Two globally endangered black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor) have been spotted here this week.
Rhoel Marcelo, ecosystem management specialist of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Ilocos Norte, on Tuesday showed to the media a photo of the birds with their long black spoon-shaped bills and faces covered in black skin instead of avian feathers.
“The spoonbill is the only species that has the most restricted distribution and the only one regarded as globally endangered,” he said.
Marcelo said the photo of the spoonbill was taken by Richard Ruiz, a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines based in this city.
Ruiz said he was monitoring a private fish pond in Barangay Gabu that is frequented by migratory ducks and birds when he noticed two larger birds that were mixed among a faraway flock of smaller Black-winged stilts.
The birder had previously spotted a mandarin duck, another sign of migratory birds going off their usual path.
“This [spoonbill] is one of the species that we are monitoring in the DENR. We are glad that someone was able to document it in the province,” he said, adding that the birds might have come from Hong Kong or mainland China.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), only less than 2,700 Black-faced Spoonbills remain worldwide. They are listed as endangered and one of the protected species in China, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea and Japan.
Last Jan. 13, the DENR and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines conducted the Asian Waterbird census at the Paoay Lake Natural Park in Ilocos Norte.
Based on the latest bird census, the Paoay Lake is frequented by a variety of bird species like the Little Grebe, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Philippine Duck, Tufted Duck, White-browed Crake, Common Kingfisher, White-collared Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher and Great Cormorant.
This year, Marcelo reported that they were able to count 3,792 waterbirds from 22 species.
Compared to last year’s 3,794, Marcelo said they were able to document new migrants this year such as the Brown Booby and the Cinnamon Bittern including a returning Whiskered Tern which was last recorded at the Paoay Lake wetlands in 2015 and 2016.
According to the DENR, the presence of waterbirds is one of the key indicators on whether wetlands, such as mangrove areas, are still ecologically healthy. (PNA)

Subic Bay Freeport—A coral garden nursery and pawikan preservation site will soon rise in this premier Freeport.
This is in an effort to preserve the nesting site of marine turtles and launch a coral garden nursery in the waters of Subic Bay, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and other stakeholders inside this premier Freeport signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the All Hands Beach Resort on Friday.
According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, the sea turtle nest preservation and coral garden nursery construction is in partnership with DENR’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), PNP Regional Maritime Unit 3, Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc., and the Sangkalikasan Producer Cooperative.
“The SBMA aims to restore balance in our ecosystem, which will also be beneficial to our tourism industry. We want to preserve the wildlife inside the Subic Bay Freeport while maintaining the area as the number one tourist destination in Central Luzon,” he said.
He said that All Hands Beach Resort is one of the tourist destinations in Subic Freeport that has maintained a good balance between tourism and eco-conservation. The top agency official said that his first mandate was to clean the Boardwalk Area.
“It is not just the responsibility of the agency to clean and preserve the ecosystem of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. This should also be the responsibility of the various stakeholders here,” he cited.
PENRO Zambales Director Marife L. Castillo said that the month of May is the Month of the Ocean and what better way to celebrate the month than to establish a coral garden nursery. The garden is a coral augmentation project that aims to proliferate corals within an area.
She said that the agency will provide assistance in monitoring and managing marine turtle hatcheries, solicit active participation of stakeholders in the project, rehabilitate degraded marine turtle habitats by enhancing recovery of mangroves and coral reefs, and installation of a wildlife enforcement officer.
Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc., the company that owns and operates the All Hands Beach Resort has collaborated with the SBMA and the DENR in the implementation of the marine turtle nesting site project inside its resort.
Brighterday Chairman Mark Dayrit said that the resort has already released around 8,000 sea turtle hatchlings since it opened in 2012. Under the MOA, the company will ensure the vigilant monitoring of pawikan sightings and coral augmentations.
Dayrit added that the company will also provide logistical support to the SBMA Harbor Patrol in the conduct of maintenance and protection activities.
Meanwhile, Sangkalikasan Producer Cooperative is set to conduct baseline assessment and monthly monitoring of reef buds. The cooperative will spearhead the actual conduct of monitoring, maintenance and protection of the site of the coral nursery garden.
Meanwhile, Regional Maritime Unit 3 chief Police Col. Fernando L. Cunanan Jr. said that aside from their usual mandate as police officers, part of their duty is to protect the environment.
He said that his unit has arrested thousands for illegal poaching, and 30 people involved in the illegal trade of wildlife. The official said they cannot do this without the help of the community, citing that to protect the community needs the involvement of each and every one.
The signing ceremony included the coastal cleanup drive wherein “Scubasureros” pick up trash in the waters near All Hands Beach Resort.

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Bicol (DENR-5) through its Camarines Norte Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) has separately released a Philippine hawk-eagle (Nisaetus philippensis) and paradise flying tree snake (Chrysopelea paradasi) back to their natural habitats.
“The Philippine hawk-eagle was found by a resident of Barangay Alawihao, Daet, Camarines Norte, shivering on a grass field and was immobile due to the heavy rains. The resident informed the office to which the officer responded immediately. Upon examination, the wildlife was in good condition and was released into the wild by Camarines Norte PENR Officer-In-Charge Marlon C. Francia,” the DENR-5 said in a social media post on Wednesday.
“A resident of Barangay Del Rosario, Mercedes, Camarines Norte voluntarily surrendered the juvenile, meter-long paradise flying tree snake. It was also in good condition and was immediately released into the wild,” the post read.
The DENR-5 also continuously calls on the public to report such incidents and turnover any wildlife to the authorities for proper handling and release to its natural habitat.
“Continuous Communication, Education, and Public Awareness (CEPA) campaigns are being conducted by the DENR, which have caused increasing numbers of public turnovers to the office,” it added.
Under DENR Administrative Order DAO No. 2019-09 titled, “Updated National List of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their Categories”, the Philippine hawk-eagle is considered endangered while the paradise flying tree snake falls under the category “Other Wildlife Species”.
All wildlife in the Philippines is protected under Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act”. (With a report from Bernadine Carretas/PNA-OJT)

In the past years, SM City Olongapo has been very active in its efforts to intensify the environmental protection program, to date, they’ve already planted 1,000 seedlings of narra tree in Sitio Banca Banca, Brgy. Gordon Heights, 2,000 in Sitio Redondo , Brgy. Cawag; 5,000 trees in San Antonio, Zambales and 12,000 Narra trees in Sitio Yutang, New Cabalan as part of SM’s Grow A Million Trees (GAMT) project.

According to reports, planting mangroves can reduce shoreline erosion and can protect coastal communities against coastal flooding, high winds and waves, and tsunamis. Mangroves absorb more carbon than the other land-based forests.

This generated a plume that was detected by Japan’s Himawari-8 Satellite.

“The seismic and infrasound signals are not typical of known volcanic processes and are currently being evaluated together with other potential sources,” Phivolcs said in an advisory.

It added that there has been very low seismic activity in the past days, discounting magmatic activity beneath the edifice.

Phivolcs asks the public to refrain from going in the vicinity of Mount Pinatubo.

It also advised local government units (LGUs) to ban entry into the Pinatubo Crater until the source of the explosion is determined.

Likewise, communities and LGUs surrounding Pinatubo are reminded to be always prepared for both earthquake and volcanic hazards and to review, prepare and strengthen their contingency, emergency, and other disaster preparedness plans.

Mt. Pinatubo has been at alert level 0 (normal) since August 12.

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) declared the 405-hectare Sasmuan Bangkung Malapad Coastal Wetland in Sasmuan, Pampanga as a critical habitat and ecotourism area.

This is to intensify government efforts in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, and the protection of mangrove and coastal ecosystem including migratory birds that frequent the area.

DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno Jr. explained that under Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2021-36 issued by Secretary Roy Cimatu, the coastal wetland will now be formally known as the Sasmuan Bangkung Malapad Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (SBMCHEA) and will be sustainably managed by the agency and municipal government of Sasmuan.

“The DAO would serve as a legal framework to protect the SBMCHEA mangrove forests and mudflats, which is a valuable ecosystem found within the more than 3,000 hectare-Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetland—a wetland of international importance and conferred last February as the 8th Ramsar Site in the country and first in Central Luzon,” he explained.

“SBMCHEA is an important habitat to many endemic and threatened water birds including Philippine duck, Black-faced spoonbill, Chinese egret, Far eastern curlew, Malaysian plover, and other migratory bird species,” Moreno furthered.

Collaborative works are essential to maintain its ecological services and other biological and cultural values, which are fundamental to conserve and enable the ecosystem as a driving force in the region’s socio-economic and ecotourism growth.

With the declaration of the Bangkung Malapad as a critical habitat and ecotourism area, stricter monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws will be done to avert and combat destructive activities within the SBMCHEA.

The DAO prohibits the dumping of wastes detrimental to wildlife, squatting or occupying any portion of the critical habitat, burning, logging, quarrying, mineral exploration, and illegal fishing and fishponds and dumping of hazardous wastes within the SBMCHEA.

Moreno also urged the public to report any person found violating the law to DENR to stop them from destroying the environment and sustain the rich natural resources of SBMCHEA.

The agency, in partnership with the municipal government and communities, will likewise implement the SBMCHEA management plan to address site management strategies and activities on habitat protection, rehabilitation, community organizing, promotion of environmental education and awareness, and other sustainability measures.

Apart from being an important habitat to migratory birds, the area is known for its vast mangrove forests where species like Api-api are abundant.

SBMCHEA is a mangrove islet in the Pasak River, and part of the large and enclosed sea of Manila Bay that was formed by the volcanic sediments from the Mount Pinatubo’s devastating eruption in 1991. (PIA 3)

Manila, November 26, 2021—The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), established a five-year, Php800-million ($16 million) grant facility to help civil society organizations implement biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, natural resource management, and local climate actions in the Philippines.

The environmental conservation fund will be launched through the new Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) project.

The project will promote natural resource conservation, and ecosystem and community resilience, by supporting civil society organizations in advocating for, and participating in, good natural resource governance. In addition, the project will support media organizations covering key natural resource governance issues, and it will help local communities better manage natural resources and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“As advocates for better governance and partners of the public sector, civil society plays an important role in protecting the environment and addressing climate change,” USAID Philippines Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan said. “Through the INSPIRE project, USAID is pleased to support the Philippines’ efforts to conserve the country’s rich biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change while making sure that the environment continues to benefit many Filipinos whose incomes depend upon these natural resources.”

USAID will work closely with the Philippine government and other relevant stakeholders to implement the INSPIRE project.

The United States government has been a key development champion in the Philippines for six decades, working with individuals, communities, and the government to improve everyday lives.

Since 2008, USAID has provided more than $157 million to support the Philippine government in conserving the country’s biodiversity and protecting its landscapes and seascapes.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will encourage the youth in the Subic Bay community to turn waste products into junk art, a contemporary art subgenre that uses found objects as art materials, in the upcoming 10th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE).

SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana said the upcycling project, aptly named “From Scrap to Craft”, will use wastes collected from coastal and river clean-up other recycling activities and convert them into junk art.

“Thrash are just resources out of place. And with this project, we can show the community that certain materials that we normally throw away could be turned into art pieces that would not just be Instagram-worthy but could even be sold for extra income,” Dela Llana said.

She said the SBMA will also provide cash prizes for the best “From Scrap to Craft” entries to encourage more participants and introduce the idea that upcycling could be profitable and worth their time.

The junk art contest is just one part of the 10th RCE, which is scheduled on November 15 to 19. With the theme “REFUSE. REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. REPURPOSE”, the event will feature various activities that promote waste reduction and segregation, teach proper collection and disposal of recyclables and hazardous wastes, and increase awareness in waste management.

Dela Llana said the SBMA has been organizing recyclables collection as a bi-annual event in the Subic Bay Freeport with the cooperation of business locators, residents, government agencies and private groups.

Another component of the upcoming RCE is the “Refill Revolution for a Cause”, which will be a bazaar sale of cleaning products. Stakeholders can buy detergent, laundry soap, fabric conditioner, dishwashing liquid, and hand soap by the bulk, but they need to bring their own containers, Dela Lllana added.

Accredited haulers and hazardous waste handlers will also collect PET bottles, cartons, scrap metals, newspapers, and aluminum cans; plastic packaging from online and retail stores; glass bottles; wastes from electronics and electrical equipment; biomedical wastes; used oils and oil-contaminated materials; used lead acid batteries; busted fluorescent/lamp bulbs; empty containers; inks and dyes; paint sludge; as well as expired make-up.

The RCE will also be a venue for an information, education and communication campaign on waste management to be conducted by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan.

Meanwhile, partner groups Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce and RP Energy, Inc. will also use the event as a springboard for assistance to local schools and Sangguniang Kabataan units in the neighboring communities of Olongapo City, Zambales and Bataan.

Dela Llana said the various activities under RCE are crucial interventions to protect the local environment and help promote health and wellness among Subic stakeholders.

The Philippines ranked third in 2015 among the highest sources of plastic pollution in global waters, after China and Indonesia, DENR records show. It is estimated that 31.9 million metric tons of plastic pollution are produced around the world each year, and about a quarter of that volume ends up in bodies of water.

Results of the clinical trials for Lagundi were presented during the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development’s (DOST-PCHRD) Talakayang HeaRT Beat virtual presser on 26 October 2021.

The study conducted by Dr. Cecilia Maramba-Lazarte and her team at the University of the Philippines, Manila – National Institutes of Health (UPM – NIH) revealed that 600mg of the over-the-counter Lagundi products, already approved by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) as herbal medicine for cough, taken three times a day by patients in home quarantine can be safely used to treat mild COVID-19 symptoms.

At the time of the clinical trials, there were only a few drugs, such as remdesivir (3), barticinib, and tocilizumab (4) given emergency use permits to use in patients who have severe to critical symptoms of COVID-19. With the heavy demand of these drugs, supply shortage is inevitable. This could be prevented through early treatment.

The clinical trials were conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of the National Integrated Research Program on Medicinal Plant (NIRPROMP) formulation of Lagundi as early treatment for those with mild COVID-19 infection. By treating symptoms at the onset, hospitalizations could be averted and further spread could be prevented by limiting the duration of infectiousness.

The two-stage, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted from July 2020 to August 2021. All participants of the study were patients without comorbidities.

The first stage of the trial aimed to find the right dosage of the standard formulation to be administered. Seventy-five adults who tested positive for COVID-19 after rtPCR tests were enrolled for the first phase of the study. Patients were grouped and were either given the standard dose (600mg, three times a day) or high dose (1.2g, three times a day) Lagundi syrup or tablet for 10 days.

The standard dose was chosen for use during the second phase as findings on the first phase of the study revealed that both dosages are safe and effective in terms of clinical recovery time, global evaluation scale, and modified early warning score.

The second stage aimed to confirm the safety and efficacy of the dosage through the placebo-controlled study. Two hundred COVID-19 positive adults were enrolled for the second phase of the study and were grouped into those who received Lagundi treatment (101 patients) and those who received the placebo (99).

Results of the second phase of the study found that Lagundi is effective in decreasing mild COVID-19 symptoms especially anosmia (loss of sense of smell) and providing overall relief of discomfort from other symptoms. There is also no significant adverse event and incidence observed during intervention.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has already included Lagundi as one of the items in its homecare kit for mild COVID-19 symptoms. (DOST)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) urged the public to protect the coastal waters and rich marine resources of Central Luzon from degradation.
In line with the celebration of the Month of the Ocean (MOO) this May, DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno Jr. stressed that conserving the healthy state of coastal areas and sustaining their abundant marine resources would be more achievable if local communities would partake in the mission to keep the water bodies clean.
“Our collective effort can achieve more to protect and save our marine resources. Marine ecosystems are home to diverse and unique biodiversity, and serve as important source of food and livelihood to coastal communities,” he said.
DENR records show that Central Luzon has a total coastal length of 630 kilometers. The region is also the third largest aquaculture producer in the Philippines.
Five of the seven species of marine turtles are breeding and nesting in the coastal waters of Bataan, Zambales and Aurora, while species of giant clams, mesophotic coral species, large fishes such as the blue-spotted rabbitfish, and mangroves can also be found in the rich waters of Zambales.
Coastal areas of Bulacan and Pampanga are also home to mangrove forests.
Moreno appealed to the public to protect marine life and important water bodies in the region by using fewer plastic products, recycling, disposing trash properly, and participating in mangrove planting and cleanup activities organized by DENR, local government units and other organizations.
“These are actions we can do that will make a big difference for our water bodies. They may seem little, but when done collectively, they will create a significant impact in protecting our rivers, seas and oceans,” he said.
As part of the MOO celebration this year, DENR will hold small scale mangrove planting and cleanup activities through its provincial and community offices.
Massive social media campaign and online biodiversity quiz competition will also be conducted to engage the public especially the youth in the protection and conservation of marine resources.
The agency has likewise scheduled a learning event on Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System for its technical personnel in the regional and field offices.
MOO is celebrated annually by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 57 issued in 1999 to raise public awareness on the protection of marine waters from degradation.
This year’s observance is anchored on the theme “The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want”.
Inspired by the United Nation’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, it centers on recognizing the role of science as well as the contributions of recognized scientists in the protection and conservation of the ocean and other water bodies. (PIA 3)