Efforts on to protect vanishing Mindoro pine

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – Like the vanishing tamaraw, the Mindoro pine is headed for extinction.

This commercially important tree species used to cover about 5,000 hectares of the mountain ranges in Mamburao, Sta. Cruz, Sablayan, Calintaan, and Abra de Ilog, all in Occidental Mindoro.

Now, the latest Philippine Forestry Statistics (PFS) shows that only 695 hectares of Mindoro pine remain in the Mt. Paragpagan forest reserve in Barangays Barahan and Pinagturilan in Sta. Cruz.

“And it continues to diminish owing to grass fires,” according to the provincial environment and natural resources office (PENRO).

“Just like the world-famous tamaraw of Mindoro, this pine tree has also been considered an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES),” said Ronilo Salac, an officer of the Occidental Mindoro PENRO.

Salac said the PENRO has taken initial steps to save the Mindoro pine.

Since 2005, Salac has been spearheading the dissemination of information on the status of the endangered tree species and the reproduction of planting materials.

“In collaboration with the provincial government of Occidental Mindoro, we have conducted several experiments to look for ways of propagating the Mindoro pine,” he said.

Forester Yolanda Bambo, senior ecosystem management specialist of PENRO Occidental Mindoro, also said, “We found that marcotting is the most practical way of ensuring that we have enough planting materials to support the establishment of new Mindoro pine plantations.”

At present, there are 20,000 planting materials of marcotted Mindoro pine available to be planted this year, he added.

Various sectors in the province, including the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) through its forest project, local communities, especially the Alangan Mangyans, local government units, non-government agencies, and people’s organizations, continue to take part in activities to conserve, protect and restore the native Mindoro pine in its natural stand, Salac said.