Source : ABS-CBN, Philippines, 13 Jan  '05
By : J. Due
  

Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo said the intensified wildlife-awareness campaign and declaration of the own as a bird sanctuary will bolster the town’s quest to develop its ecotourism potential.

The town will be hosting, for the first time, the Asian Water Bird Census (AWC) here on January 15 to 16 after local officials declared this municipality as a sanctuary for migratory birds.

In coordination with the Candaba Swamp Migratory Birds and Wildlife Foundation Inc., the town will host representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, Haribon Foundation and other enthusiasts.

Pelayo said the move is in line with efforts to pursue the long-term objective of conserving the Candaba Swamp and its diverse wildlife.

The Asian Water Bird Census (AWC) is an annual event usually held in the second and third week of January.

The AWC in this town will run parallel with similar water bird censuses in Africa, Europe, Central and West Asia and Latin America under the International Water Bird Census (IWC).

Initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent, the AWC has grown rapidly to cover Asia, Australasia and eastern Russia. It has covered more than 5,700 sites across 24 countries, with the active participation of thousands of volunteers.

Pelayo said the town’s water-bird census would provide the basis for estimates of water-bird population as it monitors changes in water-bird numbers and distribution by regular, standardized counts of representative wetlands.

Meanwhile, officers of the Conserve Candaba Swamp Foundation, Inc., led by Patrick Pelayo, took their oath as the frontrunners in efforts to protect migratory birds that come yearly to the Candaba marsh by creating awareness on the importance of the swamp and its migratory birds.

Mayor Pelayo is inviting birdwatchers’ clubs and environmental organizations to participate in a dialogue-cum-conference to be held early this year to gather ideas on how to rehabilitate and manage the Candaba marsh.