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Zambales Coast - Bataan Natural Park (BNP) - Subic Bay Forest Reserve (SBFR)
| General Information |
| Wetland type |
Intertidal sandflats and coral reefs with pockets of
mangrove in the smaller bays |
| Province |
Zambales; Bataan |
| Municipality |
Bataan Province (Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga, Pilar,
Bagac, Morong); SBFR (Subic, Olongapo City) |
| Estimated area (has) |
23,688 ha (BNP); 24,415 ha (SBFR) |
| Location |
14°41'N120°25'E |
| Source of information |
Directory of Philippine Wetlands Vol I & II, PBCPP, Key Conservation
Sites in the Philippines, Philippines National Report on Wetlands |
| Biological Diversity |
| Land cover |
BNP and SBFR forests extend from the Subic Bay National Park up to
the northwestern slope of Mt. Natib in Bataan National Park, the
highest point at 1, 253m. These are one of the remaining undisturbed
forests in the Zambales biogeographic zone, and some of the few
surviving foress on Luzon that face the South China Sea |
| Forest cover type |
Lowland dipterocarp forest, montane forest, mossy forest |
| Restricted range, endangered and threatened species fauna |
Anas luzonica,
Spizaetus philippensis, Bubo philippensis, Cacatua haematuropygia,
Prioniturus luconensis, Erythrura viridifacies, Turnix ocellata, Otus
longicornis, Phaenicophaeus superciliosus, Phaenicophaeus cumingi,
Centropus unirufus, Coracina coerulescens, Parus semilarvatus, Oriolus
albiloris. Mariveles Mountains - Spizaetus philippensis,
Turnix ocellata,Gallicolumba luzonica, Phaenicophaeus superciliosus,
Phaenicophaeus cumingi, Centropus unirufus, Stachyris dennistouni,
Blackish Cuckoo-shrike Stachyris striata, Parus semilarvatus, Oriolus
albiloris, Oriolus isabellae, Cacatua haematuropygia, Prioniturus
luconensis, Ceyx melanurus, Phylloscopus ijimae, Stachyris striata |
| Threats |
| Intrinsic source of change |
The lowland tropical
rainforest is very vulnerable to exploitation; migration of settlers
into the unguarded forestland leading to conversion of forests into
agricultural land; firewood gathering, charcoal making, illegal logging, illegal grazing, hunting and gathering; and natural threats
like typhoons, fires and volcanic eruptions. |
| External source of change |
A new road was recently constructed eastward from
Morong which could lead to the destruction of the closed canopy forest that currently
extends from the shoreline up to the peak of Mt Natib. Earth moving
work has caused tremendous erosion, silting the rivers and ricelands.
The former military base has been transformed into
a center for trade and industry.
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| Policy |
| Development Projects / Intervention |
Subic-Bataan National Park is one of the priority protected areas
under the World Bank GEF-funded CPPAP.
Between 1997 to 1999, a faunal inventory and
assessment of the biodiversity of SBFR was conducted by the
University of the Philippines Diliman. A baseline biodiversity
inventory of Bataan Natural Park was also conducted in 1996 by
Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology (NORDECO)
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| Existing status of legislations |
Much of the forest was formerly included in the Subic Military
Reservation, which was under U.S. Navy control until 1993 when it
was turned over to the Philippine Government and became Subic Bay
National Park, which is under Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. |
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