Sarangani moves to declare Mt. Busa a local conservation area

Philippine Eagle Foundation posted this photograph of Sarangani Pride on 20 February 2019 with this caption: “Meet Philippine Eagle Sarangani Pride or SP for short. Two years after his successful release, he has settled in the mountains of Maitum, Sarangani where he was seen hunting cobras and rodents on the forest floor on several occasions. Because of a GPS tracker harnessed unto his back, PEF and LGU Maitum can monitor and keep him safe.”

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews 29 August)  – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Sarangani has conducted public consultations in line with the efforts to declare Mount Busa, the province’s last ecological frontier, as a local conservation area (LCA).

Vice Gov. Elmer Peralta, SP presiding officer, said that a series of public hearings were conducted last week in the Makima area.

Makima stands for the towns of Maitum, Kiamba and Maasim.

Peralta said the public hearings were conducted as part of the process in drafting the ordinance declaring Mt. Busa as an LCA.

“Partners and stakeholders from the indigenous peoples and various sectors, government and non-government organizations, and other concerned agencies convened to discuss their concerns and suggestions on the draft ordinance,” he said in a statement.

The efforts to declare Mount Busa as an LCA are backed by Sarangani Gov. Rogelio Pacquiao and lone Rep. Steve Chiongbian Solon.

Board Member Irish Louie Arnado, chairperson of the committee on natural resources, environment protection and energy, noted that the ordinance declaring Mount Busa as an LCA would further “strengthen its protection and conservation measures” from destructive human activities.

These include small- and large-scale mining, timber-poaching, wildlife hunting, illegal logging, kaingin or slash-and-burn farming, collection of wildlife species or byproducts, land conversion, and others.
 
Cornelio Ramirez, executive director of the Environmental Conservation and Protection Center, said Mount Busa is a vast mountain range that covers 107,275 hectares of thick and mossy forests.

Considered the western watershed in Mindanao, it is primarily located in the town of Kiamba, but also covers Maitum and Maasim in Sarangani, and those of Lake Sebu and Tboli in South Cotabato.

Ramirez stressed the need and the urgency for the legislation declaring Mount Busa an LCA “because the flora and fauna resources in Mount Busa are vulnerable, irreplaceable, and are critically endangered species.”

He emphasized that preserving Mount Busa is protecting the critically-endangered Philippine Eagle, rufous hornbill or kalaw, Mindanao flying lizard, dwarf reed snake, Philippine tarsier, orchid species like waling-waling, and some potentially new frog species.

Ramirez said the declaration of Mount Busa as an LCA “will add more teeth to our protection efforts and enforcement of various environmental laws.”

The ordinance states that within 90 days from its approval, the LCA Management Council will create a Technical Working Group with the participation of various stakeholders to formulate an LCA Management Plan for Mount Busa. (MindaNews)