ARTICLES ABOUT ENVIRONMENT(Final Paper)
Prepared by: Dianna P. Pastrana BCFMA 3-1
Submitted to: Prof. Airavhie Joy
Illegal land clearing for commercial agriculture responsible for
half of tropical deforestation
Date: September 10, 2014Source: Burness Communications
A comprehensive new analysis says that nearly half of all recent
tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for
commercial agriculture. The study also finds that the majority of
this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for
agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood
products.
Deforestation for agriculture.Credit: theodad / Fotolia
A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly
half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of
illegal clearing for commercial agriculture. The study also finds
that the majority of this illegal destruction was driven by
overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil,
beef, soy, and wood products. In addition to devastating impacts on
forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of
tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce
1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each year -- equivalent to 25% of the
EU's annual fossil fuel-based emissions.
"We've known that the production of agricultural commodities is
a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the
first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play
in the production of hundreds of food and household products
consumed worldwide," said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of
Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the
report.
"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food
security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle
class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how
much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that
has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help
countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both
for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for
businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and
sustainably."
According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An
Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest
Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from
2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve
a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy
plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred
prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to
successfully reduce deforestation.) And in the forests of
Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegal -- mostly for
large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which
is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of
illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest
level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many
of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal
feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).
Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries
across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of
tropical forest. Examples include the following: In Papua New
Guinea, millions of hectares of forest have been illegally licensed
for deforestation in recent years; a recent Parliamentary inquiry
in the country found that 90% of these licenses were issued by
corrupt or fraudulent means. In Tanzania, forests have been
illegally razed to make way for jatropha, a plant commonly used to
produce biofuels. Cambodia, along with neighboring Laos, is
experiencing unprecedented growth in commercial agriculture. By the
end of 2012, the government handed 2.6 million hectares of land,
much of it forested, to large-scale agriculture producers. In
Bolivia, soy -- 75% of which is exported -- is the main engine
behind illegal deforestation in the country's stretch of
Amazon.
In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to
grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand.
However, the report finds that it was also often the case that
these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that
these companies were missing additional required permits and
licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and
planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment
and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for
generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.
"All over the tropics, companies are bribing officials to obtain
permits, trampling the legal or customary rights of Indigenous
Peoples and other forest-dwelling communities, clearing more forest
than they are allowed, and causing pollution and environmental
devastation by flouting the law," said Sam Lawson, the report
author.
Export Agriculture a Key Driver of Illegal
DeforestationAccording to the report, the international trade in
agricultural commodities (beef, leather, soy, palm oil, and wood
products, including paper) produced on land illegally converted
from tropical forest is worth an estimated US$61 billion per year.
The EU, China, India, Russia, and the US are among the largest
buyers of these commodities.
Overall, exports of agricultural commodities produced on land
where forests were illegally cleared drove 25% of all tropical
deforestation between 2000 and 2012. The study estimates that
almost 40% of all palm oil, 20% of all soy, nearly 33% of tropical
timber, and 14% of all beef traded internationally comes from land
that had been illegally deforested. Nearly one-fifth (17%) of
Brazilian beef, 75% of Brazilian soy, and 70-80% of the palm oil
and plantation wood and pulp from Indonesia were destined for
foreign markets.
"Five football fields of tropical forest are being destroyed
every minute to supply these export commodities," said Lawson,
noting that the report's figures were obtained using conservative
estimates based on documented violations of significant impact.
"There is hardly a product on supermarket shelves that is not
potentially tainted," he added.
A Growing ProblemWhile the study highlights Brazil's recent
success in reducing illegal forest clearance, the report also
cautions that the problem of illegal deforestation for the
production of commodities intended for export is now expanding to
new areas of the tropics where deforestation rates have
traditionally been low -- and that the same illegalities seen
elsewhere are being repeated. In the Congo Basin, for instance, two
out of the three largest new oil palm projects currently under
development have been found to be operating illegally; one of these
plantations, in the Republic of Congo, is set to double that
country's deforestation rate.
Action NeededThe report documents governance failures that
undermine broader efforts to tackle tropical deforestation,
including private sector initiatives on sustainable commodities and
efforts by tropical forested countries to reduce legal
deforestation. It argues that while the recent spate of "zero
deforestation" commitments by major consumer goods companies
involved in producing, trading, or consuming relevant commodities
is to be applauded, illegalities relating to consumer agriculture
and timber plantations can ultimately only be fully addressed by
governments, and efforts to go further than legality will be held
back by the need to compete with products that were illegally
produced.
"Without investing in governance, our collective investments in
halting deforestation and promoting forest stewardship will fail,"
concluded Jenkins. "Responsible companies and environmental and
human rights groups are likely to be supportive of processes to
reform the complex, conflicting, and unclear laws and regulations
that currently govern the forest and agricultural sectors. This is
a critical step, alongside improving the enforcement and compliance
of national and international laws. All must be prioritized if
global commitments to stop tropical deforestation are going to be
achieved."
The report includes a range of recommendations for countries
that both produce and import agricultural commodities, as well as
corporations and investors in the commodity trade. The report
advises producer countries, for example, to simplify and harmonize
contradictory laws and regulations, including those pertaining to
land use and securing tenure for Indigenous Peoples and other local
communities to reduce conflicts. It asserts that governments should
enforce these laws and hold companies investing in these countries
accountable. Another set of recommendations call for actions by the
governments of countries that import the commodities concerned.
The report notes that important lessons can be learned from
previous successful initiatives to combat the trade in illegally
sourced timber. Producer countries -- particularly those developing
trade agreements with the EU (FLEGT VPAs) -- are clarifying
regulatory frameworks that improve their ability to demonstrate the
legality of wood products to their citizens. Consumer countries are
instituting measures that have been shown to support the
enforcement of producer countries' own laws and regulations,
including the development of importing trade legislation (such as
the EU Timber Regulation), public procurement policies, and
investment standards. However, there has been limited analysis to
date on how similar mechanisms for agricultural commodities could
leverage credible legal compliance, support sustainable land use
policies, and increase transparency.
"The current unfettered access to international markets for
commodities from illegally cleared land is undermining the efforts
of tropical countries to enforce their own laws" concluded Lawson.
"Consumer countries have a responsibility to help halt this
trade."
REACTION:
It is alarming to see that a lot of forest now are being cleared
because of some illegal loggers. This caused the land to slide down
from the upper part of the mountain down the community which causes
death to innocent people. Because of the deforestation, the water
from sucj raining cannot be absorb because there were only few
trees to do that.
Trees which are important to human lives for clean air, shelter
for animals in the forest and giving us food are now being cleared
by some people. We should do some steps to resolve this problem of
the environment so in the future we can still have that fresh air
and food coming from trees.
Illegal logging, mining worsened impact of Philippines' killer
typhoon
Jeremy Hancemongabay.comDecember 06, 2012
Typhoon Bopha as seen by satellite on December 1st. Photo by:
NASA MODIS Rapid Response System.
According to Filipino officials, rampant illegal logging and
mining were likely a part of the cause for the high casualty count
from Category 5 Typhoon Bopha (Pablo), especially in the Compostela
Valley where government officials had warned people to stop the
illegal activities. So far, 370 people have been found dead on the
island of Mindanao with another 400 missing. Waters rose so high
even emergency shelters were inundated.
"If you abuse nature, nature will get back at us," Benito Ramos,
executive director of National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC), said. "This is due to decades of
mining and logging. Our forests are already deluded and there are
tunnels left by small-time miners."
Illegal logging and mining has stripped many hillsides bare in
Mindanao, which has forest cover of only 10 percent. Deforestation
means flash floods flow unimpeded, leading to cataclysmic land and
mud slides that can bury whole towns.
"The water was as high as a coconut tree," a local farmer,
Joseph Requinto, told the Associated Press. "All the bamboo trees,
even the big ones, were all mowed down."
Unfortunately these tragic environmental disasters are becoming
a recurring theme in the Philippines, less than a year Typhoon
Sendong killed over 1,200 people on the same island. The extensive
destruction wrought by this stormwhich impacted over 300,000
peoplewas also blamed at least partly on illegal logging.
Logging has banned throughout the Philippines since February of
2011 in order to avert disasters such as this, but illegal logging
remains a rampant problem. Yet, while illegal logging and mining
certainly worsened the death toll of Typhoon Bopha, there may
another component to the storm's wrath: climate change.
Warmer world may equal worse typhoons, hurricanes
"Climate change is now a clear and present danger and a national
security concern for our country," Filipino Senator, Loren Legarda,
said last year after the devastating Typhoon Sendong.
Scientists continue to debate the connection between climate
change and hurricanes and typhoons (both names for tropical
cyclones). However a general consensus is emerging that while
climate change may not increase the total number of hurricanes, it
is likely increasing the extremely intense ones, much like
Hurricane Sandy that struck the U.S. East Coast a little over a
month ago.
Climate change is intensifying tropical cyclones in a number of
ways: rising sea levels create worsening storm surges, while a
warmer atmosphere draws in more water from the oceans leading to
increased precipitation, worsening the chance for flash floods such
as those spawned by Bopha. In addition, unseasonably warms seas may
be extending both the tropical cyclone season and its geographical
reach: Typhoon Bopha hit a region of Mindano that has never been
hit by such extreme cyclones. It also hit late in the season.
"We have never had a typhoon like Bopha, which has wreaked havoc
in a part of the country that has never seen a storm like this in
half a century. And heartbreaking tragedies like this is not unique
to the Philippines, because the whole world, especially developing
countries struggling to address poverty and achieve social and
human development, confront these same realities," Naderev Sano,
climate negotiator for the Philippines, said today in an
impassioned speech at the 18th UN Climate Summit in Doha, Qatar,
which has been crawling along the last two week. Sano pointed to
the disaster as more evidence to move aggressively on climate
change at a conference where observers say little progress is being
made.
"I appeal to the whole world," Sano continued. "I appeal to
leaders from all over the world, to open our eyes to the stark
reality that we face. I appeal to ministers. The outcome of our
work is not about what our political masters want. It is about what
is demanded of us by 7 billion people. I appeal to all, please, no
more delays, no more excuses. Please, let Doha be remembered as the
place where we found the political will to turn things around."
Anti-poverty and environmental NGOs are largely pointing the
finger at wealthy countriesespecially the U.S., Canada, and New
Zealandfor failing to raise their pledges on emissions cuts and
providing little information on where climate financing will come
from. The host nation, Qatar, has also come under heavy criticism
for bringing little to the table, even though it is the world's
largest greenhouse gas emitter per capita.
REACTION:
Nowadays, trees, which should absorb the rain water are now
being cut. As exchange there were no roots to absorb the water and
so flashflood and landslide is always due if there's typhoon.
Yolanda, Ondoy typhoon and even a Habagat wind killed lives in
different parts of the Philippines.
Some experts saw that mining and logging was the cause of the
deadly typhoons. Reason? Mining removes magnates and other minerals
on the soil which bind it together and if these are gone a sink
hole will be form. Later on, it will have landslide. Illegal
logging as I've said causes flashfloods and landslide as well.
So how can we prevent it? I think the governments are the
responsible one in case of mining. They need to provide some laws
and rules in mining to prevent these happenings.
Alarming Waste Problem in the PhilippinesFRIDAY, APRIL 4,
2008
The Philippines is looming with garbage problems despite the
passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or the
Republic Act (RA) 9003.
2007 first quarter data from the National Solid Waste Management
Commission shows that there are 677 open dumpsites, 343 controlled
dumps, and 21 landfills in the country. An additional 307 dump
sites are subject for closure or rehabilitation plans but without
definite schedules for enforcement. About 215 additional landfills
are being proposed to be set up nationwide.
About 1,000 open and controlled dump sites exist in the country.
Prominent dumps all over the country can be found in Antipolo and
Montalban in Rizal; Baguio City; Calapan, Mindoro Oriental; Carmen,
Cagayan de Oro; Mandurriao, Iloilo City; Obando, Bulacan; and San
Pedro, Laguna.
Environmentalists stress that Republic Act 9003 calls for the
adoption of the best environmental practices in ecological waste
management and explicitly excludes waste incineration as an
ecological option. These polluting disposal facilities are major
sources of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere which adds to
global warming.Landfills and open dumps, according to studies,
account for 34 percent of human-related methane emissions to the
atmosphere, a global warming gas that has 23 times more
heat-trapping power than carbon dioxide. These landfills and open
dumps are illegal under RA 9003.
Incinerators, on the other hand, have significantly higher
levels of greenhouse gas emissions (per kilowatt) than a coal-fired
power plant when all of the carbon coming out of an incinerator
stack is measured. Such emissions are banned by the countrys Clean
Air Act.Inaction on garbage contributes to the death of at least
two persons every minute due to complications from environmental
problems, which could be prevented if the country only developed a
more efficient environmental management program.
Mismanagement of waste has serious environmental consequences:
ground and surface water contamination, local flooding, air
pollution, exposure to toxins, and spread of disease. Many of the
disposal sites contain infectious material, thus threatening
sanitation workers and waste-pickers.
Annual waste generation in the Philippines is expected to grow
40 percent by 2010. Improvements in recycling, collection, and
disposal will become even more critical as garbage production
continues to increase with population growth and economic
development.
Past efforts to promote waste segregation at source have minimal
impact despite the presence of Republic Act 9003. Most of these
were barangay, city, and municipal ordinances providing for
sanctions and penalties for non-compliance. Campaigns, seminars,
trainings and other different community activities were implemented
with the help of various private groups or NGOs to pursue the
objective of solving the garbage problem.
RA 9003 further calls for the establishment of materials
recovery facilities, or ecology centers, in every barangay or
cluster of a barangay. To date, only 1,923 ecology centers exist,
serving 2,133 barangays of a total 41,975 nationwide. In Quezon
City alone, only 52 barangays have established Materials Recovery
Facilities out of a total of 142.
Peoples Behavior Toward WasteBehaviour is a key cultural aspect
that is embedded in peoples way of life. Studying a communitys
behavior and introducing new ones requires intensive, long-term,
and creative social marketing. This can be done by studying the
demographic and cultural fiber of the community through immersions
and capacity building activities.
The Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies,
Inc.s (REECS) 2002 study on household waste management systems and
the attitudes and behavior of the communities in two barangays in
Metro Manila (Bennagen, Nepomuceno, Covar, 2002) showed that:
1. Waste management is still perceived by many as the
responsibility of government. 2. Public participation in waste
management, especially in segregation at source, remains limited.3.
More extensive awareness- raising activities and training on
ecological waste management are needed, together with stricter
enforcement of the Law and local ordinances must be observed.4.
There is lack of community empowerment and political will to
resolve the problem.
Recognizing the importance of the environments immediate
recovery and effects of improper waste management to the
Philippines, there is a need for understanding and reformation of
attitudes and concern towards the protection of environment. The
impending garbage crisis can be prevented if we only practice waste
segregation at source, recycling, and composting as what the law
requires. An intensive social marketing program has to be
established on a long-term scale within a barangay the smallest
unit of the local government.
REACTION:
Since I was a kid I already see the waste problem in Manila. It
was the big problem that our environment is facing on. The garbage
which destroy our nature so much that even government provide law
has not been resolve easily. I saw people living in the dumpsite
which alarm me. I think that they will get a lot of disease
there.
There are lots of ways to reduce using plastics, which are the
most abundant of all waste. First, other city like Quezon City,
Makati, Pasay and etc even provinces prohibited the use of plastics
in markets to help reduce the garbage in the dumpsite. Second,
recycle; this is the best way to avoid too much wasting of
resources that is in our environment. Third, reuse the plastics you
have.
As a student, I do not throw garbage in the street so that it
may not cause clogging of canals and other drainage. I also
participate in cleaning and planting trees in my school way back in
high school to protect our Mother Earth.
Philippines disaster may have been worsened by climate change,
deforestationJeremy Hancemongabay.comDecember 20, 2011
As the Philippines begins to bury more than a 1,000 disaster
victims in mass graves, Philippine President Benigno Aquino has
ordered an investigation into last weekend's flash flood and
landslide, including looking at the role of illegal logging.
Officials have pointed to both climate change and vast
deforestation as likely exacerbating the disaster.
"We have no desire to engage in finger-pointing or to assign
blame at a time like this. Yet, we have an obligation to find out
exactly what has happened," Aquino said, according to the Christian
Science Monitor.
On Friday, Typhoon Sendong brought 12 hours of continuous rain
to Mindanao Island; reports say rivers flooded and villagers were
crushed by logs or drowned. The Philippines has declared a national
disaster with the storm affecting 338,000 people in 13 provinces.
The storm is now the deadliest of 2011.
President Aquino stated that he was concerned a logging ban was
violated, worsening the disaster. In February, following flooding
that killed around 40people, Aquino banned logging across the
Philippines arguing that deforestation had made much of the country
dangerously prone to landslide and flooding.
Tropical cyclone Sendong as seen by NASA's Terra satellite.
Photo by: NASA.
However, a priest who worked in the area, Sean McDonagh, told
The Universe Catholic Weekly that decades of deforestation was to
blame for the scale of the disaster. Much of the region was
converted from rainforest into pineapple plantations.
"The deforestation was literally criminal," he said. "If the
rainforest in the area had been left intact, even 12 hours of
continuous rain would not cause this devastation. The rainforest
canopy would stop the torrential rain from hitting the ground
directly. Trees would also absorb the water. While you might have
local floods, you would not have the disaster which happened the
other night."
Father McDonagh said the deforested mountain-sides were now
being sold-off for open-pit mining which would only worsen future
flooding impacts.
"Ten or twenty years from now, the disastrous floods will kill
hundreds more almost every year and contain mercury, cyanide and
other heavy metals. This is the time to stop the madness of the
plunder of the Philippines," Father McDonagh said.
He added there must be a "serious effort" to reforest the
mountains.
Officials have also stated that climate change likely
exacerbated the intensity of the storm.
Senator Loren Legarda told the Sun Times that in an age of
climate change the government must do more to reduce risks in the
fact of such disasters.
"With this calamitous flood disaster, now the fourth that has
struck our country, and the second in Mindanao just this year,
climate change is now a clear and present danger and a national
security concern for our country," Legarda said, calling the
reduction of disaster risk a "moral responsibility."
In fact, according toJeff Masters with Weather Underground, sea
surface temperatures at Mindanao were 1 degree Celsius above
average with the warm waters adding around 7 percent more moisture
into the atmosphere than usual.
Although researchers have investigated the impact of climate
change on tropical cyclones, there is still considerable debate as
to whether or not climate change is likely to increase or decrease
cyclone activity. However, most scientists agree that climate
change is will increase the intensity of such storms, including
more rainfall.
"Climate change and global warming are here, no doubt about it,"
an editorial by the Business Mirror declares. "And the government
should have in place comprehensive plans for identified
disaster-prone areas, such as coastal and mountainside communities,
to minimize loss of lives and destruction of property, public
infrastructure and agricultural crops when disaster strikes."
The Business Mirror adds that the impact of the tropical cyclone
was worsened by the fact that it occurred in the middle of the
night and people had little warning. In addition, illegal logging,
mining, and urbanization worsened matters.
A report in 2009 by the Philippine Imperative for Climate Change
(PICC), World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines (WWF), and Filipino
scientists predicted just such a disaster in Mindanao as happened
on Friday. Simulating extreme weather possibilities the group found
that the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, both hit hard by the
typhoon, were particularly vulnerable to intense flooding from
storm surges and overflowing rivers.
Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, chief executive of WWF-Philippines, told
the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the disaster over the weekend
"was an exact fit."
However, the 2009 IPCC report was largely ignored by
legislators.
"They said I was being too alarmist," Nereus Acosta, who headed
the IPCC at the time, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
REACTION:
What we do to in the nature will come to us too. Illegal cutting
of trees, throwing of garbage everywhere, and other human
activities has an impact to ours too. Like what have been said in
the article the disaster in the Philippines are now worsened by the
climate change and deforestation.
As we can see, our forests are now cleared and there were
already commercial buildings and houses build in there. It is not
good to see that our ecosystem now are not that balance. There is
larger population over the trees which are not good to us. We are
losing clean air for breathing as well as clean water to drink.
Also, because of the deforestation there are no more trees to
absorb rain water which causes deadly landslide and flood. Trees
which absorbed the carbon dioxide are now gone resulting to
greenhouse gases.
Preserving ParadiseReport by EnviroNewsphAugust 19, 2014
We cruise through the turquoise waters of Bacuit Bay and marvel
at the limestone karst islets imposing their grandiosity upon us.
Above the lagoons, swiftlets make their way to the hidden caves and
crevices to build their nests, from which this famed Philippine
paradise got its name.Written by: Sophia Dedace,World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF-Philippines)
Photo by:World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines)Located at
the northern part of mainland Palawan, the municipality of El Nido
is a dream destination to many. Tourist arrivals rose from about
10,000 in 1994 to around 65,000 in 2014 a dramatic 550% spike
within two decades. What was once Palawans secret gem is now a
hotspot for mainstream tourists who can now visit this picturesque
town for the cheap.Roderick Moralde, who heads the towns
association of licensed tour guides, worries that El Nido might
follow Boracays road to ruin.El Nido has taken off, but if we fly
too high and too fast, well burn our wings and risk paying the
price of unmonitored and uncoordinated development. The question is
not whether to refuse change, but how to manage it. What we need is
careful, balanced development, says Roderick, who was born and
raised in El Nido.Roderick airs his sentiments during a gathering
of seasoned ecotourism front-liners organized by top environmental
solutions provider World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines)
last June in his town.Set against the gentle coast of Bacuit Bay,
the meeting was the third time WWF-Philippines Ecotourism Community
of Practice (ECOP) gathered to report on progress attained and
challenges experienced in their respective banner ecotourism sites.
The organization convened the conference to help ensure that the
tourism industrys growth provides an experience that encourages
repeat visits, is equitable for local communities, and does not
trespass on environmental boundaries.Members of the ECOP include
key tourism operators and stakeholders in the national and local
government sharing the common goal of developing Philippine
ecotourism within the limits of acceptable change. Aside from El
Nido, the other case studies covered for 2014 are Puerto Princesa
Underground River (PPUR), the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park,
Donsol town in Sorsogon, plus Peablanca town in Cagayan
province.The Three Pillars of Sustainable EcotourismThe Aquino
administrations National Development Plan for Tourism seeks to
establish the Philippines as Asias must-experience destination,
while building an environmentally and socially responsible tourism
that delivers more equitable income and employment
opportunities.Environmentally responsible tourism is one of the new
growth poles of a green economy providing sustainable
infrastructure, business opportunities, jobs, and income. A
well-managed tourism industry can contribute to economic
development and poverty reduction.Pursuant to the Tourism Act of
2009, we want to develop this industry as one that is ecologically
sustainable, responsible, participative, culturally sensitive, and
ethically plus socially equitable for local communities, says Ms.
Rica Bueno, the DOTs Director for Standards and Regulation, the
national governments representative to the ECOP.When
WWF-Philippines first convened the Ecotourism Community of Practice
in July 2012, it outlined the three pillars of sustainable tourism,
namely: Natural Asset Protection, Enhanced Visitor Experience, and
Direct Community Benefit.A Community of Practice is especially
valuable in creating new knowledge for sustainable ecotourism
advancement, maximized through partnerships and networking. The
three pillars are enumerated not according priority. They must
remain balanced for the sustained survival of an ecotourism
operation, says Joel Palma, WWF-Philippines Vice-president for
Conservation Programs.Using the case study method, ECOP
participants spent an entire day of open discussions on best
practices plus roadblocks that weaken the attainment of the three
pillars.Anton Carag, professional ecotourism developer based in
Cagayan, discussed Donsols need to diversify its tourism product
mix to address the decline in tourist arrivals despite the increase
in sightings of whale sharks, the main attraction of this hotspot
in the Bicol region.Carag himself is hard-pressed to break the
impasse between his hometown of Peablanca and the Cagayan
provincial government when it comes to increasing the funding for
the Callao Cave Tourist Zone. Cagayans tourism budget is only PHP
1.5 Million annually, which covers all 28 municipalities. All
collections from the Zones measly PHP 20.00 entrance fee per person
goes to the provinces general fund. Profits cannot be used to
improve deteriorating facilities in the Zone.Robert Alabado, former
city planner of Davao, advised Carag that reinventing the users fee
system plus sharing profit between the provincial government and
the Peablanca LGU may enhance visitor experience at the Zone.Adds
WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan: You have
to know your product proposition and have a full tourism menu so
you can stay ahead of the curve. The sign of a successful tourist
destination is repeat visits.Angelique Songco, Park Superintendent
of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park, highlighted the
successes of the new management of the Puerto Princesa Underground
River Natural Park (PPUR), whose operations were once beset by an
outdated and disorganized booking system.Tourist arrivals breached
the Parks carrying capacity when it was voted among the New 7
Wonders of Nature in 2012. Mayor LuciloBayron, who was elected the
following year, installed new management led by Park Superintendent
Elizabeth Maclang.As a first step, the new Park administration
installed a more credible computerized booking system designed to
allow bookings of no more than 900 guests per day. To pro-actively
prevent the Parks point-of-sale from becoming a point-of-anxiety,
transparency was highlighted. The real-time status of each days
bookings was made visible to all visitors and tour operators. A
board displayed this constantly updated information in the Parks
booking office for all to see.Among the case studies discussed in
the conference, only PPUR emerged as the sole financially
self-sustaining ecotourism site.We wanted to champion transparency
to all stakeholders so we can preserve the Underground Rivers
prestige as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, due to increased
revenue flow, we can target the funding of PHP 1 Million per year
to four indigenous communities in Puerto Princesa, says a beaming
Maclang.ECOP participants ended the day with heated discussions on
El Nidos Tourism Master Plan, which WWF-Philippines is helping the
local government develop. Key problems include illegal tour boat
operations, traffic congestion, plus an inadequate water
supply.This hubbub of activity echoes the experience of tourism
areas such as Boracay and Puerto Galera. Some units of the LGU, the
tourism sector, and non-governmental organizations apparently seem
intent on proceeding with their own projects, even before a Tourism
Master Plan is finalized and approved.Tourism is one of the fastest
growing industries worldwide. In the Philippines, many of our
tourist sites are famous for their outstanding natural beauty.
Because tourists come for the scenery and for memorable
experiences, it makes sense for the tourism sector to look after
its lifelineits natural environment and its people.The benefits of
responsible tourism are not far-off and unclear. They are tangible,
and in several cases, can be perceived immediately. In contrast, it
may take years before the negative impacts of neglect are
felt.WWF-Philippines convened the Ecotourism Community of Practice
so that the countrys developers and front-liners can help one
another identify solutions and opportunities, plus learn from
mistakes and success stories.This is about thinking beyond our
fences; this is about building bridges. We have to develop a
constituency for what we are doing. There has to be a sense of
ownership and local stewardship, concludes Tan.Reaction:It was a
good idea to preserve the paradise we have now. A lot of tourist
spot in the Philippines should gain proper management as well as
care for them to not be destroyed. As I've read, there are national
and international groups of people whom help preserving our own
paradise so that it will last long. There are some wonderful place
been stated in this article namely El Nido, Puerto Princesa
Underground River, Tubataha reefs and others that they had already
plans to keep it beautiful. I think it is time to do this action to
the said places so that it will not become destroy like the other
wonderful paradise such as Boracay.
Unregulated small-scale gold mining imperils 2 watershedsBy Dino
Balabo(The Philippine Star) | Updated July 2, 2014 - 12:00amMALOLOS
CITY, Philippines Unregulated small-scale gold mining is
threatening the Angat and Marikina watersheds and is also
endangering the environment and public health, according to an
environmental group.
MALOLOS CITY, Philippines Unregulated small-scale gold mining is
threatening the Angat and Marikina watersheds and is also
endangering the environment and public health, according to an
environmental group.Small-scale gold mining operations are
scattered in different watersheds and river systems of the Sierra
Madre in Bulacan and Rizal, said Elizabeth Carranza, chairperson of
the Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance (SSMNA).Since no government
body has been monitoring these mining operations, miners are
releasing toxic mercury into the waters. Mining also causes heavy
siltation and erosion and increases hazards and disaster risk,
especially to riverside and low-lying communities, Carranza
added.In a report it released recently in collaboration with
Philippine Pollution Monitor, the SSMNA said artisanal and
small-scale gold mining operations are going on in major head
rivers of three critical Luzon watersheds Angat, Umiray and
Marikina.The Angat watershed is the primary source of domestic
water for millions of families in Metro Manila and Central Luzon,
while the Marikina watershed drains into other critical ecosystems
such as the Marikina River and Laguna de Bay.Watersheds, according
to the SSMNA, fall under the No Go Mining Zone category under
Executive Order 79 of President Aquino. These areas are also
covered by ancestral domain claims of the Agta and Dumagat tribal
groups.The SSMNA particularly raised concern about the use by
small-scale gold miners of mercury which, once released into the
environment, can travel great distances and may cause contamination
of ecosystems, wildlife and the food chain.More and more people are
continuously flocking to these watersheds in search of livelihood.
Both the national and local government units must act now to
regulate these mining operations and lessen their impacts to the
environment, Carranza said.In Sitio Angelo alone, which is part of
the Angat-Umiray watershed, the SSMNA has recorded a growing
community of migrants from the Cordilleras and the Bicol region
that started gold mining in the area in the 1970s.The SSMNA said
the government should promote participatory and genuine watershed
management in these areas and involve the affected communities,
especially the indigenous groups, in decision-making.
REACTION:This is another problem of the government. As what I've
watch in the television, there are few small mining companies work
in the parts of Zambales which already destroys the nature and the
stated above is the watershed. We were losing clean watershed like
Angat River that supply the water in larger part of Metro Manila.
Watersheds become stain-like color which cannot be used by people
for its dangerous chemicals. There were also people who gain
disease coming from the chemicals used in mining.I think its about
time to stop mining works so we can prevent mere soil erosion,
disease and land degradation. And also, the government should
indulge their selves in caring and protecting our nature from
corrupt people.
Philippine forests are rapidly disappearingReport by
HenrylitoTacioJune 27, 2013
In 2011, Typhoon Sendong brought 12 hours of continuous rain
toMindanaoIsland. Tragedy took place after that. The rivers flooded
and people were crushed by logs or drowned. The government declared
it a national disaster with the storm affecting 338,000 people in
13 provinces.Sean McDonagh, a priest who worked in the area, said
that decades of deforestation Cagayan de Oro City and nearby
provinces was to blame for the scale of the disaster. Much of the
region was converted from rainforest into pineapple plantations.The
deforestation was literally criminal, he toldThe Universe Catholic
Weekly. If the rainforest in the area had been left intact, even 12
hours of continuous rain would not cause this devastation. The
rainforest canopy would stop the torrential rain from hitting the
ground directly. Trees would also absorb the water.The root cause
is the denudation of our forests, commented one environmentalist.
This is a sin of the past that we are paying now.Harold R. Watson,
a former American agriculturist who had been helping the locals
inMindanao, agreed. When man sins against the earth, the wages of
that sin is death or destruction, he explained. This seems to be
universal law of God and relates to all of Gods creation. We face
the reality of what mans sins against the earth have caused. We are
facing not a mere problem; we are facing destruction and even death
if we continue to destroy the natural resources that support life
on earth.It is impossible to exaggerate the ecological debacle
threatening thePhilippines. More than 90 years ago,
thePhilippineswas almost totally covered with forest resources
distributed throughout the 30 million hectares. These resources
provided income, employment, food, medicine, building materials,
and water as well as a healthy environment.In the 1950s, only
three-fourths of the archipelago was covered with forest, according
to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). By
1972, the figure had shrunk to half, and by 1988 only quarter was
wooded and just one tiny fraction of this was virgin forest.The
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said about
7,665,000 hectares of the country is forested. Between 1990 and
2010, the country lost an average of 54,750 hectares per
year.According to environmentalists, logging operations legal and
otherwise are mowing down the countrys remaining forest cover. The
Rev. Peter Walpole,executive director of the Ateneo de Manila
Universitys Environmental Science for Social Change, said
thePhilippinestrusted logging companies to cut down trees and
manage the forest. But they did a very bad job, he decried. That
started the problem that we have now.In 1989, the government
imposed a lumber export ban in an effort to save the countrys
forests from uncontrolled illegal logging. The following year, the
ban was quietly lifted, but was reinstated after loud
criticism.DENR, the lead agency responsible for the countrys
natural resources and ecosystems, is virtually powerless in
stopping rampant illegal logging. It has no guns, no radios, no
boats, and only few men to roam the jungles, where they are usually
terrorized by armed men or rebels.Another culprit of the rapid
disappearance of forests in the country: mining operations. This is
the reason why some Blaan tribe in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur are
fighting the entry of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) into what tribe
leaders said was the tribes ancestral domain.The forest, to us, is
like a vast market. We get everything we need there. It is our
hunting ground, our drugstore, our farmland and our sanctuary.
Destroy the forest and you also destroy our lives, Rita Dialang was
quoted as saying by thePhilippine Daily Inquirer.Other causes of
deforestation in the country include forest fires, volcanic
eruptions, geothermal explorations, dam construction and
operations, fuelwood collection, and land development projects
(construction of subdivision, industrial estates, and commercial
sites).The countrys surging population has likewise contributed to
the problem. At least a fourth of the total population lives in the
upland areas, where most trees are located. Most of them practiced
slash-and-burning agriculture (kainginfarming). These migrant
farmers attack virgin forest lands to cultivate the rich soil,
which they quickly deplete, observed Watson. Then, they move on,
looking for more. One day, there is no more.If you think
deforestation happens only in the uplands, youre wrong. Even in the
lowlands, mangroves are fast disappearing.Mangrove forests grow
where saltwater meets the shore in tropical and subtropical
regions, thus serving as aninterface between terrestrial,
fresh-water and marine ecosystems.In 1981, there were an estimated
450,000 hectares of mangrove areas in the country. Since then,
there has been a decreasing trend from 375,000 hectares in 1950 to
about 120,000 hectares in 1995.At that time, one environmentalist
wrote: All over the country, whatever coastal province you visit,
you see the same plight desolate stretches of shoreline completely
stripped of mangrove cover and now totally exposed to the pounding
of the oceans waves.Deforestation is a symptom of a bigger problem,
says Nicolo del Castillo, an architect by profession who teaches at
the University of thePhilippines. I probably soundbaduy(tacky and
outdated) but I see the problem in the prevailing system of values,
that is, the greed, the need to be the biggest, the wealthiest, and
sometimes you feel hopeless. I am an optimist, but possibly there
will be more tragedies and maybe then more people will wake up.How
many Ormoc tragedy where almost 5,000 people perished (almost half
of them residents of Isla Verde should happen before Filipinos
should heed the warning?For over a century, we have waged a
relentless assault against our once majestic woodlands, said
ex-Senator Heherson Alvarez. We have laid to waste millions of
hectares of forest land, as though heedless of the tragic examples
of the countries of Africa, the Middle East and theMediterranean,
where large areas have become barren, if not desertified. If we
have not reached this state, we are almost at the point of
irreversibility.But perhaps not. Hope is on its way, said Dr. David
Kaimowitz, director-general of Center for International Forestry
Research. We have had enough of doom and gloom.For this reason, the
FAO regional office inBangkokpublishedIn Search of Excellence:
Exemplary Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific. These
inspiring stories remind us there are good people out there doing
good things in the forests, Dr. Kaimowitz said.Of the 22 case
studies featured in the 404-page book, four are from
thePhilippines.Luzonhas three good examples. The Kalahan Forest
Reserve betweenSanta Fe, Nueva Vizcaya and San Nicolas, Pangasinan,
provides a compelling case of an indigenous ethnic group using
forestry practices to help maintain cultural identity.Theres
themuyongas practised by the Ifugao people, known for their rice
terraces. Amuyongis an untilled slope covered mainly with timber,
fruit trees, climbing rattan, bamboo, palms and other associated
natural vegetation, which is often used as a source of fuelwood.In
Los Baos, Laguna, the 4,224-hectare Mount Makiling Forest Reserve
is the only intact forest within the vicinity of Metro Manila, said
the book, published by the FAO regional office. When it was first
set up in the early 1900s, its primary objective was to promote
scientific and technical knowledge related to conservation and
ecosystems.In Kalibo, Aklan, the 70-hectare Buswang Mangrove
Plantations was included in the book. The reason: A community-based
organization is able to protect the area, and later the forest,
from encroachers, including attempts by powerful individuals to
appropriate parts of the area for their own use.Mindanaohas no case
included. But since the late 1970s, the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life
Center (MBRLC) in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, has been promoting the
Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT), a sustainable upland
farming that combines soil conservation and reforestation in one
setting.The FAO book was published in 2005. Watson, the director of
MBRLC, was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1985 for his
innovation. But despite the sustainability of the aforementioned
systems, they failed to capture the attention of policymakers and
even politicians. Farmers, even landowners, also ignored them.
REACTION:This is a bad phenomena happening in our nature. What
we do in our environment is already bouncing back to us. How? We
are facing on the environmental degradation which is the
destruction of our environment or the effects of what we did in the
nature. We should take steps to stop this destruction and revive
our environment. People must open their eyes to this situation. We
should now change our lifestyle. Taking some steps to stop clearing
the forests in the Philippines.
Polluted waters of Manila Bay can be savedReport by
EnviroNewsphJuly 24, 2013
Photo credit: Greenpeace
Manila Bay, the famous and most polluted body of water in the
country, can still be rehabilitated, according to the scientists
from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute and
Greenpeace.
Scientists, who conducted a water sampling along the shore of
Manila Bay on Tuesday aboard Greenpeace ship Esperanza, call on the
government to enact urgent measures to reverse the bays declining
state.When you think of Manila Bay, contrasting images come to
mind. First of a coastline littered with trash, and second, of a
beautiful sunset, said Dr Laura David of UP-MSI. But what is really
interesting is that underneath these familiar images, Manila Bay,
with all its pollution, still contains life and gives life.With
strong political will, the comprehensive rehabilitation of Manila
Bay is not impossible. Government agencies and local government
units should not lose sight of fulfilling this goal, said Vince
Cinches, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Oceans Campaigner.The waters of
Manila Bay contains domestic sewage, toxic industrial effluents
from factories and shipping operations, leachate from garbage
dumps, and runoff from chemical agriculture, converge into a
hideous cocktail, they said.Although a subject of a Writ of
Continuing Mandamus issued by the Supreme Court in 2008, ordering
various government agencies to help in its clean up, the bays
condition remains largely unimproved.Research shows that
unprocessed waste ending up in the bay has resulted in high levels
of fecal coliform and the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, and
excess feeds in its waters. This, along with other factors, have
resulted in the degradation of Manila Bay and its coastal areas,
resulting in an estimated PHP 4 billion in damages yearly, mostly
in fisheries, exports, and mortality costs due to waterborne
diseases.Pollutants which come from both land and sea are
responsible for grave effects on marine life because they interfere
with the functions of marine ecosystem, said ENS Grace Idos, Chief
of Staff of the Marine Environmental Research and Development
Center (MERDC) of theMarine Environmental Protection Command
(MEPCOM) of the Philippine Coast Guard, present during a press
conference after the scientific demonstration. Among the many
contributors to the pollution in Manila Bay are oil spills coming
from ships, vessels, and industries along waterways and land
vehicles that throw their used oil in creeks, canals, and drainage
every time they change engine oil.Partial economic valuation of
selected uses of Manila Bays resources in 2006 estimated more than
PHP 8.7 billion a year earned from aquaculture (PHP 5.1 billion),
tourism (PHP 2 billion), and in ports/harbors and offshore
fisheries. Among the major economic activities in Manila Bay are
mussel (tahong) and oyster (talaba) farming. Overfishing is
prevalent in the bay which is also a source of commercially
important species such as hasa-hasa, bisugo, bagaong, pusit,
alimasag, and hiponsuahe.However, because of pollution, marine
species in the bay may contain heavy metals and other persistent
toxic substances. Dr. Romeo Quijano,Professor in the Department of
Pharmacology and Toxicology, UP College of Medicine, says that once
ingested, these pollutants may cause cancer, immune system disease,
endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, congenital
malformation and developmental disorders, and many other
diseases.Allowing the seas to recover benefits not only the
environment but also ourselves, said Cinches. Manila Bay,
representative of the challenges besetting Philippine seas, is
dying. Restoring Manila Bay, as well as Philippine seas in general,
is not just aesthetic. It brings life and livelihood to coastal
communities. Greenpeace is calling on the Philippine government to
enact a Roadmap to Recovery for the Philippine Seas that would
allow our seas to continue to be a productive resource for future
generations of Filipinos.The Esperanza is in the Philippines for
the Ocean Defender Tour of Southeast Asia 2013. The tour aims to
tell the story of the richness and the beauty of the Philippine
seas, expose destruction that causes marine degradation, and sound
the alarm to call for urgent government action to save the
Philippine seas from crisis. Filipinos can join the growing
movement of people dedicated to saving the seas by signing up
atwww.defendouroceans.org.
REACTION:It's good to hear that the Manila Bay, one of a
historical heritage of our country can now be restored. I am happy
that there are some species of marine animals that are living in
the bay. Our government should support this project so that we can
put back the beauty of the Manila Bay. We also need to participate
in restoring the place because it is our responsible in the
community. Avoid too much throwing of garbage in the bay to help in
this project. As a student I will try to help in this.
Saving Philippine coral reefs from degradationReport by
EnviroNewsphApril 21, 2013
Photo Credit: Shane K. Beary
Large areas were found with very high live coral cover, up to
nearly 100 percent in places, but live coral coverage would have
been much higher had there not been heavy dynamite fishing damage
in many areas in the past.This was part of the written report of
Dr. Thomas J. Goreau after he and his team assessed the coral reefs
in and around Tubalan Cove of Malita, Davao del Sur in southern
Philippines.Dr. Goreau is the president of the Global Coral Reef
Alliance, a non-profit international organization founded in 1994
working exclusively to save coral reefs.Fish populations were very
poor except around promontories with higher water flow, reported
Dr. Goreau, whohas dived longer and in more coral reefs around the
world than any coral scientist. The area has a mix of prime dive
sites suitable for ecotourism, as well as extensively damaged areas
badly in need of restoration as fisheries habitat.But what amazed
the team was finding almost the entire sea bed within the cove to
be colony of one species of fragile cabbage corals.This is unique,
British diver Andrew MacDonald and his wife Jane Widdison wrote in
their report. We have only seen one species dominate an individual
offshore reef before, but have never seen any other ancient coral
colonies like this which cover such a large area. It appears that
this colony covers an area of several hundred hectares and it is
likely that these corals have taken centuries to form like this.The
couple has lived and dived in Mindanao for four years before
joining the survey team. According to them, the presence of the
ancient cabbage coral colony alone makes Tubalan Cove as one of the
most special and unique places in the world for marine biologists
and recreational divers alike.The corals are very varied and
colorful a mixture of soft and hard corals just what dive tourists
like to see, the husband and wife divers said in their report. The
corals are better in condition and coverage the closer you are to
the open sea.Theres even more: Diving amongst the corals of Tubalan
cove offers great opportunities for macro (small marine creature)
spotting and photography as good as anywhere in the world, the two
divers reported.We saw several species of small animals that are
highly prized by dive photographers.But there are bad news. One is
turbidity of waters. Tubalan Bay acts as a sediment trap for
material eroded into the bay from the surrounding watershed. As a
result, the waters in the bay are more turbid than outside,
typically more in the 10 meter visibility range than the 20-30
meter range seen outside the bay, Dr. Goreau said in his
report.Compounding the problem is the ever-growing population. The
muddiest waters were in the western side of the bay, where the
largest populations are, most of the fish farms, and where almost
all the interior river drainage enters the bay. In these areas
visibility was as little as 10 centimeters.There is also the
problem of destructive fishing methods by those living near the
bay. Physical damage typical of dynamite fishing was very common,
both inside of and outside of the bay, Dr. Goreau reported. These
ranged from isolated craters in huge stands of intact coral to
large areas of rubble with few, or no, intact living corals.The
destruction of coral reefs caught his attention because
Mindanaolies near the center of the Coral Triangle Region, which
has the highest marine biodiversity on earth.Mindanao still has
many reef areas that have never been dived on, much less
systematically surveyed for species diversity, Dr. Goreau said. But
it is safe to say that the biodiversity of the reefs is among the
best in the world, as the area is linked by ocean currents with the
surrounding reefs, and may contain endemic species yet to be
described.The assessment was done in 2009 through the initiative of
Zooxanthella, Inc., with support from the local government unit and
Southern Philippine Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of
Technology.Zooxanthella was looking for a suitable location in
which to establish a marine resources rehabilitation and research
center.The center is the entry points for Zooxanthellas drive to
introduce SAVE (scientific, academic, volunteer and educational)
tourism to Mindanao, said Shane Beary, the vice president of the
organization who contacted Dr. Goreau to conduct the survey.It was
SAVE tourism that made Costa Rica the world renowned ecotourism
destination that it is today, and can do the same for responsible
tourism and local livelihood development in the Philippines,he
added.Before the year ends, the Zooxanthella Project will be
launched in the area to see how the reefs are faring three years
after the survey was conducted. It also aims to introduce the
biorock (mineral accretion-based) reef rehabilitation system to
rapidly accelerate the rehabilitation of coral in damaged
areas.Tourism alone is not the answer, Beary admitted, but used
properly, it can be a powerful development too providing the
funding and stimulus to address the financial, social and
environmental problems that the local people face.The Philippines
has 22,500 square kilometers of coral reef area, which represent 9
percent of the global total. It has the third-largest area in the
world after Australia and Indonesia.
REACTION:Nowadays, some of our marine systems are endangered due
to pollution and other human activities. So it is good to see in
article like this that people try to save the living coral reefs in
the sea. We all know that coral reefs serve as habitat to fishes
and other aquatic animals. So, we need to help in protecting the
sea and other marine system in order to save the inhabitants of
that place.If coral reefs are gone under the sea, the fishes will
go to die and if this will happen people would not have fish to be
eaten. So our role in the society is to protect what we have like
the trees, fishes and as well as the other creature. We should also
help preventing the ecological degradation in order lives to be
still.
The age of the Ifugao Rice Terraces is a great mysteryReport by
Imelda AbanoJuly 10, 2013
Soaring to great heights, the Ifugao Rice Terraces is touted to
be a masterpiece of the ingenuity of the highland people in
Northern Philippines for generations. Its beauty, magnitude, people
and history is truly breathtaking. But up to this day, questions
remain on how old the Ifugao Rice Terraces really is?For so many
years, local and foreign anthropologists, archaeologists and
historians continue to provoke interest and imagination to the
origin and age of the rice terraces.Textbooks and national
histories have long been carrying the findings of American
anthropologists Roy F. Burton and Henry Otley Beyer putting the age
of the rice terraces to be 2,000 or 3,000 years old. Other scholars
have argued that the existence of the rice terraces might be 300
years old or as late as the arrival of the Spanish in the
Philippine lowlands.But according to the latest findings of the
Ifugao Archaeological Project led by Filipino archaeologist Stephen
Acabado, the Ifugao Rice Terraces were built circa 1500 to 1600 AD,
making it 400 to 500 years old only. Its a great mystery. The
debates on the actual age of the rice terraces are still intense
because of the implications that are attached to the antiquity of
the rice terraces such as its history, tourism, among others,
Acabado told the Philippine EnviroNews, who presented his groups
initial findings at the University of the Philippines Baguio last
week.Acabado said his group excavated on the site of the Old
Kiyyangan Village in Ifugao using the Bulk Soil Radiocarbon Dates
and the Bayesian approach or tools to determine the antiquity and
age of events.Acabado said that by using digitized land use maps
and ethnographic data on rice terracing practices in Ifugao, they
identified the Bocos terrace system in Banaue as the oldest
terraces. Excavations were conducted there to obtain charcoal
samples for radiocarbon determinations.In their study, Acabado said
that the dating of the Ifugao agricultural terraces provides
several contributions to the Philippine and Southeast Asian. First,
he argued, the Bayesian model offers an approach to date other
agricultural terrace system in the Cordillera and therest of
Southeast Asia.Second, the radiocarbon determinations and
subsequent calibrations from the Bocos agricultural terraces
suggest that the suite of agricultural strategies of ancient
Filipinos include terracing.Indeed, terraces can be seen across the
Philippine archipelago not as magnificent as what we see inthe
Cordilleras, but illustrates similartechnology, he added.He said
that based on their findings, the extent of the rice terraces that
we see today could be a product of historical population movements
in between 1500-1600 AD.If the initial terrace expansion coincides
with the arrival of theSpanish in the Northern Luzon lowlands in AD
1585, this correlation may suggest that indigenous population
migration away from the Spanish invasionand into the highland was
significant enough to expand terrace systems, their study
indicated.Acabado argued that earlier studies on the actual age of
the rice terraces in Ifugao lack systematic archaeological
data.Their project is a collaboration among the National Museum of
the Philippines,Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMO), the
Cordillera Studies Center- University of the Philippines-Baguio,
Archaeological Studies Program University of the
Philippines-Diliman, the University of Guam and the local
government of Ifugao.What matters most?Acabado, however, said that
the aim of their archaeological works in Ifugao also aim to promote
theidea that an older or later dating does not diminish the
heritage value of the Ifugao rice terraces. Photo by: Imelda
AbanoThe rice terraces symbolize the rich culture of Filipinos.
Rehabilitation and restoration efforts of the people in Ifugao and
the Philippine government are much needed in order to preserve its
integrity and survival, Acabado stressed.In 1995, the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
inscribed five clusters of theRice Terracesto its World Heritage
List: those of Batad and Bangaan (in Banaue), Nagacadan (in
Kiangan), Hungduan, and Mayoyao.For Marlon Martin, Chief Operating
Officer of the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMO), the
actual age of the rice terraces does not matter to the people of
Ifugao.We hope that this latest archaeological finding would boost
our campaign to integrate cultural heritage and indigenous
knowledge at the heart of formal education systems, Martin said.He
lamented that indigenous knowledge transfer is ever important as
most of the elders are now dying or too old to teach.Also at
present, environmental degradation and neglect, largely brought
about by modern life and changing values of Ifugaos young
generation, have robbed this natural wonder of its exotic beauty.
Already, sections of the terraces have worn away, with jagged earth
now showing where green rice stalks once swayed.Its also a
challenge for us to restore, rehabilitate and maintain the beauty
of our heritage. Some people also abandoned the terraces in favor
of more lucrative livelihood opportunities in big cities, Martin
said.According to the belief of most of the Ifugaos, god gave them
therice terraces, which enabled them to live and grow food in a
harsh environment.Whatever the age of the rice terraces is, it is
still a testimony to the splendor of the ancient cultural landscape
and the rich culture of the people, Martin said.REACTION:I don't
see personally the Banaue Rice Terraces but I want to say it
magnificent. It's not easy to build that kind of land creature. It
was great indeed beautiful how the ancient people work on that said
place. As I can see, the rice terraces are a cultural heritage that
we need to preserve for lifetime to show to other generation how
brilliant our ancestors are. For it to happen, the tourists who
visit in the rice terraces should not throw garbage and instead
help in preserving the beauty of the said place.
REFERENCES:
Abano, Imelda. (2013, July 10). The age of Ifugao Rice Terraces
is a great mystery. EnviroNewsph. Retrieved September 14, 2014
fromhttp://environews.ph/food-agriculture/the-age-of-the-ifugao-rice-terraces-is-a-great-mystery/
Alarming waste problem in the Philippines. (2008, April 04).
Imagine Echo Projects. Retrieved September 14, 2014
fromhttp://imagineechoprojectswaste.blogspot.com/2008/04/alarming-waste-problem-in-philippines.html
Balabo, Dino. (2014, July 2). Unregulated small-scale gold
mining imperils 2 watersheds. The Philippine Star. Retrieved
September 14, 2014 from
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/07/02/1341290/unregulated-small-scale-gold-mining-imperils-2-watersheds
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clearing for commercial agriculture responsible for half of
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