production areas are wanting in terms of appropriate forest cover, sustainable farming systems for sustainable food supply and governance/political systems for collaboration among government agencies and local government units through integrated planning for sustainability of ecological, urban and infrastructure development to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population. The threats and challenges are enormous, coupled with the impact of climate change on water resources, biodiversity and communities, especially the marginalized sector.”

She adds that “It is in the light of a shared vision of a livable and sustainable environment for present and future needs towards improved quality of life, that the process of integrated water resources management (IWRM) is deemed a catalyst for change. For this reason, the national framework for water governance is IWRM.”

For her and for all of us, “To postpone change of behavior and collective efforts is not an option.”

On our second visit to Tabunan, a week after, we saw part of the challenges, which included the wanton littering of plastic and candy wrappers and evidence of illegal exploitation of our natural resources, both prohibited acts under RA 9486, RA 9003, the NIPAs Act and other laws. We also are aware that there is no updated inventory of the species of flora and fauna in Tabunan as well as in other protected areas.

Facing the issues up close, the Tabunan visit definitely strengthened the resolve to help in finding solutions to the continuing threats facing our protected areas like the CCPL. The faithful implementation of our environmental laws goes a long way in instilling the mindset of ecological stewardship among the constituents. Support for people ‘s organizations protecting the forests is strongly recommended. A closer collaboration among the government, private sector and civil society is definitely urgently needed.