TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2011 | CEBU DAILY NEWS
by Jason A. Baguia
Illustration by William Oliver
COPY EDITOR
cientists thought this colorful local
S songbird was extinct, so when bird-
watchers spotted the Cebu Flower-
pecker again in 1992 in a mountain
village in Cebu City, the birding world
rejoiced.
But no photograph has
ever been taken of the
bird, making it the “holy
grail” of bird watchers
here and abroad.
Only a painting and
artist's sketches give others
visual clues of what the
Cebu Flowerpecker looks
like.
The bird, endemic to
Cebu, rose to international
prominence in August
2009 when it was chosen
as the flagship species of
BirldLife International, a
group dedicated to conser-
vation.
“The rediscovery of the
Cebu Flowerpecker has
given us Cebuanos a sec-
ond chance to conserve
the natural heritage of Ce-
bu,” said Davao-born Lisa
Marie Paguntalan, an or-
nithologist and conserva-
tion biologist.
The Cebu Flowerpecker
was chosen over other
species from countries like
Colombia, Brazil and In-
donesia because it is “crit-
ically endangered” in a
country suffering rapid
loss of biodiversity, Pagun-
talan said.
The selection was made
during the annual British
Birdwatching Fair held in
2009 in Rutland, England,
which drew 20,000 bird
enthusiasts from around
the globe.
Less than 100 Cebu
Flowerpeckers are believed
to have survived the loss of
its normal forest habitats.
The bird, which is
found only in Cebu, is
strikingly handsome, Pa-
guntalan said.
Its scientific name, Di-
caeum quadricolor, refers to
O3
its multicolored plumage
(quadricolor means four
colors): bluish black on the
head and wings, grayish
white on the underside, red
on a V-shaped patch on its
back and greenish yellow
on its rump.
This bird feeds on in-
sects on tree barks and in
the leaves, nectar of
flowers, berrylike fruits,
ripe fruits of the Ficus
(balete trees in the for-
est). It has also been ob-
served eating spiders, Pa-
guntalan said.
The bird “has an ex-
tremely small population
and very small, severely
fragmented range owing to
catastrophic deforestation,”
says the International
Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) based in
Gland, Switzerland.
The Cebu Flowerpecker
was feared to have become
extinct when all of Cebu's
forests were thought to
have been destroyed, the
IUCN says. In 1992, it was
sighted again in Cebu City's
Tabunan forest. Barangay
Tabunan is one of the city's
mountain villages.
Since 1992, the bird was
seen again in three other
sites—Nug-as forest in Al-
coy town, Mount Lantoy,
the highest peak in Argao
town and Dalaguete town,
all in southern Cebu.
“The maximum num-
ber seen together at any of
these four sites is just four
birds,” the IUCN says,
“and the current popula-
tion is estimated at 100 in-
dividuals, with 50 to 60 at
Nug-as, 25 to 30 at
Tabunan, and 10 to 15 at
Dalaguete.”
 O4 CEBU DAILY NEWS | TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2011

Siloy was adopted by

Cebu Daily News as its mascot
when the paper started in 1998.

CEBU

by Candeze R. Mongaya
REPORTER

T
he Black Shama, locally known
as Siloy, is reclaiming its home
The bird appeared on page 1 of
in a mountain paradise in
CDN’s early issues with sassy com-
south Cebu.
ments about the day's events. Siloy
The birds fly freely in an 800-
has come to embody CDN's indepen-
hectare forest conservation site in
dent, non-nonsense spirit and inhab-
barangay Nug-as in the town of Alcoy,
its the daily corner “Mao Ba.”
which passed a resolution in 2000
News sources and erring officials
marking the protected area of the song
know that any missteps taken will
bird whose scientific name is Copsy-
surely draw the warning: “Hala,
chus cebuensis.
basin ma-siloy ka!”
Pedro Villarta, one of Alcoy's forest
wardens, said that back in the 1990s,
they seldom heard the birds.
“Now, we hear many of them sing.”
Villarta can mimic the sound of the
Black Shama to call them. As he whis-
tled, during CEBU DAILY NEWS' visit,
one bird, small enough to fit a palm,
hovered near tree branches and Conservation Foundation
vines, singing in harmony with reached out to local residents
Villarta. and taught them how to iden-
At first, the bird was elusive, fly- tify different birds and other
ing back and forth before settling species of reptiles and trees in
on a branch a few meters away the forest.
and facing Villarta. Today, Villarta
“They already recognize me, considers himself a
through my voice,” Villarta protector of
said. He continued to whistle wildlife, more so when he real-
as the bird surveyed his terri- ized that there were few left.
tory for food. “ They depend on us. It
As a teenager, Villarta and would be such a waste if we lost
his friends roamed the forest them,” Villarta said in Ce-
with air guns to hunt down birds for buano.
fun. His view changed af- About 30 local wardens pa-
ter the Cebu trol the forest daily to check
Biodiversity that no trees have been cut and
to survey the fauna. The mu-
SILOY 5

GUARDING THE SILOYS’ HOME. Forest warden Pedro Villarta surveys the 800-hectare Nug-as forest in Alcoy, which has the highest number of Black Shamas in Cebu. CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO
 TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2011 | CEBU DAILY NEWS
IT’S TIME TO PLANT MORE HOPE
“The largest population
of Cebu Cinnamon, which
is found in the forests of
Nug-as, Alcoy, is protected
and continuously moni-
tored, particularly whether
it's flowering and fruiting. For
any disturbance, by the Alcoy
forest wardens particularly those
from the Kapunungan sa mga
Mag-uuma sa Yutang
Lasangnon sa Bulola-
cau,” she said.
The largest Cebu Cin-
namon is found in the
Nug-as Forest.
The main threat to the tree is
habi-
tat destruction. While the
Cebu Cinnamon can itself
f you want a reforestation project to
I
provide shade, it is sensitive to
light and long periods
succeed, choose the trees well. of drought.
“It needs to be planted
The advice by conservation experts includes choosing indige-
nous trees that are naturally at home in the area and have a bet- in its natural habitat,” Roxas
ter chance of survival. This is in contrast to exotic or foreign said.
species like the water-sucking gmelina, which government cam- While it can be planted in a
paigns had erred in investing millions of pesos for greening garden or the backyard, it has to
programs. be in a shaded area. A group
Little was known of the Cebu Cinnamon Tree, which is once made the “mistake” of
found only in Cebu, until the last three decades. planting the trees along
The tree was first collected in 1971 in the forest of Cantipla,
the highway, where the
an upland sitio in the mountain barangay of Tabunan, Cebu Cinnamon trees died.
City.
“Because the plant is endemic
It's scientific name Cinnamomum cebuense Kostermans comes to Cebu, please do not plant out-
from its location and the scientist who first studied it, A.J.G.H. side its natural distribution
Kostermans. ranges, meaning do not plant
Forester Orlyn Roxas, who once led a research team on the outside of Cebu,” Roxas said.
tree, told CEBU DAILY NEWS that there are only 800 Cebu cinna- “Other well meaning individu-
mon trees left today, with around 40 mature individuals or als might want to help conserve
“mother trees,” the source of seeds. the species, and thus might want
The trees are found in sitio Cantipla in Cebu City, in Mount to plant it in their farms outside
Manunggal in Balamban town, and in the Nug-as forest in Al-
Cebu. But please, no planting
coy town, south Cebu. outside of Cebu.” - Jason Baguia
TONEE DESPOJO
Note: The tree is part of the
FAST FACTS mix of native tree species favored
Scientific Name: Cinnamomum cebuense by NGOs like the Philippine
Kost. Business for Social Progress
English Name: Cebu Cinnamon Tree (PBSP), in its hillyland reforesta-
Common name: Kalingag tion projects, for which special
Distribution: Endemic to Cebu island nurseries are developed.
Status: Critically endangered species (accord- CDN, a member of PBSP,
ing to the International Union for Conservation joins the annual Reforestation
of Nature or IUCN) Caravan which kicks off every
Description: A small to medium-sized tree, June, the start of the rainy season.
reaching a height of 6 to 8 meters and a diameter Volunteers are welcome to join
of 25 to 35 centimeters with a smooth outer bark. the tree planting every Saturday,
The tree bark has medicinal properties. Local in barangay Tabunan and
residents either chew the bark or boil it in a glass another site in Balamban town.
of water to drink as a remedy stomach ache. While
no reports have been made by local residents, the
leaves may be a potential source of spice as with
other closely related species
Threats: According to globaltree.org, before a
conservation project was undertaken in 2005, on-
ly 57 mature trees were left in Cebu. One of the
major threats is the loss of surrounding forest by
agricultural encroachment.
The practice of stripping its bark for medicinal
use also poses a threat to its survival.
O5
Villarta whistles to call out Black Shamas
in the bird sanctuary in Nug-as, Alcoy.
Reporter Candeze Mongaya got proof of
his skill. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
SILOY... FROM PAGE 4
nicipality supports them with a
monthly honorarium.
The wardens have to give month-
ly reports about their observation of
local fauna. They can guide nature
enthusiasts to three areas frequented
by Siloys, about 15 minutes on foot
from the Conservation Center.
Black Shamas are territorial crea-
tures, and require at least 200 square
meters of forest as their habitat.
Their melodious bird song is actual-
ly an alarm or warning call to defend
its area against intruders. Most of
the Siloy’s predators are reptiles and
wild cats that attack their eggs.
Villarta said that at least 350
Black Shamas have made their
home in the Nug-As forest in Al-
coy, one of the last towns in Cebu
where the birds can be found.
The secret to keeping the en-
demic bird is the supportive com-
munity, said Alcoy Councilor
Richard Gonzales, chairman of the
town's committee on tourism.
In 2000, an ordinance was
passed banning the hunting, catch-
ing or killing of the Black Shama.
The basis cited was a study by the
Cebu Biodiversity Conservation
Foundation identifying Alcoy as
home to the most number of Black
Shamas in Cebu.
In 2009, the town followed up
with an ordinance to enhance the
conservation of other endangered
species in the municipality like the
Cebu Flowerpecker and Cebu Cin-
namon tree.
The Black Shama is listed as an
endangered specie by the Interna-
tional Union for the Conservation
of Nature of Nature based in
Gland, Switzerland.
Schoolchildren in Alcoy are
taught about endemic species. In
recent years, the town has also
mounted an annual Siloy Festival.
While Alcoy has big potential as
an eco-tourism destination, the
town is reluctant to have too much
tourist traffic disturb the habitat of
the Siloys and other animals.
“With too much exposure to
people, the species may also be af-
fected,” Gonzales said.
About 200 tourists, mostly bird-
watchers from Europe and Japan,
visit the site each year.
What the town encourages are
educational tours for students or-
ganized by schools.
 OPINION EDITORIAL
TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2011 2009 PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUT E
EILEEN G. MANGUBAT
Publisher/ Acting Edito r in Chief CIVIC JOURNALISM COMMUNITY
PRESS AWARDS

13 years, a mission of hope

2004 BEST REGIONAL NEWSPAPER
S T E P H E N D. C A P I L L A S OF THE YEAR
Senio r Copy Edito r ROTARY CLUB OF MAKATI
JOURNALISM AWARD
ANTONIO E. DESPOJO

I
Photo Edito r t's better to plant a tree than curse the flooding.
That’s the thought behind CEBU DAILY NEWS’ de-
M I M I M . L IJ A U C O cision to banner the paper’s advocacy on envi-
Lifestyle Edito r
ronmental stewardship as we mark our 13th anniver-
R I C K C . G A B U YA sary today.
Spo rts Edito r
Nature has a way of reminding people of the con-
MARIA NIZA G. MARIÑAS sequence of mindless consumption in the name of
Asst. Lifestyle Edito r progress. There’s a price to pay for the criminal ne-
JASON A. BAGUIA glect of fragile ecosystems in our own backyard.
BRIAN J. OCHOA The recent Jan. 25 downpour took Cebu and Man-
Copy Edito rs
daue Cities by surprise with rainfall four times the
DORIS C. BONGCAC normal volume, and with it urban floods the likes of
Chief of Repo rters which we haven’t seen in decades. After only two
hours, the metropolis experienced a mini-Ondoy.
“The heavens winked,” CDN’s editorial noted, “and
Cebu City residents could only stand back in horror
and wonder what else could have happened if the
rains had gone on longer.”
The instant reaction has been to point to insuffi-
An Affiliate of the PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
CEBU DAILY NEWS’ stories on the Cebu Cinnamon
Tree and endemic birds that make their home in Ce-
bu’s vanishing forests are our way of promoting re-
sponsible reforestation, the smart way. OFFICE
Satellite scans in the 1980s pointed to forest cover Kaohsiung St. co rner S. Osmeña Road,
No rth Reclamation Area, Cebu City
of less than 1 percent in an island once lush with a 6000 Philippines
beltway of vegetation and trees in the early 1900s.
CONTACT
Government reforestation efforts botched their Trunk line (232-7618)
own campaign by force-marching students, soldiers Edito rial direct lines (232-7614/412-1061)
Circulation/Subscription (233-6046)
and civil servants to plant exotic trees like gmelina Edito rial fax (232-7615)
and mahogany. Ma rketing fax (232-7616)
We know better now. Advertising fax (232-7612)
Citizens have to volunteer time and understand the E- M A I L & W E B S I T E
cdn@inquirerpublications .ph
connection between tree cover and water that falls www.cebudailynews .com.ph
from the sky, flows out to the sea and seeps into the w w w. c d n . p h
aquifer to recharge our underground source of drink- MARIXI R. PRIETO
ing water. Chairman of the Boa rd
Without understanding, remedies fall flat. A LEX ANDRA PRIETO-ROMUA LDEZ
Most Cebu city residents live at ground level, not President

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cient drainage and culprits living in the banks of dis- realizing that 70 percent of the terrain of the city is IMEE C. A LCANTARA
Vice President fo r Operations
appearing creeks and rivers. actually hilly lands in a badly neglected backyard.
What the watery disaster should do is point atten- We need the trees, but especially native tree species THEA C. RIÑEN
Vice President fo r Advertising,
tion farther up the series of cause-and-effect, to hin- that support that wonderful mystery of an ecosystem Ma rketing and Circulation
terland watersheds of Metro Cebu, where soil erosion in proper balance. NORITA N. CAÑET E
and the torrent of runoff water show how trees no Like CDN’s mascot, Siloy, a songbird found only in Circulation Manager
longer give the protection they should. Cebu, these examples of creation bring only good
MA. CHRISTINE C. TORREGOSA
Media’s spotlight on river dwellers and illegal things—life, beauty, a hedge against disaster and Finance & Administration Senio r Manager
shanties only show part of the problem. hope. MEMBER
The bigger role is to shine a light on where solu- In our 13th year of service to Cebu, it’s definitely
tions lie. time to plant more hope. PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE