Tayabasan River Basin

The Marikina River basin is the largest watershed draining from the Sierra Madre into the Metro Manila area. The total watershed area is about 51,000 hectares. The primary reason for major flooding in Metro Manila during the rainy season is because of runoff from the upper Marikina Basin and the impervious surfaces in Metro Manila. A partnership between Manila Water Company, Antipolo City Local Government Unit, Greenpeace Philippines, Philippine Federation for Environmental Concern, and Flora and Fauna international has been formed in order to improve water quality, water retention capacity, and biodiversity in the upper Marikina watershed, primarily by restoring forest cover. During floods, non-point source runoff from agricultural land and solid waste and chemical pollutants enter Laguna lake and Manila Bay. In 1986, the city built the Manggahan Floodway, which diverts some of the floodwaters into Laguna Lake instead of into the Pasig River. The Pasig River flows through central Manila, and Laguna Lake acts as a detention lake for excess storm water runoff.

Flooding along the Manggahan Floodway in September 2009 following Typhoon Ondoy.

Greenpeace Philippines has an ongoing campaign they have called Water Patrol. Its focus is to encourage transparency on water quality issues, especially in Metro Manila. The rivers running through Metro Manila are susceptible to contamination from non-point sources in the headwaters and from anthropogenic human sources such as agricultural runoff and chemical pollutants originating from urban pollution.
Water Patrol TV | Greenpeace Philippines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiBl5v2pn3Q

This video shows some of the environmental concerns of the people living in the Tayabasan River basin. The Tayabasan River is one of the major tributaries of the upper Marikina with an area of 7,300 hectares. From 2103 to 2016, a comprehensive management plan for this basin will be developed, with the goal of expanding this plan in the future to the entire Marikina River basin. The partnership aims to develop this management plan in collaboration with people living in the Upper Marikina. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure the long-term sustainability of potential changes in land-use management using local oversight and cooperation. Without ensuring the sustainability of implemented land-use management changes, the same problems will continue in the future. These problems will only be exacerbated by changes in the climate and growth in the human population living in the basin. Development of politically and culturally appropriate and sustainable alternative livelihood practices for the people living there are critical in order to ensure net reforestation of the Tayabasan watershed.

I will be posting quite a bit on the development of the Tayabasan River watershed management plan in the months to come. Stay tuned...

Philippine Eagle shot dead near Mt. Lumot, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao

http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/41722-rehabilitated-ph-eagle-dead

A rehabilitated Philippine Eagle was found dead last week in Mindanao from a gunshot wound. This eagle had been released into the wild in August of this year. The Philippine Eagle is one of the most endangered birds in the world, with less than 1000 birds estimated to be remaining. It is a national treasure and symbol of the Philippines. The birds stronghold is the island of Mindanao in the southern part of the country. This island has most of their remaining habitat, in-tact primary rain forest. Their diet is mostly primates and other small mammals. It is unclear why people are shooting these birds. They are likely not to be a threat to livestock because of their requirement for large blocks of undisturbed primary rain forest.

Linapacan Island - world's clearest water

Some of the clearest water in the world can be found in the Philippines. This is Linapacan Island near Palawan. For whatever it's worth, Daily News Dig says this place is #1 in the world.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/331606/lifestyle/travel/linapacan-island-palawan-has-world-s-clearest-water-to-swim-in-news-site

http://dailynewsdig.com/35-clearest-waters-world-swim-die/

Welcome to Balicassiao!

I am starting this blog to write about environmental issues facing the Philippines. The Philippines is a country of environmental extremes where humans and nature have a distinctly dynamic relationship. The Philippines is home to one of the world's largest cities, some of the most remote, uninhabited places  in the world, some of the worst pollution problems, and some of the most pristine rain forests, beaches, and coral reefs. It is home to some very sensitive endangered and/or endemic plants and animals. The Balicassiao is a species of drongo, or flycatcher bird, endemic to the Philippines. This country is one of the most natural disaster prone places in the world with earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and flooding happening constantly. Filipinos are constantly affected by their environment and are constantly rebuilding. I hope you enjoy this blog and have an opportunity to read it as often as I am able to post.      Salamat.