"The Noble Savage" - Protector of Our Natural Environment

Who are the Noble Savages? Lacbawan MB Jr of St Loius University reports: they are nature-loving and pro-environment, living in a homogeneous community, in the hinterland or forest. Colonial portrayal as savages or barbarians, these indigenous people are actually the true and original guardians of the natural environment.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

We must protect our mangrove and coral reef, two closely related ecosystems of the marine environment - the coastal mangrove of bakawan (Rhizophora) and nipa palm (Nypha frutescens), and the underwater fringe of the sea made of corals. Both riprap islands and continents.

Mr Fernando Ramirez (right) of the Foundation for Philippine Environment presents reference materials on environment to the author, after presenting his paper: Updates and Prospects on Biodiversity Landscapes in the Countryside. Mr Ramirez is a conservationist and a practicing environmentalist, an advocate of naturalism.

Dr Luis Carmelo L Buenaventura (right) of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas presented Socio-Arthropological Perspectives of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Local Governance of Coral Reefs and Adjacent Coastal Areas for Climate Change and Adaptation, and Mitigation - A Case Study of Barangay Balite, San Luis, Batangas. Dr Buenaventura and the author taught at St Paul University QC and DLSU-Dasmariñas

Man's role, socio-anthropological in approach, is crucial according to Dr Carmelo Buenaventura of De La Salle University Dasmariñas, Cavite, citing a case study in Barangay Balite in San Luis, Batangas. Destruction of these ecosystems leads to loss in biodiversity and predisposes the coastal area to tsunami and tidal waves.

Art and biodiversity. This is a paper of Prof Ma Sharon M Arriola of De La Salle Manila, bringing man to a higher level of consciousness - applied aesthetics. The way we regard nature reaches a point of respect and reverence. The landscape is Nature's ultimate stage on which life flows, our world changes in season, through time and space, and from it discover beauty which we then express through visual art - painting and three-dimensional art, other art forms notwithstanding.

Where have all the dolphins gone? Prof Marie Christine Merca Obusan of UP Diliman and DOST Bicol, presented models of detection and measurement in monitoring this highly protected marine mammal that inhabits or frequents the Tañon Strait. These models are also applicable to other marine life, and to an extent, land creatures as well.

Diversity and habitat of Holuthurians or sea cucumbers is a joint paper of six researchers from Cebu Technological University - Serapion Tanduyan et al. Referred to as leche de mere or trepang in culinary language, this passive sea creature is facing over-harvesting and loss of habitat. There are 20 species of Holothurians belonging to three families, which show richness in their diversity and distribution in the Camotes Islands comprising four islands.

Six researchers - one from Adventist University of the Philippines Cavite, and five from UPLB, jointly worked on Genetic Diversity, Population Structure and Molecular Phylogeny of Abaca (Musa textiles) which is important as baseline for proper management, conservation and genetic upgrading of this indigenous fiber plant that supplies 84 percent of the world's requirement. The paper showed that our abaca is considered genetically diverse. High diversity is desirable to this crop, and other crops and animals, for that matter.

Rana magna macrocephala or mountain frog responds well to La Niña, a climatic cyclical phenomenon characterized by unusual heavy and prolonged rainfall that often follows the dry and hot El Niño year. In the latter, the frog's population decreases as it either aestivates or migrates to a more favorable location as its temporary or new habitat. This finding was presented by Cruz V and G Vanaguas from De La Salle Araneta University.

Who are the Noble Savages? Lacbawan MB Jr of St Loius University reports: they are nature-loving and pro-environment, living in a homogeneous community, in the hinterland or forest. Colonial portrayal as savages or barbarians, these indigenous people are actually the true and original guardians of the natural environment.

Ms Juliet Borlon-Aparicio of Tanggol ng Kalikasan presented: Ensuring Protection of Environment and Biodiversity Amidst Sustainable Development. Ms Aparicio took up subjects in biology under the author at the UST Graduate School.