Forests serving as dam watershed are key habitat

THIS photograph of an adult Philippine eagle was taken in the forests of Calanasan town in Apayao province in May by Tatiana Abano of the Philippine Eagle Foundation. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan—Forests surrounding the San Roque Dam here are an important habitat for the country’s unique wildlife, according to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

PEF was commissioned by San Roque Power Corp. (SRPC) to assess the forest biodiversity of the 1,000-hectare San Roque watershed in Benguet and Pangasinan, said Tom Valdez, SRPC vice president for corporate social responsibility.

He said the assessment report was vital to SRPC’s environmental protection and conservation programs.

Among the species of animals found thriving in the area are the Luzon montane striped shrew-rat, white-winged flying fox and the Philippine scops-owl.

In 2013, PEF documented 11 raptors or birds of prey when it surveyed the watershed.

Sighted were the Philippine hawk eagle, osprey, brahminy kite, crested serpent eagle, white-bellied sea eagle, rufous-bellied eagle, black-shouldered kite, oriental honey buzzard, barred honey buzzard, Philippine falconet and falcon.

“To conserve endangered forest species and also restore the ecosystem’s integrity, SRPC has reforested 410 hectares of grasslands and denuded areas in the watershed since 2011,” said Valdez.

He said educational campaigns and outreach activities are conducted regularly in surrounding schools and communities to strengthen public awareness and participation in environmental protection.

Four years ago, SRPC partnered with PEF to save the Philippine eagle, the national bird, which is one of the most endangered bird species in the world.

SRPC conducted the first systematic eagle survey in Calanasan town in Apayao. It was during that survey, Valdez said, when a pair and an offspring of the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) were found thriving in the forests of Calanasan.

“The landmark discovery of eagles in Apayao expanded the geographic range of the Philippine eagle to the northern end of the Cordillera mountain range,” he said.

“Four breeding pairs of Philippine eagle have been confirmed [to be in the Cordillera mountain] so far, but the extent of forests within the province suggests the existence of several more pairs. The discovery is very important as it increases the current count of existing birds in the wild,” he said. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon