Thanks to Proclamation 1815 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last last June 23. 120,457 hectares of land in Palawan island was transformed into the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape. Included in there of course is 6,800 ft Mt. Mantalingahan.
The proclamation includes provisions for protection of the area that include resource management, scientific monitoring, and zoning system. Also included are provisions for water and soil conservation and flood control.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that the place is a “Key Biodiversity Area,” rich in natural resources and abundant in unique flora and fauna.
Environmental group, Conservation International (CI), had recorded about 861 plant species in the protected zone. Eight of which were yet to be studied while five were recently discovered.
One of these discoveries is an orchid that is member of the Coelogyne sp. family, very well known for their beauty. The new orchid find has white flowers with tinges of gold.
CI’s 2007 survey of Mt. Mantalingahan yielded in a count of 169 species of vertebrates. 26 of which are in varying stages of threat or near-extinction. The group also identified 90 bird species in the area, making it one of the 11 important bird sanctuaries in Palawan.
I myself declared my backyard a protected area. The fruit trees are teeming with birds, which necessitated in the need for a sign for the neighborhood kids that says that they aren’t allowed to shoot them with slingshots. The birds were attracted to the area by the palmeras that provide food for them.
Aside from the birds I found out that some honeybee’s have made a home out of a small cabinet we had left out the house. So we try not to disturb them. Honeybee’s, aside from providing honey, are necessary to help pollinate flowers and assist in the fruiting activities of plants.
Just doing my small part to help save the environment. It’s not that difficult, you can easily do the same.
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Category: Environment, Eco Tourism
