charcoal production was rampant. Fisheries laws were not enforced.

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1 DANJUGAN ISLAND: Beyond Island Purchase Gerardo L. Ledesma Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc. 12 San Antonio St., Sta. Clara Subdivision Bacolod City 6100, Philippines I. BACKGROUND Danjugan Island was purchased in 1994 with a bridging loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines. The loan was secured by the commitment of the World Land Trust (WLT) to undertake an international fund raising and with promissory notes by some trustees of the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PRRCFI). The fund raising scheme of WLT was so successful that the 5-year term of the bridging loan was paid in three years. Before the its acquisition, the island was threatened by timber and wildlife poaching while its surrounding coral reefs had been degraded by destructive and unsustainable fishing methods. In 1990, concerned that unmitigated threats would render the beautiful island and its magnificent coral reefs destroyed beyond natural regeneration, a group of scuba divers who, since 1974, enjoyed the natural beauty of Danjugan Island and its environs, leased a small area of the island for the purpose of studying the causes and solutions to the degradation of its coral reefs and marine life. A small cabana with toilet and kitchen facilities was built that became base camp for the group and their visitors who occasionally were marine scientists and students of marine science. Amongst the observations were: blast and poison fishing was practiced with blasting caps and cyanide from the nearby Maricalum Mining Corporation (MMC). The mine temporarily stopped operations in 1984 and most of the users of the destructive materials were displaced workers of MMC. Compressor night spear-fishing, a major cause of over-fishing, contributed to the reduction of fish stocks of the area. Commercial marine aquarium fish and sea cucumber collection was practiced. Commercial fishing vessels encroached municipal fishing grounds in partnership with some businessmen in the area who owned fish aggregating devices (FADs). Some of the businessmen were elected local officials. 2 strong typhoons hit the area in 1984 and 1987 that destroyed most of the fringing reefs of the island and southern Negros Occidental. The owners of the island harvested timber for family use and for favored individuals in the village. Further, there were attempts to exploit the island s resources with phosphate mining, inland aquaculture, and a coconut plantation. Coconut crab Birgus latro were also harvested by the owners who likewise 1

2 allowed hunting of birds and bats. charcoal production was rampant. Fisheries laws were not enforced. In the mainland, timber poaching and As the island is an excellent natural classroom, a partnership was formed with the Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation, Inc. (NFEFI) and the 1 st Youth Marine and Wildlife camp was pioneered in Danjugan Island in the summer of More camps were organized that included schoolchildren from the coastal public schools. On top its educational agenda was the importance of marine and wildlife and the unsustainable practices tolerated by the elders and the local political leaders. Adult camps were soon organized with leaders from the village of Bulata. In 1993, the Punong Barangay (top polical leader) of the village of Bulata and administrator/part owner of the island offered for sale ($800) the tree that hosts the nesting pair of White breasted Sea Eagles Haliaeetus leucogaster. This spurred the negotiation to purchase the island. II. THE NEGOTIATION The group had very little financial resource to purchase the island. However, the negotiation ensued due to the necessity to save the island from further destruction. $25,000 was initially offered but was rejected by the owners who set a final price of $80,000 that had to be fully paid in 3 months. A $2,000 earnest deposit was paid and many granting institutions were contacted but none responded positively until William Oliver, a British zoologist assisting NFEFI pointed to John Burton, chief executive of WLT, who soon requested Peter Raines of Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) to visit the island. In no time, the group got their positive response. III. THE LAND ACQUISITION AND CONSERVATION Aware that the international fund raising would not provide the payment schedule imposed by the island s owners, the group, who in early 1994 formed PRRCFI, secured a bridging loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines which granted the new foundation with a favorable interest rate of Treasury Bills + 2% (then, approximately 12% per annum when regular loans were priced at 18%). This rate was granted only to the bank s top accounts. The loan became the bank s first Environmental Loan and was secured by a written commitment from the WLT to raise funds abroad and was further guaranteed with promissory notes from some of PRRCFI s trustees. The bridging loan afforded PRRCFI to pay the owners within 3 months. A. THE TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE (TCT): At the time of purchase, Danjugan Island was covered by 2 legal instruments: half of its 43 hectares was under Homestead Rights (HR) and the other half with a Free Patent Agreement (FPA). By Philippine law, HR required the development of a piece of land or a small island into productive agricultural land as an initial step towards legal ownership. The island s natural resource was fortunate that its owners were such poor managers that various exploitative projects did not prosper. The south portion of the island was sparsely planted to coconuts, thus, was granted a FPA, an instrument prior to its legal ownership or the TCT. At the time of purchase, 2

3 PRRCFI was again fortunate of its acquaintance with the then Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), an internationally noted marine scientist Dr. Angel Alcala, who advised in the efficient processing of the HA and the FPA that transferred ownership to 9 private individuals (the group with 5 persons of their utmost trust) and eventually to PRRCFI in The group opted for this rather tedious process of breaking down the island s total area into small parcels of 5 hectares and below, 10 TCTS in all, due to the government s policy that allowed small land transfer applications through its regional office, thus, avoiding the formidable bureaucracy in Manila. B. THE PHILIPPINE REEF and RAINFOREST PROJECT (PRRP): While the international fund raising was spearheaded by WLT with a launch of PRRP at the Butterfly Farm in Stratford on Avon in 1994, PRRCFI was organized in the same year to manage Danjugan Island and its conservation. The new foundation was formed with 6 Filipino and 3 British founding trustees. Local fund raising and public relations efforts started with the Manila launch in March 1995 that was attended by local supporters and officials from several embassies, multinational companies, the sugar industry, and NGOs. The Manila launch revenues funded the initial protection of the island and in October that same year, the Bacolod City launch was sponsored by a local sugar mill and several sugar planters associations. The event was well attended by local politicians, businessmen, academe, and NGOs that earned support of the foundation s conservation program. PRRCFI was beneficiary of three (3) Governor s Cup Golf Tournaments that provided more funds for the island s protection. With revenues from the local fund raising and from a WLT small grant, PRRCFI hired a community worker who lived with the fishing community of Brgy. Bulata in the mainland as the island is uninhabited. C. MARINE SCIENCE and CONSERVATION: In mid 1995, CCC sent a first team of volunteers that started the underwater research and survey of the island s surrounding coral reefs. Some villagers were taught scuba diving and marine science that was very useful for future work in conservation, i.e., in Coastal Resource Management (CRM) and Participatory Coastal Resource Assessment (PCRA). CCC volunteers numbers increased due to the popularity of Danjugan Island and in 1996, the Southern Negros Coastal Development Program (SNCDP), a multi-sectoral coastal resource management program, was created by Governor Rafael Coscolluela. With PRRCFI as chair of Research and Development, underwater survey extended to Sipalay City and the municipality of Hinobaan. To hasten the movement of volunteers to the survey sites, PRRCFI received its first grant, a speedboat, from the British AUSPB. At this same time, PRRCFI/CCC expanded to TayTay Bay, Palawan with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), the governing council for province s environment affairs. Unfortunately, the project had to be aborted due to terrorism activities in a Honda Bay resort. In 1998, PRRCFI received another grant, the SNCDP Poverty Alleviation and Conservation Education (PACE) project, from the British DFID, that enabled the social preparation of the communities of its projects sites for the eventual Danjugan Island Marine Reserve and Sanctuaries (DIMRS). In 2000, DIMRS was approved by the local 3

4 government of Brgy. Bulata and the munipality of Cauayan and soon after, by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. In 2001, the municipal MPA won 1 st Place in the Philippine s 2 nd Best Managed Reef awards organized by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD) of the Department of Science and Technology. Meanwhile, PRRCFI/CCC assisted in the establishment of 2 more local MPAs through the Philippine Sustainable Coastal Communities Project (PSCCP) from the British National Lottery Fund. PSCCP funded the social preparation and education campaign that enabled the installation of the Sipalay Marine Reserve and Palm s Reef Marine Reserve in municipality of Hinobaan. Presently, PRRCFI/CCC is working in Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte with the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte. Four (4) MPAs have been established in the municipality of Padre Burgos. Thus far, PRRCFI/CCC has assisted in the establishment of 7 municipal MPAs that did not cost LGUs except for the provision of base camps in the project sites. IV. DANJUGAN ISLAND NATURE TOURISM PROJECT (DINTP) Phase 1: In 2004, after 4 years into the DIMRS, the municipality of Cauayan had again failed to provide the budget of the DIMRSMB. At this time, the management board has cease to function and PRRCFI was requested by Punong Barangay Abraham Montes, co-chair of the management board, to continue in the collection of users fees for the protection of the DIMRS. Due to this, in November 2004, DINTP Phase 1 became operational. 3 sleeping cabanas that housed CCC volunteers were minimally amended to accept 12 visitors who were provided with decent linens on floor mattresses, mosquito nets, and on breezeless days, battery powered fans. The warden of Danjugan Island took on another task as guide for trekkers and birders. Scuba equipment of researchers were made available for rental to divers with certified dive guides from the village of Bulata. Revenues from DINTP Phase 1 provided for the allowances and operating expenses of 2 DIMRS wardens, a patrol boat, and an operator. At this time, PSCCP had terminated and the foundation retained its local staff and two of its administrative staff to market and manage the ecotourism project. V. BEYOND ISLAND PURCHASE: NEEDS TO BE DONE Degradation of the project site started in the mid 1900s. Commercial logging, the largest of which was the Insular Lumber Company (ILCO), eliminated the forest to what are presently very small secondary patches. Further, the uplands are covered with speculative mining claims that add more challenge to restoration efforts. The site s coastal zones are bounded by the Sulu Sea that is part of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, the breeding grounds of marine organisms not only for the Philippines but for many nations in the Asia-Pacific. Despite the disturbed state of its coral reefs, the site 4

5 owns the best and only viable coral reefs in the province of Negros Occidental and is aptly zoned by the present provincial government as its beach tourism capital. However, much has yet to be done. The Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Prioritysetting Program (PBCPP) has included the project site in the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priorities (PBCP) as: Extremely high Marine Conservation (197) Reef and corals (397) Dugong, cetaceans, seagrass (196,396) Whalesharks, elasmobranches, turtles (196,388,384) Extremely high Mammals (terrestrial) Conservation (97) Extremely high Amphibians and Reptiles (terrestrial) Conservation (254) Very High Bird Conservation (PBCP 255, IBA 082) Due to the conservation priorities in the uplands and the increasing sedimentation rate on the reefs, it is necessary to include the terrestrial zone in the conservation program. The foundation, since 1996, has appealed for the cancellation of speculative mining claims in the area that are vital watersheds and important wildlife habitats. While this campaign may have obstacles both from the claimants and proponents of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (RA 7942), a plan for the site should be prepared that highlight its importance for biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and ecotourism. In the coastal zone, underwater surveys should be conducted for the preparation of the marine conservation plan that will establish a network of MPAs from Danjugan Island to the municipality of Hinobaan. The plans, both terrestrial and marine, will be married to become the Ecosystem Development Plan of the Southern Negros Coastal Development Program that may include community based ecotourism development. VI. CONCLUSION The importance of the project site, both terrestrial and coastal, has been established. The conservation program is certainly expensive and becomes seemingly impossible when funding faucets are running dry. PRRCFI has availed of non-traditional sources of funding in the purchase of Danjugan Island and its conservation projects. It is now looking for new sources that may fund DINTP, the successor of Phase 1, which may be the sustaining mechanism of its long-term conservation program. DINTP may seem ambitious as it needs a huge amount of funding to establish a high-end, least impact facility whose revenues would flow back to conservation. It is necessary to be ambitious because of the huge task it will commit to. Many, in the beginning of PRRP, cautioned us that we would not succeed in buying Danjugan Island but we did. Of course, the fund PRRCFI needs is much more than what had been raised for the island but there are several possibilities. A grant or several grants is definitely the best route for DINTP while there are others in the form of loans, joint ventures, time-share, etc. Whatever funding resource may be available, the foundation is certain that its sustaining mechanism is Conservation through EcoTourism. 5