A team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CALABARZON through the Conservation and Development Division (CDD) and the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) conducted an assessment and monitoring of the biodiversity in Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL) from June 16-18, 2021 using the Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System (BAMS) for Terrestrial Ecosystems.

DENR Calabarzon CDD Chief Ramil J. Gutierrez said “ang BAMS ay isang sistema o pamamaraan na nakabase sa siyensa upang tukuyin o alamin ang kalalagayan ng iba’t ibang saribuhay ng isang pinangangalagaang pook o protected area, maging ito man ay legislated o initial component under NIPAS (National Integrated Protected Areas System) as amended by RA 11038”.

He said, per BAMS, an area within the protected area should be designated as Permanent Biodiversity Monitoring Area (PBMA). “Ito ay babalikan ng binuong monitoring team buhat sa DENR, PAMB (Protected Area Management Board) at iba pang stakeholders makalipas ang tatlong taon, matapos ang PBMA ay maitalaga sa napiling lugar sa loob ng isang protected area,” he explained.

The PBMA of UMRBPL is located within the Tayabasan Sub-Watershed in So. San Ysiro, Brgy. San Jose, Antipolo, Rizal, covering portions of the protected area’s Strict Protection Zone as well as the area awarded to the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force per Presidential Proclamation No. 1355, s-2007.

The BAMS team traveled to the site and established a 2-km transect on June 16, 2021. Then, initial data collection for flora and fauna components and sorting of specimens were conducted on June 17-18, 2021.

Results of the BAMS conducted in UMRBPL revealed that some of the floral species that thrive in the area are threatened, as per DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2017-11. These include Dalingdingan (Hopea acuminata) listed as Critically Endangered, Molave (Vitex parviflora) and Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) as Endangered, and White lauan (Shorea contorta) and Badiang/Gabing tigre (Alocasia zebrina) as Vulnerable. Is-is (Ficus ulmifolia) and Katmon (Dillenia philippinensis), both categorized as Vulnerable per International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, were also found in the area.

Moreover, some flora and fauna observed in the protected area are endemic to the country. These include Cyrtandra incisa, Begonia contracta, Begonia merrittii, Pinanga maculata, Malatungaw (Melastoma malabathricum), Pinanga copelandii, Homalomena philippinensis, Tagbak babae (Alpinia haenkei), wild orchids (Acanthephippium mantinianum), White-browed shama (Copsychus luzoniensis), Mangrove blue flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra), forest skink (Sphenomorphus sp.), freshwater crab (Sundathelphusa sp.), and Philippine muffin snail (Ryssota sp.).

Some data are still subject for identification and analysis per information from the BAMS team. The team will continue the assessment and monitoring of the protected area by July 2021.

Gutierrez said the results of the BAMS will become the basis or guide of the PAMB in making decisions for the enhanced protection and conservation of the protected area’s biodiversity.

Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Technical Bulletin No. 2016-05 dated December 22, 2016 provides the guidelines on BAMS for Terrestrial Ecosystems whereas BMB Technical Bulletin No. 2017-09 dated May 15, 2017 adopts the corresponding user manual.

DENR Calabarzon informs the public that hunting, destroying, disturbing, or mere possession of any plants or animals or products derived therefrom without a permit from the PAMB, are prohibited in accordance with the Republic Act No. 7586 or the “National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992” as amended by Republic Act No. 11038, and Republic Act No. 9147 or the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001”.

Those who spotted such illegal acts may report the matter to the regional department through its official Facebook page @DENR4AOfficial, Twitter and Instagram accounts @denrcalabarzon, email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or hotline 09561825774/09198744369.###

Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases
Published: 15 July 2021