Members of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) dugong monitoring team have reported sightings of six sea cows, four of which were two pairs of mother-calf, off Sarangani Bay during their three-day watch in the bay.

 

Maria Elvira V. Lumayag, provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO) of DENR Sarangani, said that the sea cows, commonly known as dugong, were spotted by the drone camera used by the team during their regular monitoring activity which started on Wednesday, August 31.

 

Dr. Roy Mejorada, SBPS in-house veterinarian, said that on Thursday, September 1, a mother dugong and its calf were spotted swimming along the shallow waters of Barangay Gumasa, Glan. "When we zoomed in the footage, we were amazed to see that the calf was breastfeeding. This was the first time that we have documented this behavior in SBPS," he said.

 

The team also sighted the same mother-calf dugong pair accompanied by another mother-calf pair on the Friday, September 2, resting in the nearby coral reefs. A lone male dugong was also spotted by the team swimming not too far away from the two mothers, including the solitary dugong in Barangay Taluya, Glan.

 

SBPS Assistant Protected Area Superintendent Cirilo Lagnason, Jr. said "This might be the same herd of dugongs that we have documented last March 2022 in Glan.” Lagnason added that the sea cows frequent sightings in the SBPS mean that the bay is an important nursery habitat for the dugongs and their calves.

 

PENRO Lumayag has urged the public to actively participate in the conservation efforts for SBPS and emphasized that it is everyone’s responsibility to work together and ensure that the seascape will remain as a safe haven for dugongs in the years to come. | With report and photos from PAMO-SBPS

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Two roosting sites were monitored on the said activity with 37 snag trees.

 

An estimated 4,000 Island Flying Fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) and Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus) were counted during fly/out exit count using estimation and clickers.

 

The idea of conserving bats is not new to the communities but it links with greater initiatives that are already familiar not only to local communities but also to ordinary individuals. It is also connected to forest conservation and restoration anchored to one of the department’s governing laws known as Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. This law emphasizes the conservation and protection of wildlife species and their habitats with an aim to promote ecological balance and enhance ecological biodiversity. (with report and photo from Ivy Cinconiegue, CENRO Matalam IO Designate)

 

Speaking with the beneficiary, CENR Officer Larry P. Curias emphasizes that this is the first time that CENRO Banga has implemented SWIS.

 

“You are the first beneficiaries of this project. On behalf of our Regional Executive Director (RED) Atty. Felix S. Alicer and PENR Officer Radzak B. Sinarimbo, we are proud to turn over this project to you and we pray that this will help the National Greening Program (NGP) beneficiaries and the local community. We encourage everyone to maintain and take care of the water source including the area”.

 

Meanwhile, Brgy. Chairman Kosol A. Minding and PO Chairman Jonathan Caguisano of Lamhaku IP Farmers Association expressed their gratitude to the DENR.

 

“We are lucky to have this project. We thank the CENRO Banga because without them, this project will not be possible” they stressed.

 

Also present during the ceremony were CENRO's Chief Conservation and Development Section (CDS) Jeremy P. Empredo, NGP Coordinator Gemma N. Olivo, Engr. Remo Zaragoza III, Indigenous Person Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Junito S. Ben, Barangay Officials, and CENRO Banga personnel. (with report and photo from CENRO Banga IO Designate Alnayah D. Mohammad Ayman)