Wetland of international importance

*Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte* *Mayor Fred Matugas Coro II points to Siargao Island adjacent to EMBC during the 2023 World Wetlands Day on February 2.*

LGU targets SIPLAS for both Ramsar
Wetlands, UNESCO Geoparks lists

DEL CARMEN, Surigao del Norte — Covering a little over half of the Siargao Island Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (SIPLAS), just adjacent to the terrestrial boundary of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC) in Caraga region, this town’s precious mangrove reserve has been nationally recognized as a Wetland of International Importance during the World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2023 national celebration here on February 2.

During a press conference at the launching of the new SIPLAS mangrove viewdeck, Del Carmen Mayor Fred Matugas Coro II revealed that the local government is targeting SIPLAS through its Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve for possible consideration in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Geoparks list, which would be the first for the Philippines.

SIPLAS is also a strong contender for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance or as a Ramsar Convention site for its global biodiversity significance, according to national environment and local government stakeholders during the celebration of the World Wetlands event held here in Villa Numancia.

Mayor Fred Matugas Coro II (top photo) of Surigao del Norte’s Del Carmen town points to Siargao Island adjacent to the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor during the 2023 World Wetlands Day event on February 2. Specifically, the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve of SIPLAS is being nationally recognized as a wetland of international importance, while the entire protected landscape/seascape is a potential Ramsar nominee being a site of global biodiversity significance.

Significant Wetlands

Another declared Philippine Protected Area in Caraga Region, the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in EMBC, has been in the Ramsar list since November 1999 as a Wetland of International Importance. ASEAN Heritage Parks also declared AMWS in November 2018 as its 9th ASEAN Heritage Park in the country.

*The Biodiversity Corridor Project celebrates the international importance of both AMWS and SIPLAS for World Wetlands Day 2023.*

Anson Tagtag, OIC chief of the Caves, Wetlands and Other Ecosystems Division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), said the WWD 2023 theme of “It’s Time for Wetland Restoration” aims to support the shared responsibility to restore and revive degraded wetlands. “It challenges each and everyone of us to act and do our part in wetland protection and conservation,” Mr. Tagtag said. “Our actions – big or small – have an impact, and these actions create a ripple effect.”

He added: “As an archipelagic nation, we are endowed with a variety of wetlands, from coral reefs to mangroves, lagoons, rivers, lakes, and marshes, contributing to the diversity of ecosystems and species that earned the country a spot in the map of megadiverse countries in the world. These wetlands provide a wide range of products and ecosystem services, such as for flood control, groundwater replenishment, water purification, shoreline stabilization and climate change mitigation.”

*Anson Tagtag of DENR-BMB: In wetland protection and conservation, our actions – big or small – have an impact and these … create a ripple effect.*

Precursor to Nomination

Mr. Tagtag said the SIPLAS Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve, acclaimed as the largest contiguous mangrove reservation in the country, is a wetland critical for community survival and conservation of biodiversity. He said the Del Carmen community demonstrates the benefits of a functional mangrove ecosystem, such as food production, ecotourism, and protection from extreme weather, among others.

Moreover, he said the National Declaration of the Del Carmen Mangrove Forest of SIPLAS as a Wetland of International Importance will then “serve as a precursor to its nomination for inclusion to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance or as a Ramsar Site.”

Testaments and Barriers

DENR Assistant Secretary Marcial Amaro Jr., BMB Director and concurrently Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects, noted the vital role of wetlands to the environment and humanity. He said WWD 2023 serves as an urgent call for everyone “to make concrete decisions and bold actions to revive and restore degraded wetlands.”

Asst. Sec. Amaro further said wetlands function as “kidneys to the earth,” filtering water and making it safe for domestic use and drinking. He added that wetlands “act as defenders from natural disasters, (and) protect us from storms and floods, sustain different life forms or biodiversity, and help in mitigating climate change by storing carbon.”

*Del Carmen, Surigao Norte after Typhoon Odette hit Siargao Island in Dec. 2021*

In his video message to the participants of WWD 2023, he said the wetlands of SIPLAS have served as testaments to these ecological functions at the height of Typhoon Odette/Rai in December 2021. While bracing for the impact equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, the mangrove forests of Del Carmen had acted as barriers and first lines of defense against the onslaught of the typhoon, which brought heavy rains, strong winds and storm surges to the island.

“Covering about 53 percent of Siargao Island total mangrove forests, the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve abounds with endemic, native and migratory species,” Asst. Sec. Amaro explained. “It supports food production, livelihood and ecotourism activities as well as carbon sequestration and storage.” (Mitch R. Confesor)