By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The
Philippine Star) | Updated June 4, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The Mindanao
Development Authority (MDA) is eyeing to develop Turtle Islands, one of the
world’s major nesting sites of marine turtles, located in the country’s
southernmost frontier of Tawi-Tawi, as an eco-tourism hub.
In a statement, MDA chairman Luwalhati
Antonino said they will be launching eco-tourism projects in the islands, aimed
to protect endangered marine species and help sustain community-based tourism
enterprises.
Situated at the tip of Tawi-Tawi
province, the islands group is starting to attract local and international
tourists as a wildlife sanctuary and the only major natural nesting ground of
green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the whole ASEAN region.
Turtle watching lounges, elevated
wooden boardwalks, and several wooden cottages are among the ecotourism
facilities that are planned on the islands of Taganak, Bakkungan and Baguan,
three of the six major islands that comprise Turtle Islands.
The wooden boardwalks and turtle
watching lounges will protect the green sea turtles from tourists who visit the
islands to watch the amphibians lay their eggs at night.
The facilities will also allow
watchers to observe this rare experience without bothering the nesting
creatures.
“Through these initiatives, the
residents of Turtle Islands can earn sustainable livelihood by promoting this
famous attraction, while ensuring the protection of the endangered species and
their nesting sites,” Antonino said.
There are only 10 remaining nesting
sites of marine turtles across the globe. The critical decline of the world’s
population of marine turtles prompted the International Union for Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources to declare all marine turtle species as
endangered.
“A P30 million budget for the
ecotourism projects was already secured for the area, with around P28 million
to be sourced from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority
(TIEZA),” said Antonino.
The ecotourism projects on Turtle
Islands are part of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East
ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) environment programs endorsed through the
environment and ecotourism pillars of the sub-regional economic grouping.
“This is one of our major initiatives
within the Greater Sulu-Sulawesi Corridor, a development priority under the
BIMP-EAGA, covering the Sulu-Sulawesi marine eco-region which aims to conserve
and protect the area’s marine biodiversity,” Antonino said.
As the islands experience a steady
increase of local and international tourist visits in recent years, the local
government also advocates appropriate tourism facilities that will not only
attract tourists but also encourage locals to take part in protecting the
resources.
“Tourists visit us to witness marine
turtles lay their eggs or watch the hatchlings struggle out of their nests and
make their way to the sea. We need the appropriate facilities that will not
only accommodate our tourists, but also ensure the safety and protection of the
turtles and their nesting sites,” Tawi-Tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali said.
He added that they are looking into
developing ecotourism packages for tourists once the necessary facilities are
in place. Some of the viable activities include scuba diving, island hopping,
swimming, and local community visits.
“Through these tourist arrivals, we
want to secure a sustainable means of livelihood for our people, and also
ensure that our natural resources are well-preserved and protected,” Sahali
said.
He added that the eco-tourism projects
lined up for the islands are consistent with the Ecotourism Framework Plan of
the municipality, which ensures that none of the facilities and activities are
destructive to the area’s ecology.
In 1996, an agreement was signed
between the Philippines and Malaysia declaring the area as the Turtle Islands
Heritage Protected Area or TIHA, making it as the first transboundary protected
area in the world.
As a major nesting ground of marine
turtles, the islands are visited annually by more than 2,000 nesters primarily
of the green sea turtle species, with a number of hawksbill turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricate) also nesting in the area. It is home to 34 avian
species, 27 coral species, 128 fish species, 62 species of marine flora and
other wild animals such as fruit and field bats and several reptiles.
The Department of Environment and
Natural Resources established the Pawikan Conservation Project in 1979 as a
response to conserve the country’s dwindling marine turtle population.
_____________________________________________________________
