Cebu as birds, bats sanctuary
DEV’T COUNCIL SEEKS DECLARATION
The Cebu Provincial Development Council (PDC) environment committee is pushing for the declaration of the entire province as birds and bats sanctuary, where hunting and capturing of any of the said species would be banned.
During a PDC sectoral meeting last week, committee members agreed to craft a resolution asking the provincial government to legislate an ordinance for the said declaration.
The resolution would be endorsed to the PDC during its full council meeting on June 10 for approval. Leonardo Moneva, PDC environment committee chairman, said there is a need for such declaration because of the indiscriminate hunting of birds and bats in the province.
Citing the importance of birds and bats in the forest regeneration through seed dispersal, he said these animals should be protected regardless of species.
In particular, many also hunt for the Swiftlet birds’ nests, which are made from their saliva, as ingredient for exotic soup.
Currently, bird species in the province are very vulnerable because there is no ordinance yet protecting them, Moneva said.
“There is also a need to educate people on the importance of birds,” he said during the meeting.
He said salient points in the proposed declaration will still be deliberated upon during the PDC full council meeting.
In a separate interview, Board Member Thadeo Ouano, who heads the Provincial Board committee on environmental protection and natural resources, welcomed the idea of declaring the province as birds and bats sanctuary.
He, however, said this should be studied well and different concerned sectors should be consulted first through a public hearing.
There is a known wildlife sanctuary in Cebu-the Olango Island where more than 90 bird species were recorded. Approximately 40,000 migratory birds also visit the island during peak migration which is November to February.
The island was declared as protected area by late President Corazon Aquino in 1992.
According to the Olango Wildlife Sanctuary’s website, bird species recorded in the island include Little Egret, Little Heron, Grey Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand-Plover, Far Eastern Curlew, Eurasian Curlew, Whimbrel, Bartailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Greytailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Knot, Rufousnecked Stint, among others,.
Vulnerable and near threatened species, such as the Chinese Egret and Asian Dowitcher, are also present in the island.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources has also reported a fruit bats diversity at the Argao town watershed area.