Murcielagos Island Protected Landscape and Seascape in Labason, Zamboanga del Norte. Twin islets are rich in floral and faunal species.
Murcielagos Island Protected Landscape and Seascape were legislated as a protected area under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System by virtue of RA 11038 or the ENIPAS Act of 2018.
With a total area of 100.40 hectares, the protected area is composed of two islets – Bayangan and Baliudyong – located off the coast of Labason in Zamboanga del Norte.
Baliudyong is a mushroom-shaped rock island vegetated with naturally made bonsai trees, flowering vine grasses, balete, and other forest trees.
The sides of Baliudyong are curved with coves and cave-like openings. Cliffs and karst formations can be found in the inner part of Baliudyong.
Bayangan Island is surrounded by white sand with a unique tail-like shifting sandbar, formed through wave movement.
The sandbar serves as roosting and foraging ground for migratory shorebirds.
Flora
- Beach Pandan (Pandanus tectorius)
- Balok-balok (Scaevola taccada)
- Bantigue mangrove (Pemphis acidula)
Native plants that can be found on the island include
- balete,
- pandan,
- yoka,
- cacti,
- higayan,
- ipil-ipil,
- nigad,
- various beach forest species and seagrass.
The seldom-observed Bantigue mangrove can also be found in Murcielagos Island Protected Landscape and Seascape.
Fauna
- Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
- Giant Triton (Charonia tritonis)
- Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Considered among the critical wetlands in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Murcielagos Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (MIPLS) was identified as one of the monitoring sites for mid-winter bird count in Asia by the International Waterfowl Census and Wetland Research Bureau of Cambridge United Kingdom.
MIPLS hosts diverse marine ecosystems and boasts of exciting underwater sceneries ideal for snorkeling and diving.
The island residents rely primarily on fishing and earn by selling fish on the mainland. During peak fishing season, they also produce dried and salted fish.
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