Peter Jan D. de Vera

Understanding the economic and psychological values that people assign to threatened species is crucial for their effective protection. The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is an endangered primate currently threatened by habitat destruction, removal from the wild for scientific, commercial, and recreational purposes, and culling due to conflicts with local communities. We conducted on-site interviews with Maguindanao residents in the Philippines (n = 500) to explore the conservation value of the long-tailed macaque and to assess how cognition, emotion, and folklore influence willingness to pay (WTP). Participants showed pro-conservation attitudes and positive emotions toward the long-tailed macaque, had substantial knowledge about their behavior and biology, but did not believe in folklore traditions. An average annual WTP of PHP 46.9 was estimated for macaque conservation, amounting to PHP 10.5 million annually, based on the number of households in the study area. Conservation attitudes, emotions, and biological knowledge about the long-tailed macaque were positively linked to WTP for its preservation. Conversely, dominionistic worldviews were negatively associated with WTP. Younger participants, females, and those with higher incomes demonstrated a higher WTP than older participants, males, and those with lower incomes. These findings can aid in designing and implementing outreach campaigns to raise funds and educate local communities, thereby further improving their attitudes toward this endangered primate.

The Philippine duck (Anas luzonica) is a vulnerable species, endemic to the Philippines. The need of local people for food and land has led to the endangerment of the Philippine duck populations through illegal hunting and the conversion of wetlands to aquaculture and farmland. This study was conducted to determine the willingness to pay (WTP) of residents (n = 500) in Maguindanao provinces for the conservation of the Philippine duck and the effects of conservation attitude and knowledge toward the Philippine duck, as well as sociodemographic characteristics, on WTP. The mean annual WTP for Philippine duck conservation was USD 0.60, and the total estimated annual amount that could be collected was USD 134 thousand when projected based on the number of households in the Maguindanao provinces. A positive conservation attitude and high knowledge increased the WTP for Philippine duck conservation. Females, pet owners, and those with higher income pledged a higher WTP than males, non-pet owners, and those with lower income. This study revealed that local residents are supportive of the conservation of the vulnerable duck populations by paying a considerable amount. These results are critical for designing and implementing outreach programs for increasing awareness and the acquisition of funds urgently needed for the protection and conservation of the remaining Philippine duck population in the area.

Information about the diversity of avifauna in urban green spaces in the Philippines needs to be more extensive. More so, data on birds in green spaces of the country’s Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) remain largely unreported. This gap highlights the need to document the avifaunal diversity in the urban green spaces of Cotabato City. Bird species were accounted for using the point count method from September to December 2021 in three different urban green spaces within the commercial center of Cotabato City. Twenty-one avian species representing 17 families were documented. Among the surveyed three green spaces within Cotabato City, Notre Dame University (NDU) has the highest species richness (N = 20), followed by PC Hill (N = 14), and Mother Barangay Rosary Heights (N = 9). Of the 21 species of birds documented, 19% are Philippine endemic, and all of these were recorded only at Notre Dame University. Data from the present study suggest the capacity of green spaces in urban Cotabato City to cater to different bird species, including the endemic ones. Since the results present preliminary data, intensive surveys can be done on these sites by future researchers. Also, surveying more urban green spaces in Cotabato City may add information on the city’s urban birds. Substantial data from these future surveys may be helpful in the urban planning of Cotabato.

Rivers are known to be the emitters of waste in the world’s oceans. Most of the top ten rivers that contribute to the waste in the world’s oceans are situated in the Philippines indicating poor solid waste management in the country. Studies focusing on the pro-environmental behaviors among the riverside communities in the country are very limited. Thus, this study investigates the factors affecting the intention to implement pro-environmental behaviors among the riverside communities along the Cotabato City rivers, Mindanao Island. This study utilizes the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model to determine the factors affecting the intention to implement pro-environmental behaviors (n = 387). Results showed that Attitude (ATT) and Subjective Norms (SN) have significant direct effects on the intention to implement pro-environmental behaviors among the respondents. Moderation analysis showed that gender has significant effects on the relationship between Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) and Intention (IN) to implement pro-environmental behaviors. The results of this study may provide insights into the policy design to promote and enhance the resident’s intention to implement pro-environmental behaviors for river conservation and protection. Extending the TPB model to assess other internal and external factors that may affect pro-environmental behaviors is recommended for future studies.

Plastic materials are one of the contributors to environmental problems. The detrimental effects of plastic pollution on the environment and human health are well established. Currently, the Philippines has been considered one of the countries which have high plastic loads which are mostly mismanaged. Although several measures and policies were already laid down, however, these were not properly implemented. Thus, determining the factors that may affect the proper implementation of pro-environmental policies is very important to mitigate the effects of plastic pollution. In this study, the factors affecting the intentions to implement the no-plastic policy among the junior high school students at Notre Dame University, Cotabato City were investigated. This study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and employs Structural Equation Model (SEM) to determine the factors affecting the intentions to implement a no-plastic policy. A total of 210 students were randomly surveyed in this study. Results showed that attitude (ATT) and subjective norms (SN) were found to have no significant direct effect on implementing the no-plastic policy. School administrators and policymakers should come up with plans and programs that may boost the students’ attitudes and subjective norms to improve their intention to implement a no-plastic policy. The conduct further studies to increase the number of respondents and inclusion of tertiary students will help to validate the results of this study.