polillo conservation data

Spatial Profile of Local Conservation Areas in the Municipality of Panukulan Polillo Islands, Quezon Province, Philippines

Spatial Profile of Local Conservation Areas in the Municipality of Panukulan, Quezon Province, Philippines FINAL REPORT Jose Don T. De Alban Polillo Islands Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. Lunar Apartment Gomez Street, Poblacion Polillo, Quezon 4340 Philippines

Pioneering Community-based Conservation Sites in the Polillo Islands Project Polillo Islands Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. 1


List of Figures Figure 1. Slope classification of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan. Figure 2. Soil types of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan. Figure 3. Land classifications of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan. Figure 4. Land cover types of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan. Figure 5. Comparative abundance of major land cover / habitat types found in the Polillo archipelago

and their distribution within each municipality. Figure 6. Tenurial instruments situated within the municipality of Panukulan. Figure 7. Watersheds of the Polillo Islands with emphasis on the 10 largest watersheds. Figure 8. Percentage of forest cover within each watershed found in the municipality of Panukulan. Figure 9. The proposed Local Conservation Areas and their coverage of remaining forests in the

municipality of Panukulan. Figure 10. Kalawakan Forest Block LCA shown over topographic features, forest cover of 2001, barangay

and watershed boundaries, river systems, tenurial arrangements, and previous biological survey sites.

Figure 11. Kalawakan Forest Block LCA shown over land cover interpretation of 2001, barangay

boundaries, river systems, and the proposed Dumagat Ancestral Domain. Figure 12. Kalawakan Forest Block LCA shown over soil types, forest cover of 2001, barangay and

watershed boundaries, river systems, tenurial arrangements, and previous biological survey sites.

Figure 13. Kalawakan Forest Block LCA shown over land classification, forest cover of 2001, barangay

and watershed boundaries, river systems, tenurial arrangements, and previous biological survey sites.

Figure 14. Panukulan Watershed Forest Reserve LCA shown over topography, barangay and watershed

boundaries, forest cover of 2001, river systems, and other proposed LCAs. Figure 15. Panukulan Watershed Forest Reserve LCA shown over land cover interpretation of 2001,

barangay boundaries, and river systems. Figure 16. Panukulan Watershed Forest Reserve LCA shown over land classification, forest cover of

2001, barangay and watershed boundaries, and river systems. Figure 17. Dumagat CADT-LCA shown over topography, barangay and watershed boundaries, forest

cover of 2001, river systems, previous biological survey sites, and other proposed LCAs. Figure 18. Dumagat CADT-LCA shown over land cover interpretation of 2001, barangay boundaries, river

systems, and other proposed LCAs.



Figure 19. Dumagat CADT-LCA shown over soil types, barangay and watershed boundaries, forest cover of 2001, contour lines, river systems, and other proposed LCAs.

Figure 20. Dumagat CADT-LCA shown over land classification, barangay and watershed boundaries,

forest cover of 2001, river systems, and other proposed LCAs. Figure 21. Comparative composition of land cover / habitat types within each proposed priority LCA for

Panukulan municipality. Figure 22. Comparative distribution of forests within the municipality of Panukulan that are covered by

the proposed priority LCAs. List of Tables Table 1. Land area of barangays in Panukulan. Table 2. Slope categories found in the Polillo Islands and in the municipality of Panukulan. Table 3. Description of soil types found in the Polillo Islands. Table 4. Land classification projects surveyed in the Polillo Islands. Table 5. Land classifications in the Polillo Islands and in the municipality of Panukulan. Table 6. Matrix of land cover types within the five municipalities of Polillo Islands. Table 7. Forest area of barangays dividing the Kalawakan Forest Block LCA. Table 8. Land cover types of each sub-LCA within the Kalawakan Forest Block. Table 9. Slope ranges of each sub-LCA within the Kalawakan Forest Block. Table 10. Land classification types of each sub-LCA within the Kalawakan Forest Block. Table 11. Forest cover of watersheds within the Dumagat CADT-LCA. Appendices Appendix 1. Technical description of Panukulan Watershed Forest Reserve (Proc. No. 290). Appendix 2. Percentage of forest within each watershed found in the municipality of Panukulan.



List of Acronyms CADT - Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title CBFM - Community-Based Forest Management CENRO - Community Environment and Natural Resources Office CSC - Certificate of Stewardship Contract DAO - Department Administrative Order DENR - Department of Environment and Natural Resources DILG - Department of Interior and Local Government FFI - Fauna and Flora International FMB - Forest Management Bureau EO - Executive Order GIS - Geographic Information System GPS - Global Positioning System ISF - Integrated Social Forestry LCA - Local Conservation Area LGU - Local Government Unit LOI - Letter of Instruction NAMRIA - National Mapping and Resource Information Authority NIPAS - National Integrated Protected Areas System NCIP - National Commission on Indigenous Peoples PAWB - Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau PD - Presidential Decree PENRO - Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office PESP - Polillo Ecology Stewardship Project PIBCFI - Polillo Islands Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Incorporated PRA - Participatory Rapid Appraisal RA - Republic Act RENRO - Regional Environment and Natural Resources Office UPLB - University of the Philippines Los Baños



Introduction The Polillo archipelago in the Philippines harbours an amazingly rich biological diversity. It is home to a number of unique species that can only be found in the islands and nowhere else in the world such as the Blue Naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis hybridus), Philippine Trogon (Harpectes ardens minor), Tarictic Hornbill (Penelopides manillae subnigra), Polillo forest frog (Platymantis polilloensis), and Polillo green-scaled gecko (Pseudogecko smaragdinus). Other unique species that may be seen in the Polillos but are also found elsewhere in the Philippines are Gray’s monitor lizard (Varanus olivaceus), Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindoroensis), Philippine pig (Sus philippinensis), and Philippine brown deer (Cervus philippinensis), among others. However, this immense natural wealth is highly threatened to extinction by intense anthropogenic activities that have been going on since the last century. Large-scale logging and mining in the Polillo Islands between the 1950s until the 1990s have led to deforestation and rapid loss of habitats. Forest cover has been reduced to merely 19% of the land area of the islands as of 2001. Although large-scale threats to Polillo’s biodiversity have ceased, piecemeal habitat loss continues to this day through conversion into agricultural lands and timber poaching. Individual species are also threatened by illegal wildlife trade and hunting for food. This unfortunate situation led to the Polillo Islands being considered as one of the top priority conservation areas both locally and internationally, and required the need for immediate conservation interventions to protect and preserve the islands’ remaining habitats and important wildlife. During the last decade, several significant conservation activities were carried out in the Polillo Islands. One such initiative was the Polillo Ecology Stewardship Project (PESP) in 1998, which was conceived to help safeguard the threatened wildlife and habitats of the Polillo archipelago by implementing a wardening scheme in Polillo municipality. The PESP has been operational for eight years through the generous funding support of the North of England Zoological Society (or Chester Zoo) and the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Programme of Fauna and Flora International (FFI). Another key initiative was done in 1999 and 2001 through the joint biological research expeditions conducted by Oxford University in the United Kingdom and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and several other academic and research institutions. The expeditions identified several priority conservation sites throughout the Polillo Islands by carrying out faunal inventories and forest habitats surveys. These initiatives steadily grew into a key environmental base in the Polillo Islands, and eventually became the Polillo Islands Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PIBCFI), which was established as an organization in 2003, in order to better address the pressing key conservation issues in the islands. In 2005, through the financial support of the Darwin Initiative, PIBCFI started implementing the project entitled “Pioneering Community-Based Conservation Sites in the Polillo Islands.” The project seeks to conserve Polillo Islands’ unique biodiversity by establishing a network of protected sites, or Local Conservation Areas (LCA), through the active participation and support of its Local Government Units and communities. To accomplish this, several key components will be implemented including research, site establishment, management planning, forest habitat restoration, capacity building of local stakeholders, and information/education/communication campaigns. The project will also use the Local Government Code as the framework for establishing and managing the LCAs. The research component of the current Darwin project includes gathering baseline information leading to the prioritization, management planning, and establishment of Local Conservation Areas. The spatial profiles, which are part of the outputs of this component, aims to provide an assessment regarding the extent and distribution of remaining habitats in the Polillo Islands and its municipalities, and identify and prioritize among LCAs based on their geographic attributes in relation to their biological significance. The analyses will also aid in the creation of a rough and initial boundary delineation of the LCAs. This report mainly covers the municipality of Panukulan of the Polillo Island Group in Quezon Province, and presents a preliminary overview of the biophysical characteristics of the entire Polillo



archipelago, which is in fact the consolidation of different spatial information available regarding the Polillo Islands for the very first time. Methodology Secondary Data Gathering Available secondary data pertaining to the physical and land use aspect were obtained including topography, climate, soil types, land cover, land classification, tenurial instruments, and administrative boundaries. Hardcopy maps and tabular coordinate data were procured, scanned, and converted to data formats for incorporation in a GIS. Relevant policies and local land use plans were requested from the concerned government agencies for review and integration in this assessment. Community Resource Mapping Resource mapping was conducted primarily to obtain information on the land cover status of the area and current resource uses and patterns of the different communities in and around the proposed LCAs. The mapping activity is part of the key tools of the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) and was conducted in the communities covered by the proposed LCAs. Key participants from the different barangays were selected to join the resource mapping. The process began by listing down important features and major landmarks in order to create a legend. The sketching of the resource map was done on manila paper with dimensions approximately 2.5 m. x 1.5 meters. The orientation of the map was established by drawing main features such as major roads, shorelines, and river systems first. Pencils were used initially for drawing to allow for revisions prior to finalization by colored permanent marker pens. The final map was drawn on a plastic sheet overlaid on the manila paper. Acetone was applied to erase mistakes drawn by permanent ink on the plastic sheet. Labels were reflected particularly for localities, rivers, and mountains. The final resource map was displayed for the duration the PRA workshop for validation with other community participants. Image Processing and Classification Satellite image processing was implemented to derive land cover information on the Polillo Islands. The resulting land cover map based on Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery acquired in July 2001 serves to complement the existing land cover map produced by the Oxford-UPLB expedition in 2001 using participatory 3D modeling. A minimum of 30 ground control points for each image, which were located on NAMRIA 1:50,000 topographic maps, was used for image registration to project the image on the Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 51 North, Luzon datum. The panchromatic band (with a 15-meter spatial resolution), available from the Landsat ETM+ sensor, was rectified prior to registering the multi-spectral bands (with a 30-meter spatial resolution) to the higher resolution image. Allowable root-mean-square error at less than 0.50 of an image pixel was attained for each image. Training areas, or representative sample sites of known cover type, were collected using GARMIN® eTrex global positioning system receivers during ground surveys conducted from August 2005 to May 2006 within mainland Polillo. Image classification was done using supervised classification incorporating the training data with some minimal inference from visual interpretations. Land cover classes were based mainly on training area data. A maximum likelihood algorithm was applied to classify all images after developing signatures for each land cover class using equal prior probabilities for each signature. Accuracy assessment was done for the classified image by generating 100 stratified random sampling points and checking the same using field data. The Kappa coefficient of K = 0.9307 was obtained. Image registration was accomplished using ENVI 3.5 software developed by Research Systems, Inc. (RSI 2001), and image classification algorithms were executed using Idrisi32 software developed by Clark Labs (Eastman 2001).



Field Validation Ground surveys were conducted mainly to collect training area data for satellite image classification, and to validate the information on resource maps and other secondary map data. Coordination with the local communities was essential at the onset of the survey to request for their consent and for security purposes. Local guides, particularly those who were knowledgeable and familiar with the terrain, were employed based on the recommendation of barangay leaders to accompany the team and show which way to go around the area. Forest habitats and other land cover types within the LCAs were visited to assess their status and extent. Location and elevation readings of different land cover types were taken using a GARMIN® eTrex global positioning system (GPS) receiver set to the Geographic coordinate system and the WGS84 datum. Readings were recorded when positional accuracy was 15 meters or better. In cases where satellite reception was poor (especially within forests with closed tree canopies), GPS readings were taken again once there was enough opening in the canopy to acquire a position (e.g., triangulated from at least 3 satellite signals). All GPS readings and field observations were documented in a notebook and encoded in a spreadsheet. Spatial Analysis All spatial data were incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) to facilitate better data integration, manipulation, and analysis. Thematic datasets adopt the Universal Transverse Mercator projection Zone 51 North and the Luzon datum. ArcView® GIS 3.2 developed by ESRI was the primary software used including some developer extension tools such as XTools for geoprocessing, ArcView Projection Utility for conversion between projections, Distance and Azimuth Tools for plotting technical descriptions, and the 3D Analyst for topographical analysis. Results and Discussion Administrative Boundary The Polillo archipelago is composed of 27 small islands and islets situated on the eastern coast of mainland Luzon and lies surrounded by the Philippine Sea. It belongs to the province of Quezon and is composed of five municipalities, namely: Polillo, Burdeos, Panukulan, all found on mainland Polillo; and two offshore island municipalities, Patnanungan and Jomalig. The Polillo archipelago has an estimated land area of 82,618.8 hectares (based on digitized coastlines from NAMRIA 1:50,000 topographic maps). The municipality of Panukulan is composed of 12 barangays, and is the thrid most extensive in terms of land area compared to the other municipalities, comprising 23% of the total land area of the Polillo Islands. The barangay boundary information of Panukulan used in this report conforms to the cadastral survey maps, particularly Cad-931D, of the Land Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Lipata is identified as the largest barangay followed by Matangkap and Bonbon (Figure 1, Table 1).

Table 1. Land area of barangays in Panukulan.

Topography The Polillo Islands can be considered as lowland owing to its low relief and generally level to moderately sloping terrain (Table 2). Mt. Malulod is the highest peak found in the Polillo archipelago standing at an estimated 310 meters above mean sea level. High elevation and steeply sloping areas are concentrated at the northern (between Burdeos and Panukulan) and central portions (between

Barangay Area % Balungay 713.8 3.7 Bato 950.4 5.0 Bonbon 3,052.4 16.0 Calasumanga 1,259.5 6.6 Kinalagti 1,137.5 6.0 Libo 509.0 2.7 Lipata 3,527.5 18.5 Matangkap 3,135.3 16.5 Milawid 579.6 3.0 Pag-itan 652.4 3.4 Pandan 2,789.3 14.7 San Juan 730.5 3.8

TOTAL 19,037.3 100.0



Polillo and Burdeos) of Polillo mainland (Figure 1). Both Jomalig and Patnanungan Islands have low flat areas and gentle slopes. Table 2. Slope categories found in the Polillo Islands and in the municipality of Panukulan.

Polillo Islands Municipality of Panukulan Slope Category Description

Area (ha) % to Total Area Area (ha) % to Total

Area 0 – 3% Level to gently sloping 30,106.9 36.5 5,563.5 29.2 3 – 8% Gently sloping to undulating 18,848.8 22.8 3,308.8 17.4 8 – 18% Moderately sloping 22,849.7 27.7 5,651.2 29.7 18 – 30% Steeply sloping 8,432.1 10.2 3,054.3 16.1 30 – 50% Very steeply sloping 2,148.8 2.6 1,314.3 6.9 Over 50% Mountainous 184.5 0.2 137.1 0.7

TOTAL 82,570.8 100.0 19,029.3 100.0 Note: The area total from the slope computations differ by almost 8 hectares from the computed administrative land area of the islands. This discrepancy is due to the inherent difference in data formats (i.e., raster vs. vector data formats for slope and administrative boundary, respectively), which is best manifested along the coastlines.

POLILLO

BURDEOS

PANUKULAN

PATNANUNGAN

JOMALIG

Lipata

Bonbon

Pandan

Matangkap

Bato

Kinalagti

Libo

Calasumanga

Milawid

San Juan

Balungay

Pag-itan

legendslope classification

[0 - 3%] level to gently sloping[3 - 8%] gently sloping to undulating[8 - 18%] moderately sloping[18 - 30%] steeply sloping[30 - 50%] very steeply sloping[> 50%] mountainous

barangay boundariesmunicipal boundariescoastline

rivers

5 0 5

kilometers

Figure 1. Slope classification of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan. The municipality of Panukulan similarly has low relief and less of steeply sloping areas. The Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines (PD 705) provides that lands of the public domain that are 18% in slope and above may not be classified as alienable and disposable lands. Accordingly, based on slope information, about 24% of the municipality may be classified as forestlands. In contrast, however, the



land classification surveys indicated that 71% were delineated as forestlands (discussed further in the section on Land Classification). Slope and contour information were interpolated from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data produced by the joint efforts of the United States National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), and the Italian and German space agencies (Rodriguez et al. 2005). Climate The Polillo Islands belong to the Type II climatic type characterized as having no dry season with a very pronounced maximum rain period from October to January (PAGASA et al. 1992). The mean monthly rainfall ranges from about 100 – 680 millimeters and the annual rainfall averages to about 3.70 meters, similar to that experienced by Baguio City, Eastern Samar, and the eastern part of Mindanao. Soil Types and Land Capability Six (6) soil types were determined almost throughout the entire Polillo Islands, particularly: beach sand, Castilla Clay, hydrosol, mountain soil, Polillo sandy clay loam, and Rizal clay (Figure 2 ,Table 3).

POLILLO

BURDEOS

PANUKULAN

PATNANUNGAN

JOMALIG

Lipata

Bonbon

Pandan

Matangkap

Bato

Kinalagti

Libo

Calasumanga

Milawid

San Juan

Balungay

Pag-itan

legend


rivers

mountain soilhydrosolcastilla clay

polillo sandy clay loamrizal clay

beach sand

unclassified

soil types

5 0 5

kilometers

Figure 2. Soil types of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan.



Table 3. Description of soil types found in the Polillo Islands.

Soil Type Description Land Capability Area (ha) % to Total

Area Beach sand This soil type is slightly eroded, found on nearly

level to gently sloping areas. It has very low fertility, low permeability, low moisture holding capacity, and high salinity. Formation of dunes from wind action is likely to happen. The soil may be devoted to coconuts, vegetables, and root crops provided that water supply is adequate and additional measures are taken to increase the water holding capacity of the soil.

Ds 558.8 0.7

Castilla clay This soil type is found on strongly sloping areas and severely eroded. Erosion and fertility are its main problems as well as the limitation on the number of years for cultivation. Top soil is generally thin and the lack of soil depth for good root penetration and water intake and storage are added problems to cope with. It is productive for coconuts, upland rice, and banana; and it best suited for pasture and forest purposes.

De 46,197.6 55.9

Hydrosol Found on level land, usually wet and cannot be economically drained. Sea water or freshwater usually finds passage in this area. It is suitable for salt beds, mangroves, fishponds, or recreation areas.

X 1,763.9 2.1

Mountain soil These are very steep and severely eroded lands. It is very shallow, rough, and dry making it unsuitable for cultivation. These areas can be utilized for pasture and is best suited for forest purposes. However, very careful management should be observed.

N 24,839.8 30.1

Pollilo sandy clay loam

It is nearly level and potentially good land although it is inherently low in fertility. Its porous subsoil allows water to percolate rapidly thus making it somewhat droughty. Soil fertility loss through leaching is relatively high. Rice (lowland and upland), coconuts, fruit trees, vegetables are best adapted to this land.

Bs 5,344.6 6.5

Rizal clay It is nearly level to gently sloping land and is susceptible to moderate erosion. Upland rice is productive on these lands along with the application of erosion control measures and fertilizers.

Be 3,517.9 4.3

unclassified Soil surveys have not been conducted on some small islands; thus, they are treated as unclassified.

296.2 0.5

TOTAL 82,618.8 100.0 The Polillo Islands are dominantly composed of Castilla clay and Mountain soils, both of which experience severe degrees of soil erosion. It is important, therefore, to consider the slope, vegetation, and intensity of rainfall for formulating soil erosion control measures. The soils on flat areas throughout the Polillos also have inherent low fertility, which poses a restriction to agricultural production. Soil erosion occurs when water runs over the surface (termed as surface runoff) of a sloping land. The rate of soil erosion will depend upon the speed of surface runoff. The volume and speed of runoff depend upon soil, slope, vegetation, and intensity of rainfall in the area. Soil loss basically has



detrimental effects to agricultural production such that the soil loses valuable nutrients and becomes thinner. Slope has a great influence on erosion such that runoff flows faster on steeper slopes than on surfaces with lesser grades. Soil loss is greatest where runoff is fastest. The terrain of the Polillo Islands is generally considered level to moderately sloping; thus, the overall contribution of slope to soil erosion is reduced with the exception of localized mountainous areas in the northern and central portions of Polillo Island, which exhibit steep slopes. While the effect of slope is minimal, the intensity of rainfall in the Polillos cannot be similarly reduced since the area experiences a high amount of precipitation all year round, which presents an increase in the volume of surface runoff. Land Classification The Philippine Constitution of 1987 (Art.12, Sec.3) states that lands of the public domain in the Philippines are classified into agricultural, forest or timber, mineral lands, and national parks. Agricultural lands are devoted principally to farming and crop raising, and are the only lands of the public domain that may be released for alienation (as alienable and disposable lands). Forest or timberlands are areas covered with large tracts of trees and underbrush, which may be devoted to wood production, reserves, or other forest purposes. Mineral lands are areas where minerals exist in sufficient quantity and quality such that it is more valuable for mining purposes than anything else. National parks are lands maintained by the national government as reservations for places of beauty or public recreation. Under PD 705, forestlands may be further classified into public forests, permanent forests or forest reserves, and forest reservations. These forestlands may not be subjected to private ownership.

POLILLO

BURDEOS

PANUKULAN

PATNANUNGAN

JOMALIG

Lipata

Bonbon

Pandan

Matangkap

Bato

Kinalagti

Libo

Calasumanga

Milawid

San Juan

Balungay

Pag-itan

5 0 5

kilometers

legend


rivers

timberland

coal-bearing forestreserve

alienable & disposable

communal forest[timberland]unclassified public forest

permanent forest

land classification

Figure 3. Land classifications of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan.



The Polillo Islands have been classified through the following land classification projects dating back to the 1920s during the American Occupation (Table 4): Table 4. Land classification projects surveyed in the Polillo Islands. Project No. Coverage Date Approved Map Source 19 Polillo Island 07 June 1927 LC 664 19-A Patnanungan, Jomalig, and Kuala Islands 06 September 1933 LC 1037 19-B Polillo Island 28 August 1939 LC 1358 19-C Polillo Island 21 January 1957 LC 2066 19-D Polillo 34-A Burdeos

27 June 1957 LC 2121

34-B Patnanungan (formerly indicated as Burdeos) 26 September 1958 LC 2225 19-E Polillo 34-C Burdeos

29 December 1959 LC 2334

34-D Burdeos 43 Panukulan

09 December 1983 LC 3251

Except for some small islands, almost the entire Polillo archipelago has been categorized into the land classification system. The islands have been classified mainly into (1) alienable and disposable lands (A&D) and (2) forestlands. Permanent forests refer to those lands of the public domain which have been subjected to the land classification system, and were determined to be needed for forest purposes. These are located in the northern portion of Polillo mainland. Forest reserves were also delineated but were also referred to as coal-bearing; thereby indicating that while these areas were classified as forest reserves, these areas may also be subjected to mining operations if ever the need came. It is rather unclear as to whether these areas function simultaneously as both mineral land and forest reservation (Figure 3). Table 5. Land classifications in the Polillo Islands and in the municipality of Panukulan.

Polillo Islands Municipality of Panukulan Land Classification Area (ha) % to Total Area Area (ha) % to Total Area

Alienable & Disposable 39,870.0 48.3 5,557.3 29.1 Timberland 26,635.0 32.2 7,054.8 37.1 Permanent Forest 8,968.8 11.0 6,069.4 31.9 Forest Reserve 6,218.2 7.5 354.0 1.9 Unclassified Public Forest 74.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 no data 852.2 1.0 1.8 0.0

TOTAL 82,618.7 100.0 19,037.3 100.0 About 71% of Panukulan municipality’s land area was categorized as forestlands according to the land classification surveys (Table 5). Slope data, in the contrary, indicated that only 24% of Panukulan is categorized with 18% slope and above (see Table 2), consequently pointing out an inconsistency with delineated forestlands surveyed in the land classification projects. In Panukulan, the terrain contains non-contiguous areas that are below 18% in slope. Since slope may change abruptly and vary over continuous terrain, the delineation of land classification units based on slope may be difficult especially if the resulting units are too small to be manageable. In this case, PD 705 provides that certain areas may be required for forest purposes even though these are below 18% in slope, particularly “areas less than 250 hectares which are far from, or are not contiguous with, any certified alienable and disposable land.” It is presumed that the forestlands identified in the land classification projects in Panukulan were also situated over elevated terrain and probably over areas with forests at the time.



No communal forests were identified in Panukulan but a total of 400 hectares of communal forests were identified in Polillo (330 ha) and Burdeos (70 ha). Communal forests are tracts of forestland set aside by the DENR for use of the residents of a municipality from which they may cut, collect, and remove forest products for their personal use provided that their utilization shall be in accordance with the sustainable operations plan prepared by the LGU with the assistance of DENR. The Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) and the Joint Memorandum Circular 98-01 devolved the management and control over such areas to the municipal governments. Since all communal forests in the Polillo Islands are less than 5,000 hectares—the maximum limit over such areas that may be placed under the management and control of municipalities—these areas are now deemed the responsibility of the respective municipal governments where they are situated subject to the supervision of the DENR (RA 7160 Sec.17 b.2.ii). Land Cover / Land Use Prior to satellite image interpretation, the land use maps generated by the Oxford-UPLB studies using participatory 3D modeling were the only available and complete information on the extent and distribution of remaining forest fragments on the Polillo Islands. Other national land cover maps that were produced (i.e., by the Swedish Space Corporation in 1987, the Japan Forest Technical Association in 1992, and the Forest Management Bureau in 2003) are either obsolete, or too coarse for conservation planning, or inherently limited as described by Kummer (1992) in the case of SSC data, or contain uncertainties according to the Asian Development Bank (2004) pertaining to FMB data. Satellite imagery was fortunately available for this project. Land cover information was interpreted and derived from Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite imagery with path-row = 115-050, acquired on 31 July 2001 (U.S. Geological Survey 2001). The image was downloaded from the Global Land Cover Facility [http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/]. While the satellite-based and the participatory 3D maps are approximately similar in geographical scales, or even complementary in terms of land cover information, a comparison between the two datasets has not been conducted at present. Only the satellite-based land cover interpretation is used in this report. The land cover interpretation yielded 10 distinct cover types (Table 6). Clouds are included as a distinct cover type since the land cover or vegetation type beneath the clouds cannot be determined. The same is true for shadows cast by clouds over the landscape. The clouds and shadows present at the time of acquisition of the satellite image were determined to be less than 1% (covering approximately 612 hectares) of the total land area of Polillo Islands, which may be considered negligible as the remaining 99% may give sufficient information of the land cover classes found over the Polillos. Table 6. Matrix of land cover types within the five municipalities of Polillo Islands.

Cover Type Polillo Burdeos Panukulan Patnanungan Jomalig Clouds 46.7 324.8 24.0 0.0 0.0 Shadows 31.0 152.7 29.8 0.0 0.0 Water bodies 0.6 5.4 5.1 0.8 7.6 Coastal habitats 91.4 216.2 153.4 140.1 106.5 Mangroves 816.6 1,989.1 1,227.1 994.6 91.2 Marshes 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 144.2 Grasslands/Bare soil 766.7 641.8 426.5 863.2 2,543.3 Cultivated areas 3,192.9 3,166.6 2,379.5 1,438.8 378.8 Forests 7,384.6 2,845.1 2,075.3 2,837.9 795.6 Coconut plantations 15,933.7 10,939.6 12,715.5 3,439.1 1,253.9

TOTAL 28,264.3 20,281.3 19,036.2 9,714.5 5,321.1 Note: The total area of land cover types per municipality differ from their computed administrative land area. This discrepancy is due to the inherent difference in data formats (i.e., raster vs. vector data formats for land cover and administrative boundary, respectively), which is best manifested along the coastlines. All figures reflect total area in hectares.


http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/


POLILLO

BURDEOS

PANUKULAN

PATNANUNGAN

JOMALIG

Lipata

Bonbon

Pandan

Matangkap

Bato

Kinalagti

Libo

Calasumanga

Milawid

San Juan

Balungay

Pag-itan

legend


rivers

land cover (2001)cloudsshadowsseacoastal habitatsmangroves

bare soil / grasslandcultivated areasforestscoconut plantations

marshes

5 0 5

kilometers

P O L I L L OS T R A I T

B U R D E O SB A Y

L A M O NB A Y

ANIBAWANBAY

P H I L I P P I N E S E A

P O L I L L OB A Y

Figure 4. Land cover types of the Polillo Islands showing municipalities and barangays of Panukulan. The landscape of Panukulan is mainly agricultural, which is extensively made up of coconut plantations (Figure 4). Various vegetable crops and fruit-bearing trees are also grown beneath coconut canopies, or sometimes left bare without any undergrowth. Banana orchards are also present but are not as extensive as coconuts. Given that the spatial resolution of the Landsat 7 imagery is too coarse to discriminate between coconuts and other fruit-bearing orchards, the general cover type was determined as “coconut plantations,” bearing in mind that these plantations are mixed with other vegetation. Cultivated areas include rice fields or paddies and other plots dedicated for the production of agricultural goods (i.e., corn). Extensive paddies are situated on flat areas (near the coastline) and within proximity of drainage channels while smaller plots (mostly slash-and-burn or “kaingin”) are found on the uplands. Grasslands / bare soil are open areas covered with grass or may also be exposed, uncultivated soils (including fallow farmlands). Only 19% of the entire Polillo Islands remains forested, and much of the forests are fragmented and threatened. The forest fragments and their undergrowth may be clustered into blocks, particularly found on northern, central, and southern (separately distinguishing Sibulan/Pinaglubayan and Macnit-Lumpag blocks) sections of Polillo mainland, and the islands of Patnanungan and Jomalig. The municipality of Polillo holds 46% of the total forest cover of the Polillo archipelago, the largest across all municipalities, followed by Burdeos and Patnanungan each with almost 18% of the total. Panukulan holds 13% of the total forest cover of the Polillo Islands. Under “coastal habitats,” no distinction was made to differentiate the various sub-aqueous habitats found in coastal areas (which may include seagrass, coral reef, sand, rock), but was clustered instead as a general cover type. Mangroves are situated along coastlines in all five municipalities—the most



extensive of which are found in Burdeos (see Figures 4 and 5) due to the number of islands in its jurisdiction. Marshes, or wetlands covered with grassy vegetation, can be found on Jomalig Island.

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Figure 5. Comparative abundance of major land cover / habitat types found in the Polillo archipelago and their distribution within each municipality. Based on the land cover interpretation, six major habitat types can be distinguished in the Polillo Islands, namely: mangroves, marshes, bare soil / grasslands, cultivated areas, forests, and coconut plantations (Figure 5). Coconut plantations, found mostly on Polillo mainland municipalities, make up about 54% of the total vegetation. Cultivated areas in Polillo and Burdeos are almost equally extensive. For Jomalig, almost half of its landscape (48% of the island) is covered by grasslands. It possesses the only extensive marshlands in the Polillo Islands, which indicates the presence of faunal species that may only be found there and nowhere else in the Polillos. Five of the six major habitats or cover types are present in all five municipalities except for marshes which are confined in Jomalig. In the case of Panukulan, coconut plantations make up 67% of its land area. Cultivated areas represent 13% while forests only 11% of the land area of the municipality. Tenurial Instruments Land tenure instruments affect how forest management is implemented in the Philippines. In establishing Local Conservation Areas in the Polillo Islands, it is therefore necessary to take these prior rights and arrangements into consideration to come up with the most appropriate management system, especially if the forests are already under an existing tenurial instrument. The following tenurial arrangements are found within the municipality of Panukulan (Figure 6):



Proposed Ancestral Domain of the Indigenous Dumagat Tribe According to the Region IV Office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), no CADT application in the Polillo Islands has been submitted for processing as of 2006. But locals report the presence of a proposed ancestral domain claim belonging to the Dumagat tribes in Polillo. Presently, the Dumagat tribes are still accomplishing their application for an ancestral domain title (CADT) following the provisions specified in the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (RA 8371).The ancestral domain is situated across the municipalities of Polillo (namely in Brgys. Binibitinan, Taluong, and Salipsip), Panukulan (namely in Brgys. Calasumanga, Lipata, Kinalagti, Pandan, and Matangkap), and Burdeos (namely in Brgys. Anibawan and Aluyon). It has an approximate area of 5,768 hectares, of which 27% (1,580 hectares) are still forested including the Anibawan limestone region identified in Clements (2003).

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Palasan Island

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Figure 6. Tenurial instruments situated within the municipality of Panukulan. Mangrove areas are shown to indicate the extent of the Lamon Bay Mangrove Forest Reserve (Proc. No. 2152) across the Polillo archipelago. The proposed ancestral domain is well outside the boundaries of any of the other LCAs proposed in this report. Nevertheless, the ancestral domain shares common boundaries with some of the proposed LCAs, and in effect, connects two separate LCAs situated in Panukulan and in-between Polillo and Burdeos. It is envisioned that this ancestral domain can also serve as an LCA under an ancestral domain management framework—either the entire domain of areas within it (see further discussion under Proposed Local Conservation Areas). The Dumagat communities residing in Brgy. Bonbon in Panukulan are also separately applying for another ancestral domain title apart from the existing claim. During an interview with the incumbent chieftain of the Dumagat tribe in Bonbon, he described that their



application spans the entire municipality of Panukulan but excludes the areas already claimed by the other ancestral domain claim. However, they have not started completing the application requirements including the sketch map of the boundaries of their claim. Panukulan Watershed Forest Reserve The 182-hectare watershed forest reserve was established through Proclamation No. 290 on 06 November 1993 in Panukulan between the barangays of Bato and Lipata (see Appendix 1 for the technical description of the watershed forest reserve). Although it is more commonly known as Bato Watershed, the larger portion of the reserve is situated within barangay Lipata. It has about 30 hectares of remaining forest (or 16% of its land area), which are mostly regenerating forest since it was heavily logged by concessions in the past (Hampson et al. 2003). The reserve was identified as one among many study sites during the joint researches by the Oxford-UPLB team, but was not considered a priority for conservation interventions. The reserve was created as a municipal watershed to secure and protect the source of water for the local residents. It is situated at the western side of Lipata watershed although a portion of its boundary is found at the fringes of Hook watershed, and is much closer to the communities at barangay Bato. Despite its declaration in 1993, no formal conservation mechanisms have been installed over the watershed reserve. Certificate of Stewardship Contracts (CSC) Land rights in the form of Certificate of Stewardship Contracts (CSC) were awarded to many individual residents in Burdeos under the Integrated Social Forestry (ISF) projects between the 1980s and 1990s. Some locals only claim rights over the land as “angka,” which function as first-come-first-serve reservations to secure the land for themselves in preparation for possible land rights to be awarded in the future. Angkas are not legally recognized as land tenure instruments but have been honored, however, amongst the people within the communities as valid claims or “almost legal” agreements. In 1995, through EO 263 followed by DAO 96-29, Community-based Forest Management (CBFM) was adopted as the national strategy to achieve sustainable forestry and social justice in the country. All people-oriented forestry programs of the government, including the ISF Program, among others, were integrated and unified under the CBFM strategy. It is through this framework that the national government intends to work with the local governments, NGOs, and forest-dependent communities in addressing forest resource management in the country (Eslava 2004). Under the DAO 92-30 and the Joint DENR-DILG Memorandum Circular 98-01, the management of community-based forestry projects (e.g., ISF projects) was included among the devolved forestry management programs, projects, and functions of the DENR to the LGUs. Hence, the responsibility over ISF projects was already delegated to the LGUs. As of 2005, the management of 39 ISF projects (with a total area of 4,770 hectares awarded to at least 1,712 beneficiaries) was already devolved to the LGUs of Polillo, Burdeos, and Panukulan (PENRO 2006, pers. comm.). However, this may not be the most comprehensive information on the total area or number of projects awarded in the Polillos since other ISF sites appear in the lists found in CENRO and the LGUs. The ISF areas in the Polillo Islands have not been integrated and analyzed on the GIS yet as of the writing of this report. The control maps showing the locations of all ISF projects in the Polillos could not be found in the archives of both the DENR (including CENRO, PENRO, and RENRO) and the LGUs. And while the lists of awarded contracts and hardcopy maps of individual contract areas are available,



the volume of the information is too great such that it could not be incorporated in the GIS in time for inclusion in this report. the volume of the information is too great such that it could not be incorporated in the GIS in time for inclusion in this report. Lamon Bay Mangrove Swamp Forest ReserveLamon Bay Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve Under Proc. No. 2152, the mangrove areas found along the coastlines encompassing the entire Lamon Bay were declared as a Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve. This explicitly includes the islands of Polillo, Alabat, Cabalete, Jomalig, Patnanungan, Kalotkot, Kalongkaoan, Palasan, Cabalao, Icol, and San Rafael in Quezon Province. It is currently included as an initial component of the NIPAS (BMD PAWB DENR 2005). Based on the 2001 land cover interpretation, the entire Polillo Islands has about 5,119 hectares of mangroves. Watershed Areas

A watershed is a land area that drains water into a stream or river system. They are also sometimes referred to as drainage basins or catchments. Ridges of higher elevation generally form the boundaries between two watersheds. At these boundaries, rain falling on one side flow toward the low point of one watershed, while rain falling on the other side of the boundary flows toward the low point of a different watershed. Forests are an important component of healthy watersheds. Forests help regulate water flow, maintain water and air quality, provide soil stability through its

root system up to some extent (Bruijnzeel 2004), and serve as important habitats for wildlife. Hence, adequate forest cover should be kept within watersheds to maintain the ecological services that it provides. One hundred forty five (145) watersheds exist throughout the Polillo archipelago (with areas ranging approximately between 1 to 10,700 hectares), of which 96 are found within Polillo mainland. The river systems mainly form dendritic patterns. Anibawan is the largest watershed, which has an approximate area of 10,700 hectares and is shared between three municipalities including Polillo and Panukulan (where the headwaters are situated) and Burdeos (where the rivers drain out to the ocean). The 10 largest watersheds in the Polillo Islands (land area > 1,300 hectares) are mostly found on Polillo mainland (Figure 7). The municipality of Panukulan has jurisdiction over three of these largest watersheds, namely: Anibawan, Lipata, and Pamasaingan-Alagacon. Lipata watershed is the only basin situated entirely within the boundaries of Panukulan.



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Figure 7. Watersheds of the Polillo Islands with emphasis on the 10 largest watersheds. Overall, the municipality of Panukulan has jurisdiction over 18 watersheds whether partially or completely. The percentage of forest cover within these watersheds ranges from 0.4% to 26.4% with an average of 6.6% (see Appendix 2). The top three watersheds with the most forest cover are Anibawan, Pamasaingan-Alagacon, and Bugwasan—all of which are situated at the northern section of Polillo mainland (Figure 8, Appendix 2). This only indicates that most of the remaining forest habitats in Panukulan are concentrated within these watersheds. Smaller watersheds, particularly those found near the coastline, have lesser forest areas possibly due to the presence of settlements and the associated resource extraction required by communities in these watersheds. The Kalawakan Forest Block LCA (and all of its sub-LCAs both in Panukulan and Burdeos) coincides with portions of the watersheds with the highest amount of forest cover. This suggests that the proposed LCA will be instrumental in maintaining and securing the remaining forest habitats of these watersheds. The Panukulan Watershed Forest Reserve LCA, on the other hand, is hopefully envisioned to alleviate the worsening condition of the forest cover in Lipata and Bato watersheds (with 8.3% and 3.6% in remaining forests, respectively), which are both similarly important as water sources for two communities, as well as a potential forest habitat restoration site.



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Figure 8. Percentage of forest cover within each watershed found in the municipality of Panukulan. Proposed Local Conservation Areas The ecological research expeditions conducted in 1999 and 2001 by the joint efforts of Oxford University in the United Kingdom and the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna identified several sites across the Polillo archipelago as urgently requiring conservation interventions. The Darwin project currently being implemented by the Polillo Islands Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PIBCFI) springboards from the recommendations of the expedition such that it aims to declare and establish conservation areas in the Polillos that are effectively managed by its local governments and communities. The PIBCFI conducted further surveys focusing on mapping, the socio-economic-political situation, and institutional capacity aspects to broaden the information on the initial short listed sites, including other sites suggested by the local communities.


polillo conservation data

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