Mindanao Island Research Articles

Finding Yaws among Indigenous People: Lessons from Case Detection Surveys in Luzon and Visayas Island Groups of the Philippines.

Yaws is a chronic, highly contagious skin and bone infection caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue, usually affecting children in impoverished and remote communities. Yaws lesions have thick yellow crusts on pink papillomas that ulcerate and leave deep scars. Yaws cases were confirmed in the Liguasan Marsh, Mindanao Island group, Southern Philippines, in 2017, but there were no cases confirmed in the Luzon and Visayas Island groups. We aimed to detect at least one active or latent yaws case in the island groups of Luzon and Visayas. Active yaws surveillance was conducted by inviting healthcare providers to report yaws suspects. Five remote villages were included in the case detection surveys: three in Luzon and two in the Visayas Island groups. Two indigenous peoples communities were included: Aetas of Quezon and Dumagat/Remontados of Rizal provinces. Trained field personnel conducted free skin check-ups of children, household contacts, and community members. Yaws suspects underwent point-of-care serologic tests for T. pallidum and nontreponemal antibodies. A total of 239 participants were screened for skin diseases, and 103 had serologic tests. Only the Aetas of Quezon province, Luzon, had confirmed yaws cases. Nineteen cases (54.3%) were detected among 35 Aetas: five active yaws (four children, one adult), two latent yaws (adults), and 12 past yaws (1 child, 11 adults). An 8-year-old boy had yaws with skeletal deformities. We report the first yaws cases among the Aetas of Quezon, Luzon Island group. Active yaws surveillance and case detection in remote areas and among indigenous peoples should continue.

Cryptocoryne esquerionii (Araceae), a remarkable new species discovered by a citizen scientist in Zamboanga Peninsula, southwestern Philippines

A species new to science, Cryptocoryne esquerionii Naive & Wongso from the island of Mindanao is herein described and illustrated. It differs significantly from all other Cryptocoryne species by its yellow, colliculate spathe with a long acuminate apex. A detailed description, colour plates, phenology, geographical distribution information and a provisional conservation status are provided. The discovery of this new endemic species further highlights the importance of the citizen science in exploring and conserving the Philippine biodiversity.

Living with climate and state fragility in a “chaotic paradise:” securitizing livelihoods in the Philippines’ Cotabato River Basin

The Cotabato River Basin, located on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, holds paramount importance for local communities and the national economy. However, over the past few decades, the region has been severely affected by the consequences of climate change, such as flooding and drought, along with long-standing socio-political conflicts that threaten livelihood security. This article analyzes the interplay between livelihood security, climate fragility, and state fragility to foster a more meaningful understanding of the impacts arising from historical fragilities and conflicts. The study findings reveal five significant effects of these fragilities on security: persistent flooding, changes in land use, river siltation, drought impact, and uncertainties stemming from violent conflicts. Through a detailed analysis, the article elucidates how the frequent exposure to these events has compelled communities to adapt by perceiving threats to their livelihoods as uncontrollable, thereby normalizing fragilities as an inherent aspect of everyday life. The study underscores the importance of temporal awareness and cultural understanding to comprehend the complexities of fragilities and conflicts. Integrating such awareness and experience makes refining approaches to strengthen livelihoods and mitigate community vulnerabilities possible.

The contribution of non‐tropical cyclone vortices to the rainfall of the Philippines

AbstractWeaker disturbances than tropical cyclones (TCs) such as tropical depressions and cold surges can significantly induce heavy rainfall and flooding events over the Philippines. However, the analysis of these disturbances including their rainfall contributions are often neglected in previous studies. As the first attempt to address this research gap, this study investigates the rainfall contribution of non‐TC vortices over the Philippines from 1979 to 2020. Only those rainfall‐producing non‐TC vortices that formed and appeared within a 500‐km radius from the Philippine coastline were examined in this study. A total of 7,686 non‐TC vortex days (50% of the total days during the analysis period) were identified. The mean rainfall contribution of these non‐TC vortices was found to be highest over the northeastern Mindanao Island (80–90% of the mean daily rainfall) and lowest over the central and western regions of Luzon Island (50–60%). Seasonal analysis of the occurrence frequency of these vortices shows that they are most frequent during the December–February (DJF) season. In this season, the rainfall contribution may increase to 50–80% of the mean daily rainfall over the whole country, while in the other seasons, the rainfall contribution may only increase to as much as 60%. Higher frequency of extreme rainfall days associated with these non‐TC vortices were also found during the DJF season. The frequency of occurrence and percentage rainfall contribution of these non‐TC vortices in relation to the different phases of the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation (BSISO) during boreal summer (June–October) and the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) during boreal winter (December–April) were also examined. Higher frequency and percentage rainfall contribution over the country were found during Phases 4–6 of both the BSISO and MJO, during which their respective active convections transition from the Maritime Continent to the western North Pacific.

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Water Lilies (Nymphaea sp.) and Water Analysis in Lake Leonard and Lake PBCC, Mindanao Island, Philippines

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Water Lilies (Nymphaea sp.) and Water Analysis in Lake Leonard and Lake PBCC, Mindanao Island, Philippines

Rapid assessment of anurans of Panigan-Tamugan watershed, Davao City, Mindanao Island, Philippines

Rapid assessment of anurans of Panigan-Tamugan watershed, Davao City, Mindanao Island, Philippines

Neoephemeridae (Insecta, Ephemeroptera) of the Philippines and Insights on Southeast Asian biodiversity

Abstract A new mayfly species, Potamanthellus panayensis sp. n. (Neoephemeridae) is described from Panay Island, Philippines, based on nymphs. Supplementary nymphal description of P. caenoides (Ulmer, 1939) and a provisional description of another Potamanthellus species from Mindanao Island, Philippines are provided. The potential underestimated diversity of Potamanthellus in Southeast Asia is discussed in line with the species delimitation in this study based on COI sequences.

The mouse deer as a trickster in Philippine folktales

This study explores mouse deer folktales from the Philippines. In these tales, mouse deer, called pilanduk, appear as tricksters. This study aims to explore such folktales and investigate why these animals are depicted in this way. The research method involved material studies designed to collect folktales for analysis and collecting, reading, and examining the details of literature about animal folktales, especially folktales about mouse deer in the Philippines. Prior to the library research, fieldwork was conducted on Balabac Island in Palawan Province. Results indicate that mouse deer folktales exist among at least four Muslim and indigenous groups on Mindanao Island, although mouse deer are a species native to Balabac Island of Palawan Province. Five specific mouse deer folktales were examined. In each case, the mouse deer functioned as a trickster, killing others, ridiculing their misfortunes, and plundering marriages. This article examines the characteristics of these folktales and discusses why mouse deer appear in folktales of ethnic groups, mainly on Mindanao Island. Variant mouse deer folktales are also found in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is possible that mouse deer folktales came from Islamic communities in Southeast Asia and that they may show cultural norms among Muslim societies.

The Kagan folktales in Mindanao Island of the Philippines

This study investigates Kagan folktales to understand the culture present in oral literature. It utilized a descriptive method and ethnographic process in the study design. The collected folktales mirrored the following components of culture: 1) Social practices, i.e., Rido (family rivalries), use of gong and balao (musical instruments), wedding, use of native baskets, dowry system for courtship, slavery, use of malong (indigenous clothing). 2) Economic practices, like farming, fishing, and barter trading. 3) Political practices, including Datu and Sultanate systems. 4) Religious practices. The analysis shows that the folktales reflect the life and works of the Kagan in Pantukan municipality, Davao de Oro, and Lupon municipality, Davao Oriental, of Mindanao Island of the Philippines. The cultural role of folktales is getting diluted in the Philippines. However, this study found that folktales have a serious purpose of preserving, developing, and sustaining indigenous culture for a better future. In conclusion, the Kagan and their folktales reveal the transcendence of folk beliefs, customs, and traditions to benefit their culture in an acculturated society today.

Anurans of select green spaces of Davao City, Mindanao Island, Philippines

Abstract. Delima-Baron EM, Ruales CAS, Tripole C. Tagoon MDT, Susulan TB. 2022. Anurans of select green spaces of Davao City, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Biodiversitas 23: 4810-4815. Data on anurans in green spaces, especially in highly urbanized cities, including Davao, is still very limited. We present for the first time a checklist of anuran species from six green spaces of Davao City previously not surveyed for anuran data. Anurans were documented from January to April 2019 using visual encounter techniques coupled with microhabitat searches on several nocturnal surveys. Eighteen species representing seven families were recorded. Three endemic species: Pelophryne brevipes, Fejervarya moodiei, and F. vittigera, were added to the current list of anurans known from green spaces of Davao City, bringing the total known species for Davao City to 23. Thirteen of the species recorded are endemic. Two species under the Near Threatened category of IUCN, Limnonectes magnus and Sanguirana everetti, were also documented. The study also accounted for four invasive species: Rhinella marina, Eleutherodactylus planirostris, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus, and Kaloula pulchra. However, these species were encountered only in sites with artificial structures nearby, prominent noise, and has less heterogeneous vegetation. Data adds to the limited account of anurans in Davao City’s green spaces. Adding more species also implies that the list of anurans from Davao City’s green spaces is far from complete. Exploration of other green spaces available in the city is necessary to fully understand anuran species composition and the value of green spaces to the persistence of this taxon even in highly urbanized areas.

Two new endemic species of blueberry (Vaccinium L., Ericaceae) from Luzon and Mindanao islands, Philippines

Two new species of Vaccinium from the Philippines are described and illustrated from historical herbarium collections. Vaccinium burburan from Luzon Island, Northern Philippines is morphologically similar to V. tenuipes, but is distinguished by having shorter petioles, pedicels and corolla, adaxially pubescent leaf blades with cordate base, apically pubescent corollas, and pubescent filaments throughout. It is only one of two species of Vaccinium in the Philippines known to have a cordate leaf blade base. Vaccinium burburan is considered critically endangered. Vaccinium jubatum from Mindanao Island, Southern Philippines, is morphologically similar to V. sylvaticum, but is distinguished by having a dentate leaf blade margin, shorter inflorescences and pedicels, a glabrous calyx, and shorter filaments. The dentate leaf blade margin of V. jubatum uniquely distinguishes it from other Philippine Vaccinium species. The conservation status of V. jubatum is considered data deficient. These discoveries further increase the current number of known Vaccinium species in the Philippines to 40.

Masturbation in a Free-ranging Male Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis (Raffles, 1821) on Mindanao Island, Philippines

Long-tailed macaques in the Philippines are understudied in terms of ecology and behavior, which includes their sexual behaviors, in their natural habitats. Masturbation is a natural, auto-erotic behavior rarely observed in the wild in most non-human primates. In this paper, we report an act of masturbation by a free-ranging male long-tailed macaque in a beach forest at an eco-tourism site in Tagum City, Mindanao Island, Philippines. The masturbation was performed by a sub-adult male resting on the handrail of a wooden staircase. A few seconds after masturbation, ejaculation was achieved. Although more detailed observations are needed, it is likely that limited access to female mates contributed to the male’s self-stimulation. This further calls for more scientific explorations on reproductive and non-reproductive sexual behaviors of long-tailed macaques in the wild. Moreover, this can be crucial for conservation purposes such as its application to the non-invasive collection of semen samples in wild populations.

A new species of the genus Synommatus Wollaston, 1873 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from the Philippines

Synommatus leleji sp. n. is described and illustrated from the Philippines (Mindanao Island). The new species differs from other species of the genus in the suboval elytra with rounded sides, rugose-punctate pronotum, and the rostrum subequal to pronotum length. A key and distribution map for species of the genus Synommatus are given. It is the first record of the genus Synommatus from the Philippines.

Turizm Coğrafyası Perspektifinden Mindanao Adasının Güney Turizm Bölgeleri

Mindanao, Filipinler’in ikinci en büyük ve kalabalık nüfuslu adasıdır. Görkemli şelaleleriyle, ürkütücü volkanlarıyla, ıssız tropikal plajlarıyla, yoğun yağmur ormanlarıyla ve benzersiz doğal koruma alanlarıyla dikkat çeken Mindanao, Türkiye’den gelen turistlerin en az ziyaret ettikleri ve en az bilgi sahibi oldukları Filipin adasıdır. Dünyanın en büyük ve en yoğun nüfuslu adalarından biri olan Mindanao, dört denize kıyısı olan Filipinlerin en güney büyük adasıdır. Dünyanın en kalabalık nüfuslu yedinci adası olan Mindanao, aynı zamanda da en çok Müslüman kökenli nüfus barındıran Filipinler adasıdır. Turistik rehber özelliklerini taşıyan bu bölgesel coğrafya çalışmasının öncelikli amacı, bu adayı ziyaret eden yatırımcılara, öğrencilere, bilim uzmanlarına, iş adamlarına ve turistlere detaylı coğrafi ve turizm bilgiler sunması ve her bir bölgenin bir yandan coğrafi ve turizm potansiyelini, diğer yandan da kültürel turistik mekânlarını ve doğal turizm çekiciliklerini tanıtmasıdır. Çalışmada Davao, Zamboanga, General Santos, Cotabato, Mati City ve Pagadian yani toplam 6 bölgenin coğrafi özellikleri, turizm merkezleri ve turizm potansiyelleri irdelenmiştir. Mindanao adasının güney kesimlerinde yer alan bu turizm bölgelerinin irdelenmesiyle, çalışmada adanın sadece yarısının incelendiği anlaşılmaktadır. Türkiye’de yapılan bilimsel araştırmalar arasında, büyük bir tropikal adanın çok boyutlu turizm portresi farklı coğrafi bölgeleri kapsayacak şekilde detaylı irdelenmediği için Güney Mindanao olarak ele alınan bu çalışmanın, ülkemizde ilk kez kaleme alınan araştırma örneği olduğu söylenilebilir. Mindanao adasının güney bölgelerinin coğrafi ve turizm potansiyeli ile ilgili Türkiye’de detaylı bir araştırma olmadığına göre, bu çalışma ile önemli bir bilgi boşluğunun doldurulması beklenmektedir.

The Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) of the Philippines. Part 2. Two new species of the genus Gauromaia Pascoe, 1866 (Cnodalonini) from Mindanao Island.

In the present contribution two new species of the genus Gauromaia (Tenebrionidae: Cnodalonini), namely G. ruffordi sp. nov. and G. kitangladensis sp. nov. from the island of Mindanao (Philippines) are described and illustrated.

A new genus and species of shrew-like mouse (Rodentia: Muridae) from a new center of endemism in eastern Mindanao, Philippines.

The Philippine archipelago hosts an exceptional diversity of murid rodents that have diversified following several independent colonization events. Here, we report the discovery of a new species of rodent from Mt. Kampalili on eastern Mindanao Island. Molecular and craniodental analyses reveal this species as a member of a Philippine "New Endemic" clade consisting of Tarsomys, Limnomys, and Rattus everetti (tribe Rattini). This new species of "shrew-mouse" is easily distinguished from its relatives in both craniodental and external characteristics including a long, narrow snout; small eyes and ears; short, dark, dense fur dorsally and ventrally; stout body with a tapering, visibly haired tail shorter than head and body length; stout forepaws; bulbous and nearly smooth braincase; narrow, tapering rostrum; short incisive foramina; slender mandible; and narrow, slightly opisthodont incisors. This new genus and species of murid rodent illustrates that murids of the tribe Rattini have exhibited greater species and morphological diversification within the Philippines than previously known and provides evidence that Mt. Kampalili represents a previously unrecognized center of mammalian endemism on Mindanao Island that is deserving of conservation action.

Pachyrhynchus panumanon sp.nov., a new species of easter egg weevil (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini) from Northern Mindanao, Philippines

A new species of easter egg weevil belonging to the Pachyrhynchus speciosus group from Misamis Oriental, Mindanao Island, Philippines is described with brief notes on its ecology and behavior.

First Record of the Goby Lentipes armatus Sakai and Nakamura, 1979 (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in the Amburayan River in Benguet, Luzon Island, Philippines

A species of goby, Lentipes armatus Sakai and Nakamura 1979, described as endemic to the Ryukyu Islands in Japan was recently discovered in the Amburayan River in Benguet, Luzon Island, Philippines. Lentipes armatus has been identified based on photographic and actual specimens from landed catch surveys in Atok, Kapangan, and Kibungan in the Province of Benguet. Morphological features, morphometric characters, and meristic counts of the collected specimens of the local population match those reported in the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Moreover, genetic studies of the species confirmed its identification as L. armatus. Samples for the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysis and identification of this species were collected from the Amburayan River traversing the Municipalities of Atok, Kapangan, and Kibungan in the Province of Benguet. Therefore, the specimen described herein constitutes the first record of the species in the Cordillera. Furthermore, the occurrence of the L. armatus in the Amburayan River in the Cordillera, northern part of the Philippines, suggests its possible range expansion. The first record of the L. armatus in the Philippines was reported from the Taguibao River upstream of Sitio Bongodman (proper), in the east end of Ancicala, Province of Agusan del Norte, Mindanao Island. With this, it may also propose that the L. armatus is an indigenous fish species in the country, particularly thriving in the Amburayan River, Benguet and Taguibao River, Agusan del Norte, Philippines.

Rare or Simply Overlooked? New Records of Pediacus ater Grouvelle, 1897 from the Philippines, with Notes on Phenology and Diversity of its Flat Bark Beetle Fauna (Coleoptera: Cucujidae)

The flat bark beetle (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) fauna of the Philippines consists of two species of Pediacus Shuckard, 1839: Pediacus ater Grouvelle, 1897 and Pediacus australis Marris and Ślipiński, 2004. Very few literature data records exist, showing P. ater recorded from two specimens from one locality on Mindanao Island, and P. australis known from a single specimen on Luzon Island. New distributional data for P. ater in the Philippines are provided, including the first records from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Lanao del Sur Province), Soccsksargen Region (South Cotabato Province), and Central Visayas Region (Negros Oriental Province). These records show a much wider distribution for P. ater than was previously known and indicate that the species is widely distributed, at least in central and southern regions of the Philippines. Phenological activity of the species is discussed for the first time. A map with locality records for both cucujid species from the Philippines is given as well as morphological diagnostic information to discriminate the species.

Who texts what to whom and when? Patterning of texting in four multilingual minoritized language communities and a preliminary proposal for the language repertoire matrix

Abstract Though computer mediated communication has been widely studied, private messaging in minoritized languages (many without standardized orthographies) is an area of minimal research. This article looks at texting in four multilingual language communities: Maguindanaon (Philippines), Sebuyau (Malaysia), Mamaindê (Brazil) and Marubo (Brazil). The majority of the data comes from the Maguindanao case study, an Austronesian language spoken by over one million speakers in the Maguindanao province of Mindanao Island. Based on this preliminary data, an initial framework with which to understand the language choices for digital messaging in such societies is proposed. The broader implications of this study are its insights into the variable patterning of texting in minority languages in general, providing a baseline for future work in this area. This preliminary study suggests that the texting repertoires of minority language communities are found to pattern after their parallel repertoires of either orality or literacy. These patterns are collectively referred to as the “Language Repertoire Matrix”. The variable that distinguishes one texting repertoire from another is the language(s) used for intra-group texting: minority (L1), majority (L2), or minority + majority (L1 + L2) languages. We propose that the choice of employing either the orality or literacy repertoires for intra-group texting demonstrates the underlying function of such texting within that society. The conclusion offers some suggestions on how these insights might apply to the field of minority language development.