‘Metro Cebu’s wildlife sanctuary threatened by urbanization’

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines — Metro Cebu’s Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary (OIWS) continues to be threatened by urbanization.

This was shown in a study done by the University of the Philippines Los Baños-School of Environmental Science and Management (UPLB-SESAM).

Titled “Urbanization adjacent to a wetland of international importance: The case of Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Metro Cebu, Philippines,” the research was conducted by Rico Ancog, UPLB-SESAM assistant professor.

The research won for Ancog the Dr. Elvira O. Tan Award (Natural Resources and Environment category) in the 2017 National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development sponsored by the Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

The Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary is a 5,800-hectare expanse in Metro Cebu that encompasses inter-tidal flat lands, mangroves, coral reefs, islets and seagrass beds.

It was declared a wildlife sanctuary through Proclamation No. 903 in 1992. In the intervening years, however, urbanization – specifically population pressure, coastal development and the availability of employment and livelihood – has posed a great risk to the conservation of the protected landscape.

The UPLB-SESAM research project surveyed land cover change by comparing remotely sensed land cover and available land use maps, historical population data and household level information.

“From 1970 to 2010, there was an increasing trend of urbanization in the coastal areas of Cebu main island adjacent to OIWS, which was attributed to an increase in population,” noted the UPLB-SESAM study as synthesized by PCAARRD’s Rose Anne Aya.

In terms of livelihood, residents within the 10-kilometer radius of OIWS source their income from fishing. Those living farther away work in factories in the urban and industrial areas.

Metro Cebu’s urbanization has spawned problems and issues related to  fishing in coastal communities in Cebu. These concerns include illegal fishing practices, decreasing fish stocks and presence of solid wastes in the fishing areas.

To address the prevailing urbanization issues in Metro Cebu, the study recommended improved land use planning that considers the alignment of regional, local, and site-specific concerns of OIWS as a wetland of international importance.