Siargao town forest declared ‘wetland of int’l importance’

DEL CARMEN, Surigao del Norte — The Philippines recognized Thursday the mangrove forest of Del Carmen in the island of Siargao as a “wetland of international importance” in a bid to get global recognition under a 52-year-old treaty on the conservation and use of these areas.

Environment officials expect Manila’s recognition of Del Carmen’s mangrove forest on World Wetlands Day to be a “precursor” to its formal listing as the country’s ninth wetland of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention.

“We’re going to put Siargao Island into the global map of wetland conservation,” said Anson Tagtag, officerin-charge of the Biodiversity Management Bureau’s Caves, Wetlands and Other Ecosystems Division.

“Our declaration today serves as a shoutout to all of us and all of you,” Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo Coro II said. “Even the simplest actions can make the loudest noise.”

The local government of Del Carmen has long been working on the recognition of its mangrove forest — one of the largest in the country spanning over 4,800 hectares — as Ramsar site.

The declaration of Ramsar sites is provided under the Ramsar Convention, an inter-governmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

In 2021, biological sciences experts from the National Research Council of the Philippines strongly suggested there is a “high potential” for Del Carmen’s mangrove forest to become a Ramsar site owing to its biodiversity.

Beyond biodiversity, Del Carmen’s mangroves also proved to be life-saving when super typhoon Odette (Rai) hit Siargao in December 2021. Locals here credited the mangroves for having protected them from large waves brought by the strong storm.

World Wetlands Day

“Wetlands provide us with immense benefits that are crucial for survival. Aside from its role as natural water reservoirs, wetlands serve as barriers against strong winds, heavy rain and rising sea levels,” said Theresa Mundita Lim, executive director of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, in a statement.

But the Global Wetland Outlook found that the world is losing wetlands “three times faster than forests” as it lost approximately 35% since the 1970s.

The Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape – Protected Area Management Office said super typhoon Odette destroyed 16% of their mangrove forest.

But with help from private organizations, Del Carmen’s mangrove forests are slowly recovering, with the local government targeting to replant 163 hectares of mangroves this year. —