Lake Balinsasayao is reputedly among the most beautiful bodies of water in the Visayas, its shimmering surface reflecting the vibrant turquoise of the heavens and framed by verdant walls of green, broken only by rolling mists.
“Balinsasayao’s twin lakes are known mostly to tourists escaping the seaside humidity of Dumaguete, but they also serve as a vital watershed for the province of Negros Oriental,” said Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Viernov Grifalde.
The twin lakes of Balinsasayao and Danao serve as headwaters for five major river systems including the Amlan, Ayuquitan, Hinotongan, Okoy and Cauitan Rivers. “These natural water reservoirs collect rainwater, supplying half-a-million people with potable water all year,” Grifalde said.
Nearly 60 percent of the Philippines’ land area hosts 142 critical watersheds. Watersheds require healthy forests, as the trees help absorb rainwater. The country’s watersheds, however, are facing numerous threats, including illegal logging and destructive kaingin or slash-and-burn farming.
“We’ve fortunately managed to minimize these activities by combining effective enforcement and field patrols with a vigorous communications and public awareness campaign,” Grifalde said.
“For centuries, the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes have protected both upland and lowland communities from the worst effects of storms, floods, and droughts by stabilizing water distribution and the local climate. We at the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources have been doing our best to protect the park, so our people can continue reaping its natural services,” he added.
Declared a protected area in 2000, the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park spans 8016.05 hectares and is among six featured areas for the Year of the Protected Areas, a yearlong campaign to highlight the critical role played by the country’s 247 protected areas for both people and nature.
Launched in May 2022, the YoPA is being spearheaded by the DENR, the United Nations Development Programme’s Biodiversity Finance Project, the Department of Tourism, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and various local governments.
The campaign’s six featured protected areas include Masbate’s Bongsanglay Natural Park, Occidental Mindoro’s Apo Reef Natural Park, Samar Island Natural Park, Davao Oriental’s Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Camiguin’s Mt. Timpoong Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument, and Negros Oriental’s Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, home to endangered flora like the Almaciga tree and rarely-seen fauna like the reclusive Visayan Spotted Deer.
“Birdwatchers come from across the sea to see and photograph the colorful birds in the park. The world’s rarest deer are said to live right in those hills,” pointed out DENR’s Sargie Dura.
“Our planet’s protected areas aren’t just great places to visit. They all serve key ecological functions — from providing habitats to endangered wildlife to generating the water which keeps our faucets flowing,” concluded BIOFIN Global Manager Onno van den Heuvel. “This World Wetlands Day, let’s visit and support our local watersheds, our local reservoirs of life.”
BIOFIN was launched in 2012 and seeks to address the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner — building a sound business case for increased investments in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, with a particular focus on the needs and transformational opportunities at the national level. For more information: http://www.biodiversityfinance.net.