(DENR chief nanawagan) KRISIS SA KALIKASAN AKSIYUNAN

Nanawagan si Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonio Yulo Loyzaga sa publiko na iligtas ang mga critically endangered na hayop sa Pilipinas at iba pang species, kasabay ng babala na ang Pilipinas ay itinuturing ng biodiversity hotspot o nasa krisis na ng posibleng extinction ng ibang mahahalagang hayop at mga pananim na mahalaga sa kapaligiran upang masagip maging ang mga tao sa posibleng  extinction o pagkaubos.

Ito ang binigyang diin ni Yulo Loyzaga sa kanyang naging mensahe sa media launch ng “Save from Extinction: Save Them, Save Ourselves” Campaign na isinagawa sa Manila.

“At the heart of today’s conversation are six of our nation’s most critically endangered: the Philippine cockatoo, marine turtles, and the Palawan pangolin. Each of these species represents the broades challenges we face in conservation, and their survival is intrinsically  linked to the health of our ecosystems. These are called the umbrella species, because their not only important on their own, but they are also important to the survival of other species endangered,” sabi ni Yulo Loyzaga.

“As we save them, we save ourselves. I should say we don’t take credit for that particular phrase. That phrase actually came from Secretary Ted Herbosa about sa­ving them and sdaving ourselves. He said, we must add human beings to that list, because if we don’t protect these species, we will also be extinct,” sabi ni Yulo Loyzaga.

Binigyang diin ng kalihim na mahalaga ang ginagampanan ng  iba’t ibang hayop, halaman at species sa bansa hindi lamang sa environment, kundi ultimong sa sur­vival ng mga tao.

“We are gathered here not only to discuss the urgent need to protect some of our most threatened species in our country, but also to highlight the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining our environment and ultimately, our way of life,” sabi ni Yulo Loyzaga.

Bagamat ang Pilipinas aniya ay kinikilala sa mundo sa kayamanan ng kalikasan kabilang ang mga unique species na dito lamang matatagpuan, ngayon ay itinuturing itong biodiversity hotspot.

“The Philippines is recognized globally as one of the 17 mega­diverse countries. A title that acknowledged our islands’ incredible wealth of unique species. At the same time, our country is also a biodiversity hotspot. A designation that really points out that we are in an alarming state as far as our ecosystems and the species that depend on them, inclu­ding ourselves, in order to survive,” sabi niya.

Bagamat ang bansa ay may 52,000 species, kalahati nito ay endemic, 2,000 ay itinuring ng “vulnerable” hanggang “critically endangered” bagamat marami rito ay tanging sa Pilipinas lamang matatagpuan.

Pinakamataas na endemic mammals sa mundo ay matatagpuan sa Luzon,kabilang ang   ilang uri ng daga, paniki na ngayon ay nawawalan na ng tahanan dulot ng deforestation, urbanization, unregulated at destructive agricultural practices lalo na aniya ang flora at fauna na nagiging extinct o nauubos na.

“We risk losing not just species but the essential services they provide-the services that are vital for our survival and the web of life,” sabi niya.

Ayon kay Yulo Loy­zaga, ang Philippine Eagle ay isa na sa critically endangered na kulang na  sa 400 ang pares. “With only about 23% of forest cover remaining. We have exa­cerbated the condition of this animal to actually being critically endangered. Illegal hunting and other types of activities are driving this species to extinction,” sabi niya.

Gayun din ang tamaraw na matatag­puan sa isla ng Mindoro na umaabot na lamang  mula sa  10,000  ay halos 574 hanggang 610 na lamang mula nang matuklasan sila noong 1986. “It is now confined to a few isolated locations and threatened by illegal hunting. Without exchange of genetic pools between population groups, they are at risk of genetic erosion from long term effects of inbreeding,” sabi ni Yulo Loyzaga.

Ang dugong na mahalaga sa pananatili ng seagreee ecosystems ay paubos na rin at ang Phi­lippine cockatoo. Ang populasyon  ng naturang ibon ay umaabot na lamang sa 650 hanggang 1,120 na ngayon ay na­nganganib maubos dahil sa panghuhuli at pagkasira ng lowland forest habitats o tahanan nila.

Ang marine turtles at hawksbill turtle rin  ay paubos na dahil sa encroachment sa kanilang nesting sites, contamination at polusyon na nakakaapekto sa kanilang mga itlog. Ang Palawan (Philippine) pangolin din  ay nanganganib na ring maubos dahil sa poaching at pagkasira ng kanilang mga tahanan o habitat.

“These species are not isolated examples, they are really a reflection of the broader species crisis in the Philippines,”sabi niya.

Kabilang sa listahan ng nauubos nang species sa ecosystem ng Pilipinas ay ang aabot sa 1,106 terrestrisal species kabilang ang fauna at 984 na flora ayon sa mga scientist.

“Moreover the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN has recognized the Philippine as home to one of the world’s highest rate of endemisim and the highest number of species per area. But it is also reported that we are one of the places on earth where there is high probability of species extinction in mo­dern times,” sabi ni Yulo Loyzaga.

“Why should we act now? The answer lies in the interconnected of the web of life, literally and figuratively. They also play crucial roles in the health of our ecosystems, forests, coral reefs, and seagrass beds,” sabi niya.

“By protecting these umbrella species and their habitats, we are protecting the rest of us with the very systems that provide clean air, water, and food-resources that support not only lur wildlife but also climate-and disaster-resilient communities,”sabi niya.

“The survival of these species is in our hands but so is the survival of human species,” pagtatapos ng kalihim.

Ma. Luisa Macabuhay-Garcia