ORIS Project (0399912) Establishing Baseline Data for the Conservation of the Critically Endangered Isabela Oriole, Philippines Joni T. Acay and Nikki Dyanne C. Realubit In cooperation with: Page | 0 ORIS Project CLP PROJECT ID (0399912) Establishing Baseline Data for the Conservation of the Critically Endangered Isabela Oriole, Philippines PROJECT LOCATION AND DURATION: Luzon Island, Philippines Provinces of Bataan, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan August 2012-July 2014 PROJECT PARTNERS: ∗ Mabuwaya Foundation Inc., Cabagan, Isabela ∗ Department of Natural Sciences (DNS) and Department of Development Communication and Languages (DDCL), College of Development Communication and Arts & Sciences, ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY-Cabagan, ∗ Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), Manila ∗ Community Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Aparri, CENRO Alcala, Provincial Enviroment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Cagayan ∗ Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, CENRO Naguilian, PENRO Isabela ∗ PASu Quirino Protected Landscape, PENRO Quirino ∗ PASu Mariveles Watershed Forest Reserve, PENRO Bataan ∗ Municipalities of Baggao, Gonzaga, San Mariano, Diffun, Limay and Mariveles PROJECT AIM: Generate baseline information for the conservation of the Critically Endangered Isabela Oriole. PROJECT TEAM: Joni Acay, Nikki Dyanne Realubit, Jerwin Baquiran, Machael Acob Volunteers: Vanessa Balacanao, Othniel Cammagay, Reymond Guttierez PROJECT ADDRESS: Mabuwaya Foundation, Inc. Office, CCVPED Building, ISU-Cabagan Campus, Garita Heights, Cabagan, Isabela, Philippines, 3328 EMAIL: [email protected] [email protected] DATE OF REPORT SUBMISSION: 30 August, 2014 Page | 1 ORIS Project TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1 5 Summary 5 Introduction 6 Project team members and volunteers 8 Section 2 Aim and objectives 12 Methodology 12 Outputs and results 15 Achievements and impacts 19 Section 3 Conclusions 22 Problems encountered and potential solutions 23 In the future 24 Section 4 Appendix A: Oriole survey form 26 Appendix B: Habitat analysis form 27 Appendix C: Income and expenditure 28 Appendix D: Encounter data for Oriolus isabellae 29 Appendix E. Habitat data for the transects 30 Appendix F. Species survey photos 32 Appendix G. Threats facing the species 33 Appendix H. IEC campaign photos 35 Appendix I. IEC campaign - Pre-campaign assessment data 36 Appendix J: IEC Campaign - Post-campaign assessment data 42 Appendix K: Proceedings to seminar-workshop 48 Appendix L: Article at Animal Scene 69 Appendix M: Acay et al., (in prep.) abstract 70 Bibliography 71 Address list and web links 72 Distribution list of proceedings for seminar-workshop 73 Page | 2 ORIS Project Acknowledgements The success of the ORIS Project would have not been made possible without the support and participation of our project advisers, partners, colleagues, families, volunteers and the members of the team. The Project team owes its thanks to the funding support of the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), the Mabuwaya Foundation, Inc. (MFI) for being our mentor since the beginning of the project conceptualization, lending their technical assistance and providing office space for the team, to Mr. Merlijn van Weerd and Dr. Carmela Española for being our advisers providing basic and crucial information in the project management and implementation, the participation of the faculties and students of the Department of Development Communication and Languages (DDCL) in our campaign activities most especially to Dr. Myrna Cureg and Prof. Antonia Bagunu. We would also like to acknowledge the constant support from our partners in the government organizations for endorsing and assisting in our field surveys, campaign activities and workshops: (arranged by location from north to south) to all the municipal and barangay (brgy) local government units of Brgys. Ipil and Tapel, Gonzaga, Brgy. Sta, Margarita, Baggao, Brgys. Dibuluan and San Jose, San Mariano, Brgy. Baguio Village, Diffun, Brgys. Lamao and Duale, Limay and Brgys. Alas-asin and Malaya, Mariveles and to all the regional, provincial and field offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Cagayan Valley Regional Office, provincial offices in Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Bataan, field offices of Aparri, Alcala and Naguilian) and the Protected Area Superintendent Officers and Staff of Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Quirino Protected Landscape, and Mariveles Watershed Forest Reserve. Page | 3 ORIS Project Special thanks also to all our local guides in all sites and the following volunteers in the field: to Vanessa Balacanao, Othniel Cammagay, Jerwin Baquiran and Reymond Guttierez for dedicating their time and effort in helping implement all project activities, to Mark Jason Villa for assisting in our reconnaissance fieldwork and to Sylvia and Tonji Ramos for assisting in the culminating seminar-workshop and site-visit, for writing an article about the project, and the last three people for allowing us to use their pictures in our education campaign. And finally, but in no way the least, the constant support from the families of the team members who gave us words of encouragement, professional advice and moral support. The project would not have been a success without them. Thank you. Page | 4 ORIS Project Section 1: Summary Out of nine historical sites in four provinces of Luzon, populations of the Isabela Oriole were confirmed in only two provinces (Cagayan and Isabela). Sites of presence include Ipil (Gonzaga, Cagayan), Mansarong (Baggao, Cagayan), Ambabok, Dunoy Lake and Diwagden Creek (San Mariano, Isabela). They were observed in edge habitats of small patches of degraded secondary growth forest beside vast agricultural areas. Habitat destruction, in the form of lowland forests conversion to agricultural areas, is believed to be the main threat to the species. To assess the initial awareness and attitude of local communities to Isabela Oriole conservation, a pre-campaign survey was performed. The Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign was then formally launched by conducting programs in schools in the three muncipalities where the species is present. Posters, flyers and leaflets were distributed to different stakeholders in all sites. The post- campaign assessment show that the awareness of local communities for the species is greater than before the campaign started. A one-day multi-stakeholder seminar-workshop was held to disseminate results of the project. Government laws regarding environment protection was also discussed. These provided basis for the participants to draft guidelines for a conservation action plan for the Isabela Oriole. Page | 5 ORIS Project Introduction The Philippines is a global conservation priority due to its high endemic species diversity and levels of threat (Myers et al , 2000). Once covered in large tracts of intact tropical forests, the island of Luzon has <25% of its original forests left. The Isabela Oriole, Oriolus isabellae , is found only on this island and is one of these least known bird species (BirdLife International, 2011). The Isabela Oriole is listed as a Critically Endangered species (IUCN, 2011) based on the precautionary estimate of its population size. Specifically, it has been historically recorded in six municipalities in four provinces of Luzon(Figure 1): Mariveles and Limay (Bataan), Gonzaga and Baggao (Cagayan), San Mariano (Isabela), and Diffun (Quirino). Within these municipalities are 7 sites that are Important Bird Areas (BirdLife International, 2011) and characterized by having lowland secondary forests and remnants of primary forests. Though believed to be common in the past, the present low number of encounters of this species suggests that it is now rare with a patchy distribution (Collar, 1998; BirdLife International, 2001). The recent sightings of Isabela Oriole in Quirino and Cagayan in the 1990’s have not been verified since it was reported. The last records in Bataan and Gonzaga date back to 1947 and 1960, respectively. But a pair was positively identified in San Mariano, Isabela last 2003 and 2004 (Van Weerd and Hutchinson, 2004). There is only a handful of information about the Isabela Oriole. Hence, baseline and current information on the species is urgently needed as basis for conservation measures. This project conducted bird surveys, habitat analysis, and key- informant interviews to verify the presence in its historical sites and generate information on its current distribution, population size, Page | 6 ORIS Project habitat characteristics and threats. Then an IEC campaign was launched through a school program consisting of lectures, puppet shows and games conducted on three sites where the Isabela Oriole was verified. Throughout the project, linkages and partnerships were formed between the CLP team and stakeholders. Primarily, Mabuwaya Foundation was instrumental in helping with the logistics and execution of project activities. The Department of Development Communication and Languages (DDCL) was the team’s main partner in the IEC activities. Linkages between the municipalities where the species was present were also forged. Also, the local offices of Department of Environmental and Natural Resources were unequivocal about their support for the project. Wild Bird Club of the Philippines members donated binoculars for the local stakeholders. Nearing the end of the project, a seminar-workshop was organized to disseminate our findings to highlight Isabela Oriole conservation.