DAVAO CITY – Environmental groups have pushed for the declaration of the Mounts Makabol-Alikoson Conservation Area (MMACA) in Barangay Salaysay, Marilog District, here as a critical habitat due to the threat of logging activities and expansion of agricultural lands.
MMACA is a home to the critically endangered Philippine Eagle and other wildlife species.
According to a study titled “The Terrestrial Vertebrates and Trees of the Mounts Makabol-Alikoson Conservation Area (MMACA)” conducted by a team of researchers from the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, MMACA remains a suitable habitat for a number of threatened Philippine and Mindanao endemic trees and terrestrial vertebrates despite the encroachment of human activities into its forests.
Dr. Jayson Ibañez, Philippine Eagle Foundation Research and Conservation director, said the existence of other endangered species conformed to guidelines in declaring MMACA as a critical habitat.
The study suggested that wildlife conservation and habitat protection efforts must continue to be a priority in this conservation area.
It said that MMACA has been recognized as a nesting site of Philippine Eagles.
Among the endemic trees found in the MMACA include the White Lauan (Shorea contorta), Almon (Shorea almon), Binuang (Octomeles sumatrana), Ulayan (Lithocarpus sulithi), Almaciga (Agathis philippinensis), Yakal (Shorea astylosa), Sagimsim (Syzygium brevistylum), and Mountain Agoho (Casuarina nodiflora).
Fruit-bearing trees were also found in the MMACA like Bignay (Antidesma bunius), Tibig (Ficus nota), Hauili (Ficus septica), and other fig species, which are “a good source of food for bats and other wildlife.”
In a joint press release issued by the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), and Sustainable Davao Movement, Ecoteneo, a series of expeditions in July and August, confirmed the presence of Philippine Eagles, including a six-month-old, and a new nest of the national bird.
It said that the eagles were active within a 500-meter radius of the Balete tree on Mount Makabol, specifically at the Panukuan area, where the nest was found.
“The pair of Philippine eagles was frequently detected on six occasions. This is only 4.5 percent of the total observation hours allotted during the expedition, which means these are not dwellers but permanent residents in the area,” it said.
Result of the terrestrial wildlife assessment conducted by the UP Mindanao’s researchers showed there are 119 terrestrial vertebrate species – 88 birds, 16 amphibians, six reptiles, five bats, and four non-volant mammals in MMACA.
Out of 119 terrestrial vertebrate species, it said that 39 species are endemic to the Philippines and 23 species to Mindanao, most of them “critically endangered and threatened.”