Tribe settlements threaten Samar's intact forest

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines, Oct. 15 --The Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) has expressed concern on the settlement of Manobos in Samar forest, whose livelihood activities are environmentally destructive.

SINP Protected Area Superintendent Angelito B. Villanueva said that small groups of indigenous people not from the region have been wandering in the Samar forest and made temporary settlements there.

“In Samar Island, more particularly within the SINP area, the latest survey reveals that these people are present in the thick forest of three Samar provinces,” Villanueva.

Specifically, settlements of Manobos were observed in upstream portion of Jocontol River within Sitio Hitendog in Maslog, Eastern Samar; Limboan River in Barangay Sag-od, Las Navas, Northern Samar; Barangays Gusa and Hibacaan in San Jose de Buan, Samar.

“These Manobos came from Surigao. They moved to Samar as a result of invasion of their ancestral lands by other tribes. Seeking to avoid confrontation, they simply left for other places,” he said.

The Manobos traditional way of life has been destructive, according to SINP. They are engaged in upland farming, kaingin, hunting of wild animals, split rattan processing, mat weaving and basket making. They sell their produce to flea markets in the towns of Las Navas and San Jose de Buan.

Tribes with more than a hundred members wandering in Samar forest came from three families – Bulan, Cabadungga and Kalipayan.

Information gathered by SINP from elder tribe leader Pedro Bulan, Manobos arrived in Samar through Guiuan around 1938 before the Second World War

“Other groups were enticed to stay in Samar because of the intact forest and came with the logging concessionaires in the 1970s. Gradually, they are beginning to settle in other areas, as evidenced by their backyard piggery and poultry,” Villanueva added.

The SINP has outlined measures to prevent destructive settlement of tribes. This include educating tribe members, coordinating with other government agencies to provide alternative livelihood to indigenous group.

In 1952, 86 percent of Samar’s land area was classified as virgin forest. It’s cover was reduced to 45 percent in 1978 and only 10 percent in 1987.

“Samar Island’s forestland shrunk to only 318,348 hectares in 2001 from 425,200 hectares in 1987, or an average annual forest cover loss of 7,632 hectares,” Villanueva said.

Logging and mining operations in the island has buoyed opening and access to remote forestland for human settlement, farming and other uses.

In February 1996, the national government declared an area of 360,000 hectares as the Samar Island Forest Reserve, which stopped logging operations. However, forest destruction continues due to farming, timber poaching and mining.

The demographic composition of 454,204 hectares SINP area consists of the protected area resident, the buffer zone residents, and resource users who are non-SINP residents.

These three groups, which make up the SINP upland community, consist of 320 villages, with about 28,737 households and have a total 149,394 population. (PNA)

BFAR warns of possible recurrence of red tide in Eastern Samar bay

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines, Oct. 7 -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) warns of possible recurrence of red tide in Eastern Samar’s Matarinao Bay, after lifting the shellfish ban in the area last week.

BFAR Eastern Visayas regional director Juan Albaladejo believed that unregulated small scale chromite mining in the municipalities of General MacArthur and Salcedo in Eastern Samar could trigger another recurrence of red tide bloom.

The phenomenon was first recorded in Matarinao Bay in March 2010, which lasted for one year. It recurred for four months in 2011, six months in 2012 and five months this year.

“Small scale chromite mining is rampant in the area. This is very destructive because it unearths ferrous sulfate, which fertilizes red tide organisms,” he said.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) confirmed that small scale mining is rampant in the area but denied the activity triggered red tide bloom.

“Mining activity is on the other side of the mountain not facing Matarinao Bay. It has been existing for decades, but how come it’s only recently that Matarinao Bay was hit by red tide?” said MGB regional information officer Dante Operario.

The MGB and Eastern Samar provincial government jointly identified some areas Eastern Samar for the “Minahan ng Bayan” program in the bid to regulate small scale mining activities.

BFAR lifted the shellfish ban in Eastern Samar’s Matarinao Bay after five months of red tide bloom that started April.

In a bulletin issued last week, BFAR said that all types of shellfish gathered in Matarinao Bay are now safe for consumption.

“Shellfish samples collected from the bay have been free from paralytic shellfish poison from three consecutive weeks of sampling in the area. Hence, harvesting and marketing of shellfish harvest is now permitted,” Albaladejo explained.

The frequent heavy rainfall and a prevailing wind from the west brought by southwest monsoon season “pushed” red tide from shallow waters to the deep sea.

Matarinao Bay encompasses the municipal waters of Salcedo, Quinapondan, McArthur and Hernani in Eastern Samar.

Even if the ban was already lifted, the official said that BFAR will continuously monitor the Bay to safeguard public health and to protect the shellfish industry.

All of the 12 bays in the region with history of red tide occurrence are now free from toxic organisms, according to BFAR.

These are Calbayog Waters, Biliran Waters, Carigara Bay, Ormoc Bay, San Pedro Bay, Sogod Bay, Irong Irong Bay, Cambatutay Bay, Maqueda Bay, Villareal Bay, Matarinao Bay and Cancabato Bay. (PNA)