At the Philippine hosting of the 10th Asian Wetland Symposium (AWS10) in Quezon City, Assistant Secretary for Biodiversity Marcial C. Amaro, Jr. (right) and Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Assistant Director Armida P. Andres (left) awarded the Ramsar Site certificates of designation. Municipality of Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo Coro II (center) receives the award for the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve, Surigao Del Norte.

The Philippines now has ten Wetlands of International Importance with the designation of the Sibugay Wetland Nature Reserve (SWNR) in Zamboanga Sibugay and the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve (DCMR) in Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS) as the 9th and 10th “Ramsar Sites” of the Philippines, respectively.

The announcement came after the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands officially included SWNR and DCMR-SIPLAS on the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar List). The Convention serves as an intergovernmental treaty providing a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Article 2.1 of the Convention on Wetlands calls for each Contracting Party to designate suitable wetlands within their respective territories for inclusion into the List, to highlight their significance not only to the host country but to the global community as well.

SWNR, which has been tagged as Ramsar Site No. 2252, is a wetland complex surrounded by nine (9) municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay that hosts thousands of migratory birds during migration season from September to March. Five (5) waterbird species namely: the endangered Far eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Great white egret (Egretta alba), Little egret (E. garzetta), Intermediate egret (E. intermedia) and Gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) have exceeded the 1% share of the East-Asian-Australasian Flyway population which qualifies the global contribution of the wetland to the conservation of waterbirds.

SWNR is also home to what is believed to be the largest colony of flying foxes in the country. This Sibugay colony is composed of the Philippine endemic and endangered Golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), the Large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), and Island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus).

Marine turtle species, such as the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), endangered Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), and the vulnerable Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), likewise find refuge in the SWNR.

DCMR-SIPLAS, identified as Ramsar Site No. 2553, serves as an important community asset to the municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte and the entire island of Siargao. Its mangrove cover of approximately 4,871 hectares comprises more than half of the Island’s total mangrove forest.

At least eight (8%) percent of flora and 20% of its fauna found in DCMR-SIPLAS are endemic to the Philippines and the Mindanao region. These include the Philippine duck (Anas luzonica), Southern rufous hornbill (Buceros mindanensis), Mindanao hornbill (Penelopides affinis) and the Yellowish bulbul (Hypsipetes everetti). Most importantly, the site supports food production, livelihood, and ecotourism activities, and protects nearby communities against storm surges.

The official announcement and awarding of certificates were made during the Philippine hosting of the 10th Asian Wetland Symposium (AWS10) on November 25-28, 2024 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria. Assistant Secretary for Biodiversity Marcial C. Amaro, Jr. and BMB Assistant Director Armida P. Andres presented the certificates of designation to the representatives of the newly declared Ramsar Sites. OIC Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer of Zamboanga Sibugay George Laolao and the Chief of Conservation and Development Section Georgina Fernandez received the award on behalf of the SWNR, while the Municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao Del Norte Mayor Alfredo Coro II accepted the award for the DCMR.

This year’s event has the theme, “Wetlands-based Solutions” and is organized by the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA), and Ramsar Center Japan, with the Japan Wetland Society, and Wetlands International Japan as co-organizers.

As co-chair of the AWS10 National Organizing Committee, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), thru the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), is co-organizing with RRC-EA a side event on the draft Ramsar resolution on Assessing Wetland Vulnerability on November 26, 2024.

Meanwhile, the DENR-National Capital Region is hosting one of the field trip sites on November 27, 2024 at the Las Pinas-Paranque Wetland Park, the Philippines’ 6th Ramsar site (Ramsar Site No. 2124).

The Philippines’ other Wetlands of International Importance include the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu (Ramsar Site No. 656), Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro (Ramsar Site No. 1008), Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan (Ramsar Site No. 1010), Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur (Ramsar Site No. 1009), Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Ramsar Site No. 2084), the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area in Negros Occidental (Ramsar Site No. 2271) and the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands in Pampanga (Ramsar Site No. 2445). ##

Sibugay Wetland Nature Reserve

Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve

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