Diversity Assessment of Rafflesia mixta in Mainit, Surigao del Norte, CARAGA Region, Mindanao, Philippines

The Philippine Archipelago comprises more than 7100 islands, yet Rafflesia is only found in five of these
islands namely Luzon, Samar, Panay, Negros, and Mindanao Islands (Bascos et al., 2019). This paper aims to elicit
data relevant to the diversity and conservation status of Rafflesia mixta in Mainit, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.
The most recent comprehensive account of the morphological characters of Philippine Rafflesia was
presented by Barcelona et al. (2011), which included the 10 recognized species. Since 2013, two additional species
were described one of which is R. mixta (Barcelona et al. 2014). Rafflesia mixta is a narrow endemic, known only from
the Caraga Region of northeastern Mindanao, Philippines. Caraga is one of the regions in Mindanao blessed with
natural resources.
The municipality of Mainit, one of the component municipalities of Surigao del Norte, is one of the Key
Biodiversity Areas (KBA) in the Philippines, with it having the Lake Mainit, with unique biodiversity resources that are
at risk due to forest degradation and conversion of forested land to agriculture, shifting cultivation, and small-scale
mining activities (Demetillo et al.,2016). It contains one of the few remaining primary forests in the Philippines, making
it a priority conservation area and a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) within the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor
(EMBC). Forty percent of the terrestrial flora in lake Mainit KBA are Philippine endemic. Noteworthy is the discovery of
Rafflesia mixta, a new species of plant found in a secondary growth forest of Mainit, Surigao del Norte, in the Caraga
Region (Region XIII) of Mindanao.
In April 2009, during a resource assessment project that was part of the Ancestral Domain Sustainable
Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) for the Mamanwa (= Mamanua) tribe’s Certificate of Ancestral Domain
Title (CADT) application, a team led by Jerwin T. Resola and Catherine Mae Buctuan-Jandug discovered a new
population of Rafflesia in the mountains east of Mainit in Surigao del Norte Province (Barcelona et al., 2014). Further,
Barcelona et al. 2014 reinstated that morphological studies showed that these flowers are distinct from all presently
known Rafflesia species in several characters that traditionally have been used for species delimitation in this genus.
A species is considered endangered if it is threatened by a disturbance to the point where its population could
go extinct soon if the disturbance is not stopped. The majority of research looking at floral diversity's sampling location,
Mainit, found the highest number of severely endangered species there, including Rafflesia mixta (Seronay et al.,
2020). Rafflesia mixta species are primarily confined to the mountains east of Barangay Cantugas in Mainit. In the
study of Demetillo et al. (2016) in Barangay Cantugas, Mainit, there were about fourteen (14) individuals of Rafflesia
in the area, unlike any other areas of the Philippines that there are only a maximum of 3 individuals. The area flanks
the northeast side of Lake Mainit and is an important watershed of the municipality of Mainit. The habitat is a relatively
intact lowland evergreen forest on very steep slopes with loose soil.
With this significant number of R. mixta in Barangay Cantugas, Mainit, Surigao del Norte, the Local
Government Unit of Mainit have legislated a local conservation initiative placing Barangay Cantugas in the Strict
Protection Zone (SPZ) to ensure that the presence of threatened species of Rafflesia mixta is conserved. The presence
of activities which include timber poaching, kaingin, illegal logging, small-scale and large-scale mining, use of agro-
chemical fertilizers in rice paddies adjacent to the lake, settlement near the lake and unsustainable fishing practices
are currently threatening the sustainability of the Lake Mainit KBA’s ecological integrity (Seronay et al.,2020).
This paper focuses on the diversity and conservation status of Rafflesia mixta in Mainit, Surigao del Norte,
Philippines. Rafflesia, a rare and unique plan genus, is only found in five islands of the Philippines, including Mindanao,
where Mainit is located. The morphological characteristics of Philippine Rafflesia species, including R. mixta, were
extensively documented in a comprehensive study by Barcelona et al. (2011). R. mixta is a narrow endemic species
abundant in Caraga region.
The municipality of Mainit has been found to be a biodiversity hotspot for Rafflesia species as found in the
study of Demetillo et al. (2016) and Seronay et al. (2020) emphasizing its significance in the region and Mindanao as
a whole. Mainit is considered a Key Biodiveristy Area however it is at risk due to various anthropogenic activities such
as forest degradation, land conversion, shifting cultivation, small-scale mining, illegal logging, and timber poaching.
Due to threat posed by the aforementioned causes, the Local Government Unit of Mainit implemented a local
conservation initiative to safeguard the presence of endangered R. mixta species. Hence, these findings underscore
the urgent need for a wider sustainable conservation measure to protect R. mixta and the biodiversity of Mainit, Surigao
del Norte, from further degradation.
In conclusion, Caraga has been blessed with bountiful natural resources. The Municipality of Mainit has been
identified as a biodiversity hotspot for Rafflesia species, particularly R. mixta. However, the area is under threat from
various anthropogenic activities. To address this, the Local Government Unit of Mainit has took initiative to safeguard
R. mixta species and other flora species included in its biodiversity. Nevertheless, wider and more sustainable
measures are urgently needed to protect Rafflesia species and preserve the biodiversity of Mainit, Surigao del Norte.
Recommendation:
As per observation throughout the literature search, there is a low number of research concentrating on the
Rafflesia species in Caraga Region. The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources office, in coordination
with the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Council of the Philippines should conduct a
wide research initiative to biodiversity haven in Caraga region to identify more areas that has abundant species of
Rafflesia. Eventually, this will lead to amplified conservation of these floral species.

References:
Barcelona, J. F., Pelser, P. B., & Manting, M. M. E. (2014). Rafflesia mixta (Rafflesiaceae), a new species
from Surigao del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines. Phytotaxa Phytotaxa, 174(5), 272-278.
Bascos, E. M. A., Rodriguez, L. J. V., Duya, M. V., Fernando, E. S., & Ong, P. S. (2019). Philippine Rafflesia:
Emerging patterns in floral morphology and distribution. Flora, 257, 151409.
Demetillo, M. T., Lador, R. P., & Seronay, R. A. (2016). Floral Assessment in Lake Mainit Watershed, Caraga
Region, Mindanao Philippines. Annals of Studies in Science and Humanities, 1(2), 12-28.
King, C. (2020). The Search for Nepenthes: The Use of Species Distribution Modelling to Find High
Suitability Areas in the Philippines.

Occurrence of Threatened species in Lake Mainit Key Biodiversity Area: Basis for the Strict Protection Zone of the
Proposed Protected Area