Biodiversity in the Cordillera

The Cordillera Region spans 18,293 square kilometers of land area and hosts 13 river

basins and watersheds that support the entire region as well as the adjacent regions. Its popularity

as a biodiversity hotspot in Luzon and the Philippines garnered it the title Watershed Cradle of

the Philippines (Navarro and Saldo, 2000). The National Economic and Development Authority

(2010) listed 25 watersheds and forests in the Cordillera which comprises over 1.5 million

hectares of land. As such, it became one of the leading resource pools of wood-based industries

in Luzon. According to their Regional Development Plan, the Cordillera provides an abundant

supply of domestic and economic products including food and medicine, essential for daily

subsistence and sustenance of upland rural communities (National Economic Development

Authority, 2010). Also, it is also a veritable tourist destination through its scenic landscape and

has been host to ecotourism programs among several local municipalities. Through its

downstream rivers that stretch from the Mount Data headwater in Mountain Province, the region

provides electricity to low-lying regions through hydropower plants, which gives up to 659

megawatts of electricity to neighboring regions, and livelihood through irrigation systems.

Consequently, due to the economic viability of the region in terms of forest and

watershed resources, it became a hotspot for industries that disrupt the natural ecosystem and

affect the biodiversity in the region. Alvarez (2015) lists mining, illegal logging, swidden

farming as the three most prominent forms of disruption to the ecological balance in the region.

He also stated that planting and re-planting efforts in the region does not necessarily translate to

the regeneration of the Cordilleran ecosystem due to the persistence of illegal activities and

unsustainable practices. To date, less than half of the total land area of forest lands in the

Cordillera remain, which created an ecological crisis in terms of the concentration of biodiversity
areas in the region. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (1998) reported that

in 1998, the Cordillera only has 24,831 hectares of high biodiversity areas out of the total

621,627 hectares. Alvarez (2015) inferred that the transformation of forest lands into farmlands

through the encroachment of local communities in the forested areas due to lack of income and

opportunities brought the destruction of over 22, 383 hectares of forest lands in only 15 years

(National Economic Development Authority, 2010) and denudation of watersheds namely, Busol,

Togon, and Tuba. Furthermore, Alvarez interjects that large-scale mining in the area contribute to

the degraded watersheds, silted rivers, and overall decline in resource viability and ecotourism

potential (National Economic Development Authority, 2010) of the region.

The escalating concern for the biodiversity situation of the Cordillera is due to the stark

decline in biodiversity and denudation of watersheds every year. Primarily, these disruptions in

the natural equilibrium are anthropogenic in nature, and public awareness on biodiversity

concerns is considered as one of the many ways to counter this trend. In this effort, Bengwayan

(2010) expressed that biodiversity is a dynamic concept that emphasizes the interrelatedness of

several biospheres namely, diversity of species, genetic diversity, and ecological diversity, to

constitute the biological make-up of an ecosystem. He argues that anthropogenic interventions in

the natural state of the environment through agricultural and industrial transformation affect the

several biospheres which lead to the aggregate reduction in biodiversity. Few of the remaining

biodiversity hotspots in the Cordillera listed under the Key Biodiversity Areas category are the

Apayao Lowland Forest, Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park, and the Mt. Pulag National Park

(Conservation International Philippines, n.d). The latter, Mount Pulag National Park, which hosts

over 76 species of birds and 30 endemic species, face settlement encroachment concerns despite
the enactment of RA 7586 that includes the park under the National Integrated Protected Areas

System (Castro, n.d).

The development of programs that foster sustainable development is paramount to the

protection and maintenance of natural resources and biodiversity in the region. Alvarez (2000)

urges the development of national programs that will guide local government units and

organizations towards adopting sustainable development goals and practices that will benefit the

people of the region without depleting its resources. Meanwhile, Magcale-Macandog (2010)

emphasizes the role of indigenous knowledge and information systems in creating sustainable

development practices and resource management system that will enable indigenous people and

communities to take a greater role in the planning and development of sustainable practices.

Through socially-inclusive government programs and policies, sustainable development

programs will imbibe historical and cultural knowledge as foundation in search for the most

effective local resource conservation and management techniques.

References:

Alvarez, H. (2015). Wounded Cordillera: Towering Bastion Against Climate Change. Benguet

State University. La Trinidad, Benguet.

Bengwayan, M. (2010). A Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for the Cordillera Region,

Philippines. Retrieved from https://michaelbengwayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/a-

biodiversity-conservation-strategy-for-the-cordillera-region-philippines/ on June 17,

2017.

Castro, N. (n.d). A Peek into Cordilleran History, Culture, and Society: In Search of Self-

determination. Retrieved from

http://www.academia.edu/14397146/A_Peek_into_Cordilleran_History_Culture_and_Soc

iety_In_Search_of_Self-determination on June 17, 2017.

Conservation International Philippines. (n.d). Priority Sites for Conservation in the Philippines:

Key Biodiversity Areas. Quezon City, Philippines.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (1998). The First Philippine National Report

to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Philippines

Magcale-Macandog, D. (2010). "Conserving Indigenous Knowledge: Conserving Indigenous

Knowledge: Information System towards Food Information System towards Food

Security and Sustainable NRM in the Security and Sustainable NRM in the Cordilleras".

SEARCA Agriculture and Development Seminar Series. University of the Philippines

Los Banos. Laguna, Philippines.

National Economic and Development Authority. (2010). REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

2011-2016 Cordillera Administrative Region. Philippines.

Navarro, B., Saldo, G. (2000). "Environmental Accounting in The Philippines: The Cordillera

Administrative Region (CAR) Experience". Session 12 Sub-National Environmental

Accounting: Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. Philippines

Villanueva, C. (2013). "Preserving Cordillera culture and history through the University of the

Philippines Baguio Cordillera Studies Collection Library and UP Baguio

Cordillera/Northern Luzon Historical Archives ". IFLA WLIC 2013. Singapore.