‘Wetlands and agriculture: Partners for growth’

And when we talk of agriculture, it does not only refer to land-based farming activities, it also includes what is referred to as coastal aquaculture, which as defined by Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO, include the farming of both animals (including crustaceans, shellfish and mollusks) as well as plants such as seaweeds. According to the Ramsar definition, wetlands also include areas of marine water the depth of which does not exceed six meters during low tide.

Unfortunately wetlands, face various threats. To quote the short write-up about LPPCHEA on the Ramsar website, it cited that LPPCHEA “faces threats associated with being located near densely populated areas. Waste from nearby cities accumulates along the coast and heavy metals and other organic contents coming from residential and industrial effluents (liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea) affect surrounding areas. Other threats include ongoing land reclamation projects and mangrove cutting.”

At dahil nga ang pakinabang o importansya ng wetlands ay two-pronged: environmental at agricultural, hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit hindi lamang ang mga environmentalists ang aktibo sa aming pagsuporta sa pangangalaga ng mga wetlands, kasama din namin ang mga mangingisda at iba pang grupo katulad ng mga urban poor na nagre-rely sa agriculture for their livelihood and daily sustenance.

Maraming components ng wetlands ang sumusuporta sa agrikultura at sa livelihood ng mga tao sa paligid nito. Una na diya ang mga mangroves o mga bakawan na nagsisilbing pinakamabisang pananggalang natin sa mga bagyo at storm surges. Mas matibay pa sa kahit anong pinakamatibay na semento o sea wall. Bukod diyan, ang mga mangrove na ito rin ay mahalaga rin sa ating mga mangingisda, dahil dito nangingitlog ang mga isda at kung saan namamahay ang maliliit na isda.

Unfortunately, according to experts, we have lost over 75% of mangroves in the past 82 years. Ang nakakabahala pa ay imbes na magtanim na magtanim ng mangrove, kapag nagre-reclaim, pinuputol pa ang mga ito. Actually, bawal putulin ang mga mangroves. Kami nga ay regular na nagtatanim ng mangrove sa Las Pinas dahil batid naming ang importansya nga mga ito. Makikita ninyo na napakadaming mangroves doon at nakakatulong ito para hindi kami masyado bahain.

Atty. Benjamin Tabios, Assistant Director for Administrative Service of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), cited a study conducted by the National Fisheries Development Institute in 2012. Ang sabi nya, “the hot spot for spawning is in the Eastern part of Manila Bay” and “the volume of (fish) eggs laid is the highest in that area”. LPPCHEA is part of the Eastern part of Manila Bay. [Source: “Save Manila Bay Program: Fisheries Resource and Ecological Study of Manila Bay” by the BFAR - Marine Fisheries Research Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute”]

Ang mga sea grasses ay importante rin. Ayon kay Dr. Giovanni Tapang ng Center for Environmental Concerns ng AGHAM: “an acre of sea grass allows 40,000 fish annually to develop and around 50 million small invertebrates (animals without backbone) to live.” Imagine kung gaano karaming isda ang mamatay kapag na-disturb ang ecosystem sa mga wetlands. Madi-disrupt din ang ating food production at supply.

Ayon sa mga fisherfolks groups, napakaraming yamang-tubig o marine organisms ang kanilang naha-harvest sa LPPCHEA. Ilan sa mga ito ay mga tilapia, tahong, hipon, alimango, alimasag, talangka, kanduli, dalagang bukid, banak, halaan, tulya, gulaman (sea weeds), salinyasi at iba pa.

Both Atty. Tabios and Dr. Tapang expressed concern na kapag nagkaroon ng reclamation sa LPPCHEA, maapektuhan ang bakawan kung saan pinapanganak ang mga isda na nagpo-provide ng fingerlings sa Manila Bay. Kapag tinambakan ang area na iyun, mamamatay ang mga mangrove; mawawala ang mga isda; mawawalan ng kabuhayan ang mga mangingisda at mga nagbebenta ng mga isda; at masisira ang suplay ng isda sa Metro Manila at karatig na mga bayan sa CaMaNaVa area o sa Cavite, Malabon, Navotas at Valenzuela pati na rin sa Bulacan. Ayon sa mangingisdang si Pablo Rosales, noong itinayo ang Mall of Asia, about 37,000 fishermen were displaced.

At ayon sa Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas o Pamalakaya, ang mga big-scale reclamations ay lubhang naaapektuhan na ang kanilang pamumuhay. Sa isang news article na lumabas sa Philippine STAR, ayon kay Myrna Candinato, head of Alyansa ng Mandaragat ng Bacoor, Cavite, and I quote: “the Cavite Expressway Road Extension (Cavitex) project caused the environmental destruction in Bacoor Bay” and that “before the reclamation, she and other tahong growers used to collect 200 gallons per day during harvest season. She said that they used to earn P30 per gallon of tahong a day and the harvest would last for a week, enabling them to earn at least P30,000 per harvest season.” After reclamation, “harvest of tahong during harvest season limits them to an average of 30 gallons to 50 gallons of tahong, a decline of 75 percent in tahong harvest compared to the pre-reclamation days.” [Source: “Cavite reclamation projects killing ‘tahong’ industry” By Dennis Carcamo (Philippine STAR/June 5, 2013]

Malaki rin ang mawawala sa ating ekonomiya. Batay sa estimate na ibinigay ni Dr. Tapang, tinatayang $20,500 ang contribution per acre per year ng mga yamang-dagat na ito sa over-all economy. Kaya ayon sa kanya, hindi dapat masira ang mga sea grass beds na tinatawag. For example, ang madagdag na 38,272 hectares bunga ng reclamation ay mapapalawak nga ng 0.13 percent ang land area, pero mababawasan naman nito ang ating water area at pati na rin sea grass beds ng parehong porsyento rin. For about 382.72 square kilometers sea grass lost, it will mean equivalent losses of 4.7 million invertebrates and 3.78 trillion fish, translated into Php77 billion losses per year. [Source: Overview of the National Reclamation Plan presentation by Dr. Giovanni Tapang]

Based on studies, “A crude estimate of the global economic value of wetlands is $70 billion a year— of which 53% or US$37.1 billion is in Asia.

With the link of wetlands to agriculture, there is also that inevitable link to poverty reduction. Katulad ng paulit-ulit kong binabanggit sa mga pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, ang mga magsasaka, mangingisda at iba pang mga taong, dependent on agriculture for jobs and livelihood,

ang isa sa pinakamahirap na sektor sa ating bansa. Halimbawa, ang mga coconut farmers sa Davao earn less than 50 pesos lang ang kininita araw-araw. Ang mga mangingisda sa Manila Bay, ay nakakahuli ng mga tatlong kilo ng isda sa maghapon na naibebenta nila ng 150 pesos.

“Although representing a relatively small proportion of the total agricultural GDP of each region, it should be remembered that wetland agriculture is often undertaken by the poorest. And that, in addition, fisheries and wild food sources add significantly to food security, particularly in years of drought,” cited the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in its report, ‘Wetlands, Agriculture and Poverty Reduction’, which highlights how wetlands contribute in diverse ways to the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.

“For poor rural households that are short of food, wetlands can provide a life-saving safety net. Some rural households increasingly use wetlands to supply local markets with irrigated vegetables and other products which generate income. For these households, wetlands represent a development opportunity which can lead them out of poverty,” added the IWMI in its report.

The keyword is sustainability. Alam naman natin na lahat ng sobra ay nakakasama rin. Applicable rin iyan sa wetland agriculture. Agriculture is also considered as one of the threats to wetlands, if not put in check. The correct agricultural practices should be used and the local communities should be involved because they know best how to take care of their source of livelihoods. Experts agree that more studies should be done on how to improve traditional wetland agriculture systems. Katulad na lamang sa Lake Bato sa Camarines Sur, ang paggamit ng chemical fertilizers ay na-pollute na ang tubig at naapektuhan ang supply ng isda.

“Wetlands and agriculture can and must coexist. We need policies on wetlands that support ecosystems, sustain rich biodiversity, and simultaneously improve the livelihoods of farming communities who depend on wetlands or whose activities directly affect them,” said Matthew McCartney, a hydrologist and a contributor to the report of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Among those cited as detrimental to wetland protection are forced drainage measures that transform wetlands to dry soils and of course, reclamation. [Source: ‘Put people at the centre of wetland protection – report’, by Megan Rowling, Thomson Reuters Foundation, February 2, 2014/Author: Megan Rowling]

Agricultural and other land uses of wetlands should be sustainable and safe. It has been done in other parts in the world where some wetlands have been fished and farmed for thousands of years. There are so-called sustainable farming and fishing methods.

Research is really needed to explore which combinations of land use and water management are optimal for supporting local communities in a sustainable way. It is of vital importance that agronomists, environmental scientists and local stakeholder groups cooperate to strive to find the best combination or perfect balance between farming and conservation.

Your honor, agriculture and fisheries according to our economic managers themselves at the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has stressed time and again that the development of agriculture and fisheries are key components towards our collective goal of inclusive growth and poverty reduction. These are among the priorities also in updating the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 that aim to transform agriculture and fishery into a highly productive and competitive sector that not only meets the country’s food requirements but also offers better income and employment opportunities.

NEDA also identified the main constraints to further increasing productivity in agriculture which include: degradation of natural resources that has been further threatened by climate-related risks and slow development of agri-business opportunities.

It is clear, your honor that in our quest to ensure that economic gains trickle down, or flow freely, to the poorest sectors of our society, everything is interconnected and come into play. Moreover, progress and development need not be at the expense of environment degradation and damage. In the same manner that environment protection does not mean economic stagnation.

Sa ating pagpapasigla ng ating ekonomiya, hindi dapat isinasakripisyo ang ating kalikasan at mga natural resources, lalong lalo na ang ating human resources. Kadalasan, sa bawat trabaho na naki-create, may mas maraming tao ang nawawalan ng kabuhayan.

Dapat timbangin ang bawat aspeto ng proyekto o stratehiya. Katulad ng nasabi ko kanina, napakagandang halimbawa ng partnership at synergy between wetland protection and agriculture towards growth. There is no need to destroy anything, one can co-exist with another. There is no need to tamper with nature to generate profits or fuel the economy. Public interest should always prevail, particularly over selfish interests.

One of the resource persons in our recent hearing posed a good point, we should be wary of people’s “eternal appetite” for profit or gain.

By Sen. CYNTHIA VILLAR

Privilege speech delivered at the Senate on March 10, 2014

(Conclusion)