Tubbataha Dreams By Tristan Choa Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 10:34:00 05/01/2008
CAN WE MAKE IT happen? Can Tubbataha – our very own natural wonder— be recognized as one of the seven new wonders of nature around the world?
Tubbataha is a reef ecosystem made up of two atolls that lie on the Cagayan Ridge 150 km southeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and 130 km southwest of Cagayancillo, the municipality to which Tubbataha belongs. Together, these two dots in the middle of the Sulu Sea form the reef core, covering more than 30,000 hectares.
The Tubbataha reefs lie at the heart of the immense biodiversity found in the Coral Triangle, consisting of the Sulu Sea and the Sulawesi Sea and bordered by the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.
This triangle is home to the richest and most diverse marine ecosystem in the world, with numerous species of fish, algae, sea grass, sea birds, whales and dolphins. The triangle gets its name from the roughly 450 species of coral found in these seas, compared to about 60 for the entire Caribbean.
Initially, Tubbataha’s isolation was its greatest protection. Its inaccessibility allowed it to flourish and develop an ecosystem where the largest fish (the whale shark) and the tiniest organism (plankton), depended on each other for survival. The lush life it supported would become both boon and bane for Tubbataha as it attracted dynamite and cyanide fishing, illegal poachers and divers. Meanwhile, another group merely wanted to study its underwater paradise and preserve it.
As environment advocate and former US Vice president Al Gore put it, “The struggle to save the global environment is in one way much more difficult... for this time, the war is with ourselves. We are the enemy, just as we have only ourselves as allies.” The struggle between resource users and conservationists has begun.
In 1988, then President Corazon Aquino declared Tubbataha a National Marine Park in an effort to protect the reef and its fish population from further decline. The proclamation expanded the protected area to more than 90,000 hectares. By the ’90s, the unique wonder of Tubbataha had become internationally known. In 1993, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the only purely marine World Heritage site in Southeast Asia today.
Despite the recognition, some sectors could not understand why Tubbataha needed extra measures to keep it protected. To Cagayanons, making the reef off-limits to fishing deprived them of a means of livelihood. By the same token, Palaweños, after over-fishing the waters off Eastern Palawan, felt they had lost an alternative fishing ground. Poachers couldn’t see beyond immediate dollars and cents, while divers were unaware of the full impact of their presence. Meanwhile the answers that researchers and scientists had coaxed out of the waters were no match for the public’s short attention span for ecosystems it couldn’t see.
But saving Tubbataha is essential on many fronts. Ecologically, it needs to be saved if only to better understand the complex relationships in the ecosystems it supports and the impact this has on fish stocks in the surrounding seas. Not many fishers understand that Tubbataha acts as a nursery for both coral and fish larvae carried along by currents, thereby seeding fishing grounds in surrounding waters and providing a sustainable source of livelihood for them.
Politically, Tubbataha has a strategic role in assuring food security in the region. Scientifically, the corals are home to a diversity of plants and sea life, which are potential sources of medicine or chemicals yet unknown. The continuing destruction of the reefs would pre-empt these future discoveries.
Recreationally, preserving the reefs enhances Tubbataha’s reputation as a divers’ paradise. Aside from tourist income, access fees charged to divers are a substantial part of the budget used to hire, train and equip park ranger teams and fund the operations of the office tasked with protecting the reef and implementing a sustainable management plan for the park.
With funding in short supply, individuals with corporate resources behind them have thankfully pitched in. One example is Ton Concepcion, president of Concepcion Durables, Inc. A passionate diver, Concepcion organized the first Condura Race last March to generate awareness of Tubbataha’s plight. More than 1,500 people joined the fun run to raise funds for this cause. Buoyed by the project’s success, Concepcion is considering making the run an annual event. He’s also looking into the possibility of giving a percentage of the sale of every Condura refrigeration unit to the Tubbataha cause as a sustainable source of additional funding for park operations.
Another corporate supporter is Petron Corporation which, according to Lory Tan of the World Wildlife Fund, now provides funding support to establish more livelihood activity in Cagayancillo. A n annual summer fellowship for college graduates and Cagayancillo residents started just this April, aimed at building local capacity and structures that will boost economic activity and contribute to more effective protection of the national park. Petron also pledged to fund a state-of-the-art mooring system for the park that will help improve tourism standards and boat safety, while drastically reducing coral damage.
The effort to save Tubbataha is a work-in-progress. So much still needs to be done, foremost of which are better ranger facilities and enforcement equipment, continuous education campaigns and funds to sustain these efforts. It is gratifying to see multiple stakeholders taking up the fight. There are individuals, corporations, government agencies, non-government organizations and foreign governments doing their part. Still, it is not enough. It’s time to get a key team member to help out: YOU.
Every Filipino should get involved in the effort to protect our natural heritage. One way is to get involved in the online campaign to determine, by global popular vote, the New Seven Wonders of Nature (www.new7wonders.com)
Tubbataha Reef is one of the nominees. Make it a winner by going online and voting for it. Deadline for online voting is Dec. 31, 2008. While we each only have one vote, collectively our votes give voice to our pride as a people. Let us tell the world about the Tubbataha Reef. Let this be our legacy to future generations.
Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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