September 6, 2010

  • Stranded in an island, for a while

    Rants

     

     

    Danjugan is a small island of approximately 43 hectares, measuring approximately 1.5km long with a maximum width of 0.5km. The islands lies in the Sulu Sea adjacent to Negros Occidental (Barangay Bulata, Cauayan) in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It has a high relief topography with limestone hills approximately 80m in height covered in tropical forest and is surrounded by fringing coral reef, a combination of two of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. The total area of island and reef is approximately 200 hectares.

    Danjugan has five lagoons, two of which are open to the sea and four of which have surrounding mangrove stands. The island has a broken shoreline with numerous inlets of coral rubble and coarse sandy beaches. One of the sandy beaches is a confirmed nesting site for green turtles (Chelonia mydas). There is no permanent freshwater on the island.

    Danjugan is one of the few small islands in the Philippines with relatively unspoilt vegetation. This vegetation includes plants like Pandanus spp. (screw pines), Veitchia merrilii (previously only known to occur in Palawan) and the threatened Pemphis acidula. The sub-tropical rainforest is an important bird nesting and feeding site for at least 55 resident and migrant avifauna species. The small limestone caves throughout the island act as important refuges of at least six bat species. 

    The island is completely encircled by fringing coral reef descending to a depth of approximately 30m. Seagrass beds occur along the western and eastern margin of the island. Prior to this report very little was known concerning the physical and biological composition of the reef system surrounding Danjugan (PRRP, 1996).

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    The description above is taken from the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc. (Click here for more information.)

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    Sorry I wasn't able to spend time to visit your sites guys and respond to your comments. I will definitely do that as I sorely miss reading those beautiful poems, stories of life - both real and fictitious, wonderful tips, and interesting insights (which, by the way, expanded my own ideas about the world, or scan through the many beautiful pictures and artworks that many of you love to share. Thank you, by the way.

    I am leaving today for Danjugan Island. A treat by a childhood friend who now works with some bigtime politician in London. Its a two-day "vacation". Happily, my boss said yes, this despite the fact that this is the days of the week when she's in the city to attend the council session and attend to some official business in the city.

    I have posted several posts that I thought might be interesting. It's on auto-post :D

    I'll be back to share with you some pictures of the adventure. I am so excited.

    Love you all, guys.

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    Allow me to leave some thoughts, which I kind of gathered in the many events that seemed to overwhelm me these past few days.

    Share your burdens with your friends, most specially with the Supreme.

    Vent it out to Him, He will surely listen. Get your strength from Him, and always remember that life's challenges are there not to put us down but to make us stronger. 

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