“A few decades ago, the wildlife of the Philippines was notable for its abundance; now, it is notable for its variety; if present trend of destruction continues, Philippine wildlife will be notable for its absence.” – Dr. Lee Talbot, who used to head the Southeast Asia Project on Wildlife Conservation for Nature and Natural Resources
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Foreigners come to the Philippines because of its dreamy beaches and crystal-clear waters. But there’s more to it as its landscapes are many and varied, from coral atolls to mountain ranges, from sand beaches to vast tracts of dense tropical rainforest.
Truly, the Philippines is the “pearl of the Orient Seas.” Lindsay Bennett, author of “Island Guide: Philippines,” hailed the country’s beauty in these words: “Copious rainfall and hot sun combined with volcanic soil result in abundant fertility. The country’s untamed territories are incredibly diverse. Seven thousand island ecosystems have resulted in some of the most specialized animal species in the world, many only found in tiny enclaves. Diversity on land is mirrored by diversity offshore.”
That makes the Philippines unique when it comes to biological diversity (biodiversity for short). “The Philippines is considered a mega-diversity country rivaled only by a few countries in the world when it comes to variety of ecosystems, species and genetic resources,” said the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB).
The Philippines, with 7,107 islands, hosts more than 52,177 described species of which more than half is found nowhere else in the world. “On a per unit area basis, the Philippines probably harbors more diversity of life than any other country on the planet,” the BMB pointed out.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) gives us a glimpse of how rich and diverse the biodiversity of the Philippines is:
In Philippine forests, at least 13,500 plant species are found representing 5% of the world’s flora. The ferns, fern allies, gymnosperms and angiosperms constitute 22.5% of the Malesian and 3.88% of the world’s vascular flora. Twenty-five genera of plants are endemic, with about 10% of the flora still to be identified.
About 45% of the identified 1,085 species of terrestrial vertebrates found in the country’s forest cover are endemic. Of these, 179 species are mammals, 558 species are birds, 252 species are reptiles, and 96 species are amphibians.
The country’s wetlands harbor a rich variety of plant and animal life estimated at 1,616 species of flora and 3,308 species of fauna.
There’s more: Some 4,951 species of plants and animals are living in coastal and marine habitats. Coral reefs are by far the most diverse with 3,967 species. Seagrass beds follow with 481 species and then mangroves with 370 species.
Almost two decades ago, “Time” magazine named the Philippines as one of “the world’s top 25 biodiversity hot spots,” areas disturbed by human activity but which remain exceptionally rich in animal and plant species found nowhere else.
“At the rate our ecosystems are getting destroyed, many species may no longer be there when we need them,” deplored Samuel Peñafiel, who was then the director of Protected Area and Wildlife Bureau (the precursor of BMB) when he said those words.
The environment department blames deforestation as the major cause of the decline of the country’s wildlife population and the attendant loss of species. When Ferdinand Magellan “rediscovered” the Philippines on March 16, 1521, the country was totally covered with forests.
In the 1950s, only three-fourths of the archipelago was covered with forest, according to the environment department. 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 UN 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.
Deforestation is mainly caused by destructive logging activities (both legal and illegal), fires, slash-and-burning farming (more popularly known as “kaingin”), mining, volcanic eruption, and pests and diseases.
“Deforestation is a leading cause of habitat destruction that negatively impacts biodiversity on an exponential scale,” the Foundation of Philippine Environment (FPE) claims. “Poorly controlled logging and mining activities have created mostly irreparable damage to forest cover.”
Take the case of Philippine eagle, now included in the endangered list. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest had made it lose its natural habitat,” said Dennis Joseph I. Salvador, the executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
Studies show a pair of Philippine eagle needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory. “Without the forest, the species cannot survive over the long term,” said Salvador.
Another major cause of the country’s decline of wildlife population is the high demand of these species in foreign markets. Philippine monkeys, for instance, are high-prized abroad for use in chemical and biomedical researches. Thousands of birds are also exported for pet lovers and pet shop displays and sometimes as meat delicacies.
Dugongs, which used to abound in Philippine waters, are fast vanishing because they are prized for their meat. Those who have eaten the dugong’s meat said that it is tasty and can be compared to that of beef. As such, it commands a good price in the local market; in areas where they abound, the meat is served to special visitors.
The market for shoes, belts, bags and other by-products made of skins from crocodiles is big. “Due to the uncontrolled hunting of crocodiles for their valuable hides and other parts and the continued destruction of their natural habitat by human beings, the crocodile population in the Philippines dwindled,” the environment department reported.
Overhunting has been blamed for driving tamaraw – the country’s largest and rarest endemic land animal – almost into extinction. From a population of 10,000 in the early 1900s, only around 345 remained in 2013.
It is also the continuous operations of coral smugglers that caused the destruction of the country’s coral reefs. Philippine coral reefs are reportedly smuggled to the United States, Japan and other countries. Of the 1.5 million kilograms of corals harvested annually as part of the international trade, the Philippines account for more than a third of the total.
But it’s still the folly of some Filipinos that made these natural treasures to be devoid of. Destructive fishing methods are the main culprits why coral reefs are destroyed. Dynamite fishing is one example. Then, there’s cyanide fishing. “Coral polyps (the living organisms in coral reefs) die when exposed to the chemical,” said Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero, former director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development.
Seagrasses are on the brink of depletion due to various destructive disturbances caused by both natural and man-made influences. Man-made causes include agricultural cultivation and mining which led to heavy siltation in estuarine areas which, in turn, resulted in lower productivity and even burial of seagrasses.
“It is about time that we, Filipinos, stop making ourselves internationally blind to the real status of our wildlife resources,” noted Filipino wildlife expert Dioscoro Rabor said some years back. “We should face the fact that our country is no longer rich in forests and consequently, of wildlife which used to be a normal component of our forests.”
Once a species is extinct, it cannot be brought back again. “When the last individual of a race of living beings breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again,” naturalist William Beebe reminded.
That statement is a good reminder for every Filipino. If each will do his or her part, the world would be a better place to live. “If we are to build a world without hunger, we have to conserve and sustain biodiversity and use it equitably,” declares Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a former Ramon Magsaysay Awardee. –
