GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 07 March) – Environment workers have strengthened their engagements with communities in two protected areas straddling the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani to protect the critically endangered Rafflesia schadenbergiana and verrucosa flowers.
The presence of the rare parasitic species, which was first collected in Mt. Apo in 1882, had been documented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Region 12 in portions of the Mt. Matutum and Allah Valley protected landscapes.
Lawyer Felix Alicer, DENR-12 regional executive director, said they are closely working with community residents and concerned stakeholders to help safeguard the flower and identified sites from poachers.
He said their personnel have been conducting regular monitoring and documentation, and implementing joint conservation activities within the two protected areas.
Mount Matutum Protected Landscape (MMPL) covers around 14,000 hectares in South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, encompassing four municipalities and 14 barangays.
The Allah Valley Protected Landscape (AVPL), which straddles the upper valley area of South Cotabato province, covers around 92,000 hectares, including the headwaters of major rivers and tributaries.
A team from the DENR-AVPL and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office initially documented the presence of Rafflesia schadenbergiana last year in a forested portion of Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
In its monitoring on January 7, the team found a bud within a declared “strict protection zone” 20.8 kilometers from Barangay Ned proper and 85.3 kilometers from Lake Sebu proper.
Alicer said the team returned to the site on February 7 after receiving confirmation from community residents that the bud already opened and started to bloom.
The flower was measured at 65 cm in diameter, with detailed measurements including a window of 0.5-1 cm, diaphragm of 14 cm, warts of 2-3 cm, perigone of 26 cm, central disk of 22 cm, and processes of 2-3 cm, a DENR report said.
A sitio leader reported that additional Rafflesia schadenbergiana buds are also present within the reserve and are expected to bloom between June and September.
Alicer cited that the documentation of the rare flower highlights the importance of collaborative efforts between local communities, environmental authorities, and researchers.
“This development shows that this rare and endangered flower, which only blooms for five days, should be protected with conservation initiatives,” he said in a statement.
The official specifically cited the need for the conduct of habitat restoration, strict protection policy enforcement, and community education, “which are vital to preserving biodiversity and maintaining AVPL’s ecological integrity.”
DENR-12 also reported in September last year the presence offour critically endangered Rafflesia verrucosa flowers during a monitoring activity at a portion of the MMPL in Barangay Kablon, Tupi, South Cotabato.
A bud and a partially opened flower were found at an altitude of 1,553 meters above sea level, with the latter measuring 28 cm in circumference and 11.43 cm in height. Two more buds were also located near the site.
Alicer said the documentation of Rafflesia verrucosa and schadenbergiana, the largest flower among Rafflesia species found in the Philippines, at the MMPL and AVPL was a significant discovery, as previous sightings were only confirmed in few locations in the country, specifically in Davao and Bukidnon.
In Bukidnon, Rafflesia species can be found within the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park.
Listed as Critically Endangered under DENR Administrative Order 2017-11 or the Updated National List of Threatened Philippine Plants and their Categories, he said Rafflesia species in the country faces severe threats.
Prior to the recent sightings, field botanists noted that Rafflesia schadenbergiana was not seen in the country for a long time and even presumed extinct, as reported in a dedicated page of the Southern Illinois University in the United States. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
