Liguasan Marsh
Location:	6°35'-7°l5'N, l24°17'-124°52'E; in the basin of the Mindanao River in south-central Mindanao, North Cotabato and South Cotabato Provinces.
Area:	220,000 ha.
Altitude:	10-30m.
Biogeographical Province:	4.26.12.
Wetland type:	11, 13, 14, 15, 19 & 20.
Description of site:	A vast complex of river channels, small freshwater lakes and ponds, extensive marshes and arable land subject to seasonal flooding in the basin of the Mindanao River. Most of the area is under water during periods of heavy rainfall; some 140,000 ha dry out during dry periods and are cultivated. The marsh, although generally known as Liguasan, actually consists of two adjoining marshy basins, Liguasan marsh and Libungan marsh, with different water regimes. Liguasan lies at the confluence of the Pulangi, Maganoy, Buluan and Allah rivers, and Libungan lies at the confluence of Libungan and Mindanao rivers.
Climatic conditions:	Humid tropical climate with the rainfall more or less evenly distributed throughout the year (Type IV).
Principal vegetation:	Freshwater marshes with an abundant growth of Eichhornia crassipes. The dominant vegetation in surrounding areas includes Livistona rotundifolia, Corypha elata, Nypa fruticans, Areca catechu, Pandanus tectorius, Calamus mallis, Asplenium nidus, Drynaria quercifolia and a wide variety of climbing ferns and orchids. There is a 5,000 ha patch of virgin forest with a very rich flora within the marsh.
Land tenure:	The marshes are state owned; surrounding areas are privately owned.
Conservation measures taken:	30,000 ha of the marsh were declared a Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary in 1979. An inventory of the wildlife has been carried out to identify areas essential for the preservation of wildlife and aquatic resources. A survey team has been formed to explore the rich flora and fauna of the marsh, and a laboratory has been established for the identification, preservation, propagation and production of wildlife, particularly endangered species.
Conservation measures proposed:	The Government aims to ensure a continuous yield of useful plant and animal products by establishing a balanced cycle of harvest and renewal. Efforts to increase wildlife populations will include the preservation of breeding stocks, restrictions on the harvest and habitat improvement. Then, as populations increase, the Southern Philippine Development Authority, in cooperation with other government and private agencies concerned with the preservation and propagation of wildlife and aquatic resources, plans to encourage commercial enterprises based on the wildlife resources of the marsh.
Land use:	Fishing, aquaculture and agriculture. The Government has recognized the importance both economically and politically of Liguasan Marsh and, in the Cotabato-Agusan River Basin Development Project, has initiated the construction of a cut-off channel from the Pagulungan sector of the Rio Grande de Mindanao to prevent and control floods. A major development project, the Liguasan Marsh Freshwater Fisheries Project, has recently been established under the auspices of the Southern Philippine Development Authority. The project, a Government investment of some 13.7 million pesos, aims to exploit the fishery and agricultural resources of the marsh in an extensive food production programme. The project includes the installation of at least 800 fish cages for tilapia culture and another 400 fish corrals for fish capture. Progress to date has included the construction of an ice plant and cold storage facility at Piket to store up to ten tons of fish, 200 fish cages at Ponol to serve as a field laboratory for new technology in fish culture, 225 fish corrals distributed amongst 112 families, and a fattening tank to fatten up the mudfish caught in the marsh.
Possible changes in land use:	New proposals under the Liguasan Marsh Freshwater Fisheries Project include the construction of 300 fish cages and 20 hectares of fish pens at Pebpulangian, the construction of an earthen broodstock and hatchery pond for breeding Tilapia nilotica and T. mossambica, and an aquaculture scheme to produce eels. There is also a scheme to farm crocodiles for their hide, and a plan to quarry the mud of the marsh for use as organic fertilizer.
Disturbances and threats:	The main threat in the past has been the conversion of marshes to rice paddies and other agricultural land. The Liguasan Marsh Freshwater Fisheries Project will involve the conversion of large areas of marsh into aquaculture ponds and fish pens, and quarrying activities for the production of fertilizers are likely to cause considerable disturbance.
Economic and social values:	Economic and social values: The marsh is home to 112,000 Maguindanaon families whose primary means of livelihood are fishing when water levels are high and agriculture when they are low. Because of its very rich wildlife, the marsh has considerable potential for nature tourism. However, the area is a stronghold of the Moro National Liberation Front and access is restricted.
Fauna:	The marsh supports a great variety of aquatic wildlife, including 20 species of fishes, three species of reptiles, and over 20 species of waterfowl, notably herons, egrets and ducks. Liguasan is the only locality in the Philippines for the Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea. The marsh is one of the last strongholds for the endangered Philippine Crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis, and the Estuarine Crocodile C. porosus also occurs. The endangered Monkey-eating Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi is reported to be present in the forested areas in the marsh.
Special floral values:	The marsh is particularly rich in orchids.
Research and facilities:	A variety of faunal and floral surveys have been carried out, and the South Philippine Development Authority has established a limnological laboratory at Lagundi near Piket.
References:	Ingle (1986); Karpowicz (1985); Ross (1984).
Criteria for inclusion:	1b, 1e, 2a, 2b, 3b.
Source:	Haribon Foundation and Robert S. Kennedy.