Pinanga bicolana

The major threat for Pinanga bicolana is the loss of quality of its habitat as supported by tree cover loss of 19,500 hectares of tree cover loss (GFW 2019) which occurred within the species native province between 2001 and 2018. According to Manlangit (2019) one of the main drivers for this loss is the illegal logging and charcoal-making from this area where the widespread selling of illegal charcoal products within the vicinities of Bicol Natural Park had been witnessed through the years. Additionally, shifting cultivation and urbanization are some of the contributing factors to this loss.

The current conservation strategies being implemented for the survival of Pinanga bicolana is ex-situ conservation at Makiling Botanic Garden in Laguna together with various Areca, Heterospathe, and Pinanga species (Fernando 1990). Moreover, through the enforcement of Proclamation no. 43 in 2009, Bicol National Park was considered as an official Protected Area (PA) of the country where unauthorized and excessive utilization and disturbances in the area were already prohibited. This should protect the population of the species. This protection was facilitated by the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police (PNP) through their monitoring strategies throughout the protected area with the assistance of various People's Organizations. Information Education Campaigns (IECs) in schools and barangays within the vicinity of the protected area were also conducted as part of the socially-based conservation of the protected area and the important biological organisms within it (Manlangit 2019).