Buguey Wetlands, Cagayan Province

Buguey Wetlands are on the north coast of Luzon, south shore of the Babuyan Channel and east of the mouth of the Cagayan River, and covers about 80% of Buguey Municipality. Buguey Wetlands are a complex of coastal lagoons, freshwater marshes, brackish and saline marshes, mangrove swamps and intertidal mudflats, with some fish ponds and shrimp ponds and a very large area of rice paddies.

Buguey Wetland's climatic condition is humid tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of about 2,200 mm more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

Location: 18°l7'N, 12l°50'E; on the north coast of Luzon, in the municipality of Buguey, Cagayan Province.

Buguey, Cagayan via Google Earth
Source: Google.com

Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life.

Wetlands are habitats that fall somewhere on the environmental spectrum between land and water. Since wetlands lie at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, they possess a unique mixture of species, conditions, and interactions. As a result, wetlands are among our planet's most diverse and varied habitats pf different species.

In the Philippines there are a lot of considered wetlands, one of which is the Buguey Wetlands.

Some photos at Buguey, Cagayan | Coconut Trees
Source: Google Images

Some photos at Buguey, Cagayan | Mangroves
Source: Google Images

Some photos at Buguey, Cagayan | Ipomoea reptans.
Source: Google Images

Some photos at Buguey, Cagayan | Birds
Source: Google Images

Some photos at Buguey, Cagayan | Birds
Source: Google Images

The lands in the area are mostly used for Aquaculture and rice cultivation in parts of the wetland, and illegal hunting throughout. Also in these wetlands of Buguey there are some disturbances and threats of which the destruction of mangroves for the creation of shrimp and fish ponds has greatly reduced the extent of the mangroves, and this destruction continues. Waterfowl hunting, although illegal, is widespread, and there is extensive use of pesticides by the rice farmers. Ducks and egrets frequently feed in the rice paddies, and there have been incidents of birds dying from poisoning.

There have been reports that in Buguey Wetlands, there had been an important staging and wintering area for migratory waterfowl, notably ducks and shorebirds. About 3,000-5,000 ducks have been recorded in November, and they are mostly Dendrocygna sp and Anas luzonica. About up to 3,000 other waterfowl have been also observed, the commoner species including Ixobrychus sinensis, I. eurhythmus, I. cinnamomeus, Bubulcus ibis, Egretta garzetta. E. intermedia, E. alba, Gallicrex cinerea and Sterna albifrons were observed and recorded. There were over 940 shorebirds recorded in April-May of 1986 including the others:

32 Rostrazula benghalensis
138 Pluvialis dominica
276 Charadrius dubius
65 C. mongolus
112 Numenius phaeopus
70 Xenus cinereus
57 Heteroscelus brevipes
10 Limnodromus semipalmatus

Area: c.14,400 ha (approximately 80% of Buguey Municipality consists of wetlands).
Altitude: Sea level.
Bio-geographical Province: 4.26.12
Site Description: A complex of coastal lagoons, freshwater marshes, brackish and saline marshes, mangrove swamps and intertidal mudfiats, with some fish ponds and shrimp ponds and a very large area of rice paddies; on the south shore of the Babuyan Channel, east of the mouth of the Cagayan River.
Climatic Conditions: Humid tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of about 2,200 mm more or less evenly distributed throughout the year (Type IV).
Principal Vegetation: The aquatic vegetation includes Nypa fruticans, mangrove species and Ipomoea reptans. Plant communities in adjacent areas include Pandanus sp and plantations of coconuts.
Land use: Aquaculture and rice cultivation in parts of the wetland, and illegal hunting throughout.
Disturbances and Threats: The destruction of mangroves for the creation of shrimp and fish ponds has greatly reduced the extent of the mangroves, and this destruction continues. Waterfowl hunting, although illegal, is widespread, and there is extensive use of pesticides by the rice farmers. Ducks and egrets frequently feed in the rice paddies, and there have been incidents of birds dying from poisoning.

Sources:
http://www.arcbc.org.ph/wetlands/philippines/phl_bug.html
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=9712
http://bes428bugueywetlands.blogspot.com/2013/08/buguey-wetlands.html

DBTC Waste Management

Last January 21, 2013, Teusday, our professor asked me to conduct an assessment regarding the waste management in our school. Therefore, instead of having a lecture class, she did ended the class for us to have time for whatever we have to do regarding this task.

During that time, our team, "Lupang Hinirang Music Video Team" is having a shoot inside the school. So I did went there to join them in the shooting. Since I am tasked to shoot the BTS (Behind the Scenes), I took some shots depicting the school's waste management. (See photos attached below)

Based on my observation about the vicinity and the the school's cleanliness, I can say that the school is properly managed and it is clean in the most times even brakes and dismissals. (Except for having so much dry leaves in the ground) I also observed that Bosconians of Mandaluyong whether in what level they are, they are well disciplined when it comes to segregation of waste inside the school. (Proud Bosconian here!)

Here are some photographs taken by me inside the school:

Highschool Students walking during their break

Close shot of a plant near the small chapel

Stolen shot of one ate holding a mop

Garbage bag and trash bins

Grade school teacher disposing some trash in the bins

Trash bins in every corners of the school

Shot in front of the Old Building

After taking some shots, I interviewed my friend from of the Facilities and Management Office, who is a Student Assistant of Mr. Joshua Aguilar, Head of the Facilities and Management of the school. I asked him about the waste management program of the school whether it is under their job or someone else's. He told me that 

Count your blessings

It was a very pleasant morning to start the day. Before I go to school, I filled my body by some of my favorite foods prepared by my loving mother. Upon going to my first subject, I was very hesitant about the party whether the project will be executed properly or whether the project will be pursued. At first, I was just looking at some 5th years, waiting for them to prepare the foods that we are going to eat. At some point, I was very surprised because the food is being delivered in the room one by one. Therefore, I got excited in the party whatsoever.

During the preparation, at first I was just a spectator together with some of my classmates. We are the ones who got assigned to bring liempo. My classmates and I decided to extend some funds by collecting from each other and one of them is in charge to buy liempo from Baliwag Lechon. There comes a time when we got bored because of waiting for some rice to be delivered, we gone out to the room to find something to drink something in the canteen. My classmate decided to go to the office of Mam Viva for us to get some mugs for the class. Then upon entering the room, I got shocked because my 5th year classmates held an interview for us 3rd year students. We stood infront of the class and answered some questions from them that somehow made the class happy and more interesting while waiting for some foods. The foods arrived and we decided to took a picture of it together with our professor. Then the best part of the event happened. We shared the food in a form of boodle fight and we end up the class filling our bodies with joy and some delicious delicacies.