Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (Extension) - Pujada Bay

Description

Forming a cove characterized by white sand beaches and calm waters with mountain ranges at the backdrop, Pujada Bay is a highly valued protected landscape and seascape in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental, Philippines. It comprises a total land area of 20,873.43 ha with fertile coral (1,175.75 ha), seagrass (610.440 ha), and mangrove (262.719 ha) ecosystems downstream of the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, a World Heritage site. The bay encompasses ten coastal communities: Macambol, Mamali, Dawan, Badas, Central, Matiao, Dahican, Bobon, Tamisan, and Lawigan mutually interacting with nature for recreation and livelihood. Additionally, the bay features distinctive and alluring islands and islets called Sleeping Dinosaur, Pujada, Waniban, Oak, and Ivy. It is a natural treasure that has traditionally benefited local and indigenous communities, and at the same time provided biological refuge for globally significant species. Management measures were instituted to maintain the bay’s integrity, subdivided into strict protection, buffer, and multiple-use zones.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Pujada Bay is adjacent to the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS), the only World Heritage site on Mindanao Island and an ASEAN Heritage Park. The majestic mountain boasts a complete, substantially intact, and highly diverse mountain ecosystem, in a significant biogeographic region in the southeastern part of the Philippines. Per Resolution No. 33, series of 2023, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) endorsed the nomination of the Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape (PBPLS) as an expansion of the MHRWS. This effort primarily aims to harmonize protection, conservation, management, and regeneration initiatives from the highlands to the ocean (H2O) aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Owing to its natural beauty and biological significance, the bay was declared one of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) by the Paris-based Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde in 2020. It is part of the biodiversity-rich coral triangle and habitat for several keystone, charismatic, and threatened species, including the whale shark Rhincodon typus, dugong Dugong dugon, and a few species of dolphins. Its coastline serves as ancient nesting grounds for the iconic green turtle Chelonia mydas and hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata. Rich fisheries depend on the bay’s ecological integrity and health, including commercially valuable fishes: bigeye scad Selar crumenopthalmus, flat needlefish Ablennes hians, horseface unicornfish Naso fageni, purple eyebrowed tuskfish Choerodon zamboangae, silver pomfret Pampus argenteus, and African red snapper Lutjanus agennes, skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis, and yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares. Pujada Bay is identified as the traditional fishing grounds of the Mandaya and Ka’gan people, providing rich marine produce to the regional communities and beyond. With this information, it is positioned as a biological sanctuary and a socio-economic development zone.

Impressive intact coral formations that support a rich diversity of marine wildlife also characterize Pujada Bay. It is home to at least 25 genera of hard and soft corals, primarily belonging to the genera Acropora, Porites, and Montipora. Latest assessments indicate 59.68% cover of hard corals with an average biomass of 33.7 MT/sq km. Approximately 118 fish species were also observed within a 1000 sqm transect belt. The integrity of the coral ecosystems and exceptional underwater sceneries position Pujada Bay as a perfect diving spot for the local and international communities to witness. At the same time, it speaks volumes of the bay’s capacity to support wildlife diversity.

Adding Pujada Bay is home to a vast area of mangrove forests, inventorying several Least Concern but declining species of Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia officinalis, Pemphis acidula, Aegiceras corniculatum, and Avicennia alba. Mangroves provide diverse ecological services to the domestic and international communities as a flagship ecological tourism area and a reliable haven of fisheries resources. Locals rely on these resources for recreation and livelihood. It also serves as a natural harbor in times of storms for local fishers. Over recent years, tourists from different corners of the globe have visited the bay’s picturesque beauty and long stretches of powdery white-sand beaches. This is equally valuable to the wild flora and fauna inhabiting the mangrove ecosystems. This ecosystem is also identified as the breeding or spawning ground of macroinvertebrates, fishes, and other marine organisms. In the same way, the bay provides a temporary refuge to migratory birds passing through the avian migration highway in the Province of Davao Oriental.

However, the bay continues to face threats from anthropogenic activities. Overfishing and coral reef destruction contribute to the decline of fisheries resources in the bay. With the high tourism influx over recent years, the issue of macro and microplastic pollution has become more evident and urgent. The booming Vannamei shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei farms release nutrient discharges into the aquatic ecosystems. Also, mining activities upstream pose the risk of siltation and heavy metal contamination in the Pujada Bay waters. Lastly, the threats of climate change have also become more visible, highlighting the importance of intact sanctuaries such as the bay.

Recognizing these threats, management systems and practices are in place, being implemented by a network of agencies with representations to the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). Local government units, academic institutions, national line agencies, and private and people’s organizations cooperate to enforce policies and regulations to mitigate the threats and promote sustainable use of natural resources. Key management practices include coral reef regeneration using clay materials, regular water quality monitoring, wildlife tracking initiatives, and plastic pollution mitigation, among many others. Through the LGU-created Integrated Water Resource Management Council and the PAMB, moves are undertaken to ensure that the bay’s ecological integrity remains intact for the present and future generations to enjoy. The same network trailblazes the concept of regenerative development (e.g., regenerative aquaculture and mining) to restore and rehabilitate disturbed ecosystems while maintaining protection, conservation, and management measures.

Criterion (x): Pujada Bay is a significant natural habitat for endemic, migratory, charismatic, keystone, and threatened species. It provides a biological sanctuary for wild flora and fauna and at the same time supports local and national economic development. Demonstrating exceptional beauty for its remarkable coral formations, intact ecosystems, and iconic sceneries, Pujada Bay gained global tourism and scientific attention. The property’s sustainability is exemplified through a harmonious relationship between local and indigenous peoples and the natural environment. It demonstrates an outstanding universal value, especially as a platform for in-situ conservation of globally significant biodiversity.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

The Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape (PBPLS) is managed by a dedicated Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) based on national policy declarations and international regulatory commitments. It is one of the country’s intact coastal and marine ecosystems protected through Presidential Proclamation No. 431, the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), or Republic Act No. 7586. This protection was further reinforced through the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) as promulgated under Republic Act No. 11038.

The bay’s natural beauty is of global renown, having been declared one of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW), together with Balete and Mayo Bays in Davao Oriental. Its unique cove formation bounded by stretches of biodiversity-rich mountains, powdery white-sand beaches, and calm turquoise blue waters demonstrates a unique human-wildlife interdependence integral to global sustainability. In addition, the bay is enveloped by the country’s terrestrial corridor, the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC). It is a member of the marine protected area network and has signified a commitment to be enlisted in the coastal greenbelt zones.

Different stakeholders cooperate to undertake biodiversity research and conservation, community management, ecotourism development, law enforcement, and sustainable economy. Efforts are being harmonized under the ecosystems-based highland-to-ocean (H2O) approach in protecting, managing, conserving, and regenerating natural resources. This means protecting the bay and its neighboring biological frontiers midstream and upstream. The World Heritage Site (WHS) enlistment of Pujada Bay is the City’s gift to humanity, marking an important commitment to safeguard the globe’s remaining ‘life-support system.’

Comparison with other similar properties

Pujada Bay is described as the Davao Oriental’s crown jewel and an almost virgin paradise in close proximity to the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS). While MHRWS was previously added to the World Heritage sites in 2014 for its OUV, Pujada Bay intends to join the list as an expansion of the majestic mountain to complete the highlands to ocean (H2O) approach in biodiversity conservation.

MHRWS boasts a unique geological characteristic through its highly mineralized ultramafic soil. It also features high species endemism, being home to rare flora and fauna that could not be found anywhere else globally. The same is true for the mountain’s aquatic ecosystems teeming with rich biodiversity. Riverine systems in MHRWS directly flow into the waters of Pujada Bay, directly linking the terrestrial and coastal ecosystems.

In the same manner, Pujada Bay exudes a global impression because of its wildlife. It is a critical habitat for pelagic charismatic species that are transnationally monitored for their global value. Bounded by the Guang-Guang Peninsula in the East and the Pujada Peninsula in the West, the cove formation of the bay portrays a rare geologic formation marked with peaceful waters. This served as a refuge for seafarers and fisherfolks, especially in times of storms. Its white sand beaches and remarkable diving spots put the bay on the pedestal of top tourist destinations in the region.

Pujada Bay stands out for its natural richness and strong connection to the local and indigenous peoples. It is an iconic example of the interconnectedness, interdependence, and intersectionality of environmental, economic, and social development. While being a critical habitat for wildlife, it also provides rich fisheries resources as a driver of the local economy. The bay has been historically etched in the Matinian (i.e., local and indigenous peoples of Mati) identity, as a sacred place for livelihood, recreation, and culture.