Friends, Activity Partners

Nov 2007

Sibalom, Antique

Various Companies

http://profiles.friendster.com/baboytalunonkagibanpa

Various Schools

Promoting the conservation of endemic species

Sibalom Chess Association, Sibalom Badminton Association, Sibalom Tree-Planting Movement

Promoting biodiversity conservation, reading books and magazines on biodiversity conservation

Key Conservation Sites of the Philippines, The Tipping Point, The Little Prince

Kabuganaan (Dante Beriong), Liwanag sa Dilim (Rivermaya), Tayo-tayo Rin (Various Artists)

The Sibalom Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation was formed at the District II Barangay Hall on July 1, 2006 by members of the Sibalom Chess Association, and is a voluntary organization that promotes biodiversity conservation in Panay, especially in Antique.

The alliance is a subsidiary of the association. Two other voluntary organizations -- the Sibalom Badminton Association and the Sibalom Tree-Planting Movement -- are also subsidiaries of the association.

This site is part of the Public Education Program of the alliance.

The alliance is pushing for the establishment of the Central Panay Mountains Natural Park, which will complement the Sibalom Natural Park and the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park with regard to biodiversity conservation in Panay.

The dreamed-of Central Panay Mountains Natural Park will straddle Antique, Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan.

It will particularly straddle the following municipalities:

Sebaste, Culasi, Tibiao, Barbaza, Laua-an, Bugasong, Valderrama and San Remigio in Antique;

Igbaras, Leon, Alimodian, Maasin, Janiuay and Lambunao in Iloilo;

Tapaz and Jamindan in Capiz;

and Libacao, Madalag and Malinao in Aklan.

Sibalom will not be part of the dreamed-of natural park, so it may seem ironic at first that the Sibalom Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation -- which is composed of Sibalomnons -- is spending time, money and energy to campaign for the establishment of the dreamed-of natural park. The alliance is aware, however, that environmental matters transcend political boundaries, and that a forest is beneficial to everybody, so the conservation of a forest should be the concern not just of those who reside near it, but also of everybody else. The issue of responsibility for the conservation of a forest should not be based on who are living near it, but on who are able to live because of it.

The alliance is also aware that the forest in Sibalom (which was declared in 2000 as Sibalom Natural Park) is adjacent to the forest of Central Panay Mountains. So the dreamed-of Central Panay Moutains Natural Park will, in a way, be an extension of the Sibalom Natural Park, even though the dreamed-of natural park will be around fifteen times as large as the Sibalom Natural Park.

The health of the forest in Central Panay Mountains is crucial to the health of the forest in Sibalom. If Central Panay Mountains will become deforested, the species in the forest in Sibalom will be in a much greater danger of in-breeding, which could lead to extinction. So in promoting the conservation of the forest in Sibalom, the forest in Central Panay Mountains could not be ignored. There is a need to ensure that the forest in Central Panay Mountains is protected, and that the animals in it are able to travel safely and easily to the forest in Sibalom, and vice versa.

In working for the conservation of endangered species, the Sibalom Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation knows that people should not be parochial. Environmental problems necessitate everyone to look beyond his or her municipality, province and country. For example, in sustaining the abundant supply of water in Sibalom, tree-planting activities in the municipality are not enough because most of the water that flows to its rice fields originates from San Remigio.

Environmental efforts will only be effective if there is cooperation among stakeholders. In the case of biodiversity conservation in Panay, there is a need for the cooperation of as many Panayanons as possible. And so the Sibalom Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation is reaching out to Sibalomnons and non-Sibalomnons alike in forming developmental partnerships for the promotion of biodiversity conservation on the island and in the surrounding seas.

With regard to the endangered species that are endemic to the Greater Negros-Panay Ecoregion, some are more endangered than the others, and the alliance believes that Panayanons must prioritize the conservation of the critically endangered ones, like the Philippine Spotted Deer (Cervus alfredi) and the Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons). The two species are native to Cebu, Siquijor, Masbate, Guimaras, Negros and Panay (the components of the Greater Negros-Panay Ecoregion), but have become extinct in Cebu, Siquijor and Guimaras, and might have already become extinct in Masbate. The remaining forests in Negros and in Panay are the remaining homes of those species. If those species will become extinct (like what happended to the Dodo, a flightless bird that was endemic to Mauritius), they will never be seen again, because extinction is forever.

The Sibalom Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation hopes that our grandchildren will grow up in a world that is as rich in biodiversity as it is now.

The alliance believes that through cooperation, we can effectively promote biodiversity conservation in particular, and environmental protection in general.

The Sibalom Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation wants to meet people and organizations that are interested in the conservation of the endemic species - especially the endangered ones - of the Negros-Panay faunal region.