Difference between revisions of "Southern Leyte Province, Philippines"

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional chief of the protected areas and wildlife division George Guillermo revealed that there’s an ongoing assessment in the area since last year to find out the biological and physical characteristics of wildlife as well as areas in the terrain occupied by people.

“This mountain range is critical to biodiversity conservation. This is categorized as New Conservation Areas Project in the Philippines (NewCAPP).  Although it’s lower in category compared to existing protected areas, but not in terms of quality,” Guillermo told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

The official said they are hoping to complete the assessment this year and it will be declared as conservation area next year. The study and consultation is being carried out by DENR, German Agency for International Cooperation and several local government units and non-government organizations.

Basic activity under the project is the biodiversity assessment, to determine the extent of plant and animal species in the area for conservation and protection. The flora and fauna survey is being done by the Fauna and Flora International (FFI) and will be completed June 2012.

At 1,007 meters above sea level, Mt. Nacolod straddles the municipalities of Silago, Saint Bernard, Libagon and Hinunangan all in Southern Leyte, has been picked as one of the nine pilot sites in the country for the New CAPP.

NewCAPP aims to expand and strengthen the terrestrial protected areas system in the Philippines by developing a new protected area conservation model and build capacity for effective management of the system supported by improved systematic and institutional capacities.

The result of the survey, Guillermo said, can properly guide authorities in planning for appropriate conservation strategies in the area.

According to the DENR, several threatened and restricted-range species of the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Areas have been recorded in Southern Leyte, and are likely to occur in the remaining forests on Mt. Nacolod. These include the critically endangered Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi, Mindanao Bleeding-heart Gallicolumba crinigera, Philippine Eagle-owl Bubo philippensis, Silvery Kingfisher Alcedo argentata, Samar hornbill Penelopides samarensis, among others.

Mt. Nacolod is a municipal watershed supplying water to the surrounding towns. The two significant forests on the mountain are the Buac Watershed Forest Reserve and the Hinabian-Lawigan Watershed Reservation.  

The mountain range originally covered 18,688 ha of forestland. It was declared a Forest Reserve on 25 November 1966 by Proclamation No. 121.