THE PROPOSED declaration of Barangay Tambobong, Baguio District as a critical habitat for the Philippine Eagle is pending approval as lawmakers report the lack of consultation with a certain indigenous group.
Councilor Temujin Ocampo, chairperson of the committee on environment and natural resources, said the proposal was referred back to the Watershed Management Council, following discussion in the plenary on Tuesday’s regular session.
“In light of the new information given to us, I refer this matter back to WMC in order to thresh out some issues concerning the IPs living in the area,” Ocampo said during the Pulong oulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday.
Ocampo said the Watershed Management Council endorsed the proposal to the committee after four Philippine Eagle nesting sites were identified along the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, a critical habitat for the Philippine Eagle.
However, during Tuesday’s session, another group of IPs complained they were not consulted on the extent of the declaration.
In a letter dated August 8 sent to the office of Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, the Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO) of Apo Ahom Inc. and the Bagobo (Tagabawa-Klata)- Manobo or Obo-Manobo raised concerns regarding the designation and management of critical habitats overlapping with their ancestral domain.
The group stressed that the delineation of critical habitat areas has created uncertainty over land tenure and use rights of Indigenous Peoples under RA 8371 (IPRA).
“There is a need to harmonize environmental protection with the recognition of our ancestral domain,” it stressed.
The group has expressed concern that decisions on habitat management are being made without adequate FPIC processes and restrictions on cultural practices.
Ocampo said the WMC will work with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and concerned Indigenous groups to conduct another consultation before the proposal is brought back to the plenary.
The councilor said there were consultations conducted with the owner of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title where the proposed critical habitat will be located, which is from Obu Manuvu.
“Once oppositions will be resolved, WMC can make a new recommendation for the City Council to consider the declaration through a joint committee with the Indigenous People to pass a necessary resolution,” Ocampo said.
The councilor clarified that the area along the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed is already protected through existing city ordinances, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and other national environmental laws.
Ocampo said the critical-habitat declaration would specifically recognize the area as an important nesting and conservation site for the Philippine Eagle.
The councilor stressed that existing residents in the area continue daily activities within permitted settlement areas, but commercial developments are prohibited as it could disturb the habitat.
The rights of Indigenous communities and existing settlements in the area will also be respected, and IPs will form part of the frontliners following the declaration.
Jayson Ibañez, Director of Operations for the Philippine Eagle Foundation, told lawmakers that the proposed site serves as an ancient nesting ground for the species, with historical documentation dating back to the 1970s.
Telemetry data from GPS-tracked adult eagles indicates that a pair’s territory typically ranges between 6,300 and 11,000 hectares.
However, Ibañez emphasized that protecting the immediate nesting zone, comprising four documented nesting trees in Tambobong, is vital for population regeneration.
“From this perspective, it’s really very important for the survival of that bloodline to set aside critical habitat as an area of regeneration and reproduction of Philippine Eagles,” he stressed.
Under Republic Act 6147, standard conservation protocols designate a one-kilometer radius around each nesting tree.
“It’s very interesting because eagles can share the habitat with people. What we just really need to set aside is the ancient nesting site, which is really very important for the replenishment of the population. It’s the same where we feel safe inside our houses, and the nesting site is the immediate house of this Philippine Eagle family,” Ibañez stressed.
He added that declaring it a critical habitat acknowledges what has long existed on the ground: an ancient nesting site of the Philippine Eagle and a well-protected ancestral forest of the Obu-Manuvu.
Known to the Obu-Manuvu as “Kuruwonnan Alihowan to Atollun Kahubbarran” (or “a natural area cared for by three clans”), this landscape has already been conserved for generations through Indigenous stewardship.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Davao said the proposed site covers approximately 2,964.35 hectares within the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed.
Dr. Franklyn R. Buenaflor, DENR Davao Conservation and Development Division chief, explained that under Memorandum Circular No. 2007-02, which provides the guidelines for establishing critical habitats, the area must adopt a harmonized framework for sustainable use and zoning.
Similar to protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), a Critical Habitat Management Plan (CHMP) is required, which will define zoning classifications such as core zones, strict protection zones, and multiple-use zones, where limited and sustainable indigenous practices may be allowed.
