Working together in the critical task of biodiversity conservation

Subtitle: Participants in biodiversity confab reaffirm commitment to joint protection of the environment

By Jerry J. Alcayde

Three-hundred environmental enthusiasts and scientists, composed mostly of representatives from the academe and NGO community, have reaffirmed their commitment to protect the environment thru enhanced research initiatives and concrete actions to protect biodiversity in the recently concluded 25^th Philippine Biodiversity Symposium hosted in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Orgnised annually by the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines, this year’s event was co-organised by the City Government of Calapan and the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (MBCFI), one of the social arms of the Malampaya Joint Venture, operator of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project.

Mindoro is a fitting place for holding the silver anniversary of the biodiversity symposium, with the province considered as one of the global biodiversity conservation priority areas, particularly in terms of the number of endemic species, diversity of habitat and degrees of threats.

Facunco S. Roco, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MBCFI said in his speech during the opening rites at Filipiniana Hotel in Calapan City last April 5, that there has been a dramatic loss of approximately 36,000 hectares of forest cover every year in Mindoro for a span of seven years (2003 to 2010).

“If nothing is done, Mindoro will have no more forests in the coming years and there will be a time when important species of both animals and plants will be at the point of extinction,” says Roco, who enjoined all participants from the various sectors to help stop the loss of biodiversity, not only in Mindoro but also in other parts of the country.

MBCFI, through funding support from Shell Philippines Exploration and its Malampaya Joint Venture Partners, has been involved in the work of biodiversity baseline research, information dissemination, and community training on conservation in Mindoro. The foundation will be intensifying efforts to work with government and non-government organisations in the area of forest conservation, recognising its criticality in preserving the rich biodiversity of the island.  

The symposium, which carried the theme, “25 Years of Collaborative Biodiversity Conservation in the Philippines: Global Relevance, Local Realities,” is held annually in a pre-selected venue with the aim of bringing together Filipino and international researchers and practitioners working in the fields of wildlife studies and biodiversity conservation in the Philippines.

Delivering a message on behalf of Shell and its Malampaya Joint Venture Partners, Sankie Simbulan, Social Performance Manager for Shell Philippines Exploration BV, emphasized the importance of multi-sector collaborative action in the area of biodiversity conservation. “This symposium is a good platform for the public, private and civil society sectors to work together in synergy, sharing knowledge and expertise to win the fight against biodiversity loss. The threats are real and the need to act is urgent.”

Cynthia Adeline A. Layusa-Oliveros, President of Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines (BCSP) which annually organises the event said that for the past 25 years, more than 270 new species of fauna and flora were discovered in various parts of the Philippines which have been embraced in national policies and laws formulated and enacted for wildlife management and conservation.

Calapan City Mayor Arnan C. Panaligan was thankful to the event organizers for choosing Calapan as this year’s venue of the annual event as he also lamented that the rich biodiversity of Mindoro is under threat due to rapid development and human abuses.

“Development is not bad after all but we must proceed without compromising our environment,” Mayor Panaligan emphasized.

The mayor commended BCSP and MBCFI for initiating awareness programmes among the public on environmental protection such as the holding of the said symposium which is also geared for networking of research scientists in their thrust to contribute to policy development on conservation.

Layusa-Oliveros said they have chosen Mindoro, particularly Calapan City, because it has been maintaining marine protected areas and the island has a number of notable endemic species such as the iconic Tamaraw, the Mindoro Bleeding heart and Mindoro Striped-faced fruit bat, among others.

This year’s participants came from the academic and research institutions, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, independent researchers, high school, undergraduate and graduate students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and international experts.