MANILA, Philippines - Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje recently signed an administrative order declaring a 27-hectare wetland area in Cabusao, Camarines Sur a critical habitat for the Philippine duck.
“This department administrative order (No. 2011-10) is a step to protect the Philippine duck, whose existence is true to the phrase, ‘only in the Philippines.’ It will hopefully give this unique bird a chance to live and propagate in a place free from exploitation and destruction caused by high-impact human activities,” Paje said.
The Philippine duck (Anas luzonica) is a large dabbling duck that frequents both fresh and saltwater habitats such as mangroves, the open sea and rice fields, feeding mainly on shrimps, fish, insects and vegetation.
It is characterized by a black crown, nape and eye stripe; a blue-gray bill; a cinnamon-colored head and neck; and grayish-brown body and legs.
Its wings, when spread, show a glossy green patch with a black and white border, and a white underside. It has been described as “the tropical version of the mallard,” a duck commonly found in more temperate regions such as the Americas and Europe.
An Asian Waterbird Census conducted in 2005 pegged the Philippine duck population at 4,428. Since then, there have been fewer reported sightings, attributed to “high levels of hunting and trapping, conversion of natural wetlands, mangrove destruction, and recently, the extensive use of pesticides on rice fields.”
The declining population of the Philippine duck has prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to classify it as “vulnerable” under its Red List of Threatened Species.
Paje said the administrative order is in accordance with Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which promotes ecological balance and enhance biodiversity by conserving and protecting wildlife species and their habitats.
RA 9147 defines a critical habitat as land located outside a protected area that is characterized by the presence of threatened species, considering its endemicity and richness in the area as well as the presence of threats to its survival.
Under the order, the DENR Region 5 office in Legazpi City, Albay is tasked to delineate the boundaries of the designated critical habitat.
It will also manage the area alongside the municipal government of Cabusao or co-manage it with the town and other organizations.
The DENR Bicol office and its partners will also ensure the preservation of existing ecosystems and safeguard the area’s ecological integrity to support the existence of the Philippine duck.
They are also tasked to jointly prepare and implement a Critical Habitat Management Plan to address management issues and strategies, including the enforcement of applicable environmental laws and prohibited acts under RA 9147 such as waste dumping, mineral extraction, quarrying, burning, and logging.
“Although also sighted in other areas such as Lake Naujan and the Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park in Mindoro, and Olango Island in Cebu, avid bird watchers have particularly noted ‘near-disappearances’ of the Philippine duck at the Candaba Marsh in Pampanga due to aquaculture and fishpond creation,” Paje said.