Balayan Bay and Calatagan Peninsula
Location:	13°49'-13°50'N, 120°37'-120°38'E; 80 km SSW of Metro Manila, Batangas Province, Luzon.
Area:	75,000 ha.
Altitude:	3-5m.
Biogeographical Province:	4.26.12.
Wetland type:	01, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08 & 10.
Description of site:	A large sea bay with intertidal flats and mangrove forest (Balayan Bay), adjacent areas of fish and shrimp ponds, and the coastal wetlands of the Calatagan Peninsula to the west, including Pagapas Bay. In Balayan Bay and the adjacent smaller Pagapas Bay, the substrate is generally muddy but there are some small areas of sandy flats. The tidal range is high, and at low tide the mudflats extend outwards for about 900 metres. Approximately 50% of the original mangrove forest has been cleared for the construction of fish and shrimp ponds. The west coast of Calatagan Peninsula faces the South China Sea and is bordered by a broad and well-developed fringing reef about 13 km long and 900 metres wide. The outer edge of the reef is characterized by an intensive coral growth which is usually exposed at low tide. The reef flats are sandy with an abundant growth of seagrasses, and the inner reef near the lagoon is sandy and rocky.
Climatic conditions:	Tropical monsoon climate with a pronounced dry season from November to April and a pronounced wet season for the rest of the year (Type I).
Principal vegetation:	Mangrove forest dominated by Ayicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata and Sonneratia sp, and beds of seagrasses and algae. Grassland, coconut plantations, rice paddies and corn fields in adjacent areas.
Land tenure:	The Bay is state owned; the Calatagan coastal wetlands are privately owned.
Conservation measures taken:	No protected areas have been established but a private landowner has taken measures to protect the mangroves fringing his property in Balayan Bay, and some efforts have been made to improve environmental awareness amongst other local residents.
Conservation measures proposed:	The Forest Research Institute is developing a programme of intensive conservation education in the area, with local officials of Batangas Province participating in its implementation (1987-1990).
Land use:	Fishing for shrimps and finfish, aquaculture (fish and shrimp ponds), and commercial farming of seaweed Eucheuma sp. Cattle raising and the cultivation of rice, corn and coconuts in adjacent areas.
Possible changes in land use:
Disturbances and threats:	The clearing of mangroves to make room for aquaculture ponds and the cutting of mangroves for firewood continue. A geothermal plant has been constructed in the Municipality of Balayan, and its waste is dumped into Balayan Bay.
Economic and social values:	The Bay supports a very important fishery. Local communities are dependent to a large extent on the coastal resources for their livelihood, and approximately 30% of the population are fishermen and shrimp gatherers.
Fauna:	Fish species include Chanos chanos. The intertidal mudflats are used by more than 10,000 shorebirds during their northward and southward migrations. About 5,200 shorebirds were observed in late October 1986, including: 370 Pluvialis dominica 770 Charadrius dubius 300 C. alexandrinus 460 C. mongolus 400 Numenius arquata 490 Tringa totanus 100 Xenus cinereus 230 Actitis hypoleucos 120 Heteroscelus brevipes 950 Calidnis ruficollis Five Asiatic Dowitchers Limnodromus semipalmatus were recorded during this survey.
Special floral values:	No information.
Research and facilities:	The area was used as a major bird-banding site by the MAPS Program in 1972, and in recent years, the Forest Research Institute and Asian Wetland Bureau have carried out studies on the migratory shorebirds.
References:	Alonzo-Pasicolan (1987); Karpowicz (1985); Parish (1987).
Criteria for inclusion:	1b, 1e, 2c, 3b.
Source:	Simplicia N. Alonzo-Pasicolan and Haribon Foundation.