MOST people, in fact most natives of Region 6 or Western Visayas, are not even aware that there’s more to the region than just Dinagyang, Ati-Atihan and MassKara, Paraw Regatta, batchoy, piyaya, esplanades, bike lanesand, of course, Boracay.
The islands of Region 6, Panay and Negros, are home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna; some of them can only be found in this area and do not exist anywhere else in the planet.
What is ironic though is that before the natives are even aware or by the time they are aware of their islands’ rich biodiversity, these flora and fauna would already be on the verge of extinction or worst, already extinct.
If these rare flora and fauna become extinct we can blame no one except ignorance and complete apathy for the environment.
And no amount of “level up” can do anything about it. Mayor Geronimo’s concept of conservation is saving and restoring old buildings in “I Am Iloilo City” and planting flowers along General Luna Street and Diversion Road, not really into flora and fauna biodiversity conservation.
Besides, we won’t find any rare or endangered species in Iloilo Viejo or Calle Real and Iloilo Nuevo or the Iloilo Business Park. The only endangered species you will find are the job hires and executive assistants whose contracts expired with former mayor Joe Espinosa III.
This looks more like the turf of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and his concept of social justice; the habitats of these endangered rare flora and fauna are in the hinterlands of Iloilo Province.
With social justice comes equal distribution of wealth and opportunities, according to philosopher Hunter Lewis; promoting natural healthcare and sustainable economies advocates for conservation as a key premise in social justice.
His manifesto on sustainability ties the continued thriving of human life to real conditions, the environment supporting that life, and associates injustice with the detrimental effects of unintended consequences of human actions.
So what are these endangered flora and fauna endemic to Western Visayas or Iloilo in particular?
Excerpts from the July 2, 2019 Editorial of Panay News:
Our region is home to endemic but threatened and endangered species. Some of these are the Visayan writhed-hornbill (Aceros waldeni), the Visayan spotted deer (Cervus alfredi), the Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons), the Panay monitor lizard (Varanus mabitang), and species of the parasitic plant genus rafflesia spp. (R. lobata and R. speciosa). This is both good news and bad news. We have a rich biodiversity but these species are on the brink of extinction, no thanks to deforestation courtesy of human intrusion. This should amplify the need to protect what remain of our forests.
The current rate of deforestation could wipe out our country’s forest covers in just a few years. With 1,900 hectares being deforested daily across the Philippines, the remaining forest cover as of 2006 was down to 8,000 square kilometres (km) from 270,000 square km at the turn of the century. Based on data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the total forest area of the Philippines has been reduced to 6.7 million hectares as of 1990 from 30 million hectares in 1930. In 1996, only around 2.1 million hectares of original vegetation were remaining.
Preserving the country’s fast-dwindling forests and protected areas becomes even more urgent to lessen the devastating effects of landslides during typhoons. If they disappear, gone too, are the rare Visayan writhed-hornbill, Visayan spotted deer, Visayan warty pig, Panay monitor lizard, and rafflesia.
Discontinuity of the forest cover has a negative impact on biodiversity as it isolates populations of animal and vegetal species and so jeopardizes their viability. The protection of forests is thus important. They provide life support system, fresh water and air, medicinal plants, and other non-timber forest products, crucial for the livelihood of upland dwellers and indigenous people, and our unique flora and fauna.
Take note that the habitats of the Visayan Spotted Deer, Visayan Warty Pig and the Panay Monitor Lizard are in the remaining forests of Calinog, Passi and Lambunao which are directly in the path of the so called “mega dam” or the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II which means they are in a critical situation of being forced out of their natural habitat.
And any specie forced out of its habitat means the death and extinction of that specie.
All in the name of progress, of course./PN
Overpopulation is the cause. The Philippines has a maximum carrying capacity of 45 million people. It’s now double that, so it’s no wonder that forest cover is small. Apart from the economic value, trees are cleared to make way for expanding human numbers.