Isla Pulo is a long narrow island. It is surrounded by mudflats in Manila Bay. You are standing on the coast of Navotas. The Locale of Pulo is not far from here.
Isla Pulo also known as Pulo Island is a fascinating place. It is about 13 kilometers north of Manila. The island is a sitio in Barangay Tanza. A 500-meter bamboo bridge connects it to Navotas mainland.
The name Isla Pulo might seem a bit repetitive. In Filipino “pulo” already means island. So Isla Pulo literally means Island Island.
Isla Pulo is known for its mangroves. In fact it was declared a marine tree park. It is one of four ecotourism sites in Metro Manila. The National Ecotourism Strategy established it in 1999.
In 2014 Isla Pulo became home to a resettlement site. About 137 indigent families lived there. Most occupied the island’s southern tip.
Isla Pulo stretches along Manila Bay. It runs from the Tangos River mouth to Salambao village. Salambao marks the border with Obando Bulacan. The island lies near the Meycauayan River mouth. It is about 2.1 kilometers long. At its widest it is just 0.16 kilometers wide. Its area totals 29.47 hectares. At low tide intertidal mudflats join Isla Pulo to Navotas mainland.
Isla Pulo hosts Metro Manila’s remaining old-growth mangrove forest. The mangroves and mudflats provide sanctuary. Eleven migratory bird species visit here. These include Chinese egrets terns kingfishers gulls and plovers. The most common mangrove is Avicennia rumphiana called bungalon. Three crab species and 14 shellfish species also inhabit the island.
Until the 1980s Isla Pulo had long white sand beaches. It also featured thick mangrove vegetation. The ecology changed in the 1990s. Informal settlers arrived. The island became heavily polluted. Trash washed up from a nearby dumpsite. People cut down mangrove trees for charcoal. Many hunted the island’s fauna for food.
In 2014 a campaign started. It aimed to declare Isla Pulo a critical habitat. The goal was to protect the remaining mangroves. It also aimed to restore the island’s ecosystem.
By 2016 all informal settlers had been relocated. A waterbird census took place in January 2017. Bird sightings sharply increased to 11782. The previous year only 5302 birds were counted. This increase was attributed to less disturbance after the relocation.
Sitio Pulo also known as Tanza Marine Tree Park spans 26 hectares. It has a beachfront. Seventy migratory bird species live here. It has the oldest mangrove trees in Metro Manila. The wetlands provide a habitat. It is a feeding ground for diverse crustaceans and shellfish. The rare black-faced spoonbill also lives here. Freshwater bivalves and saltwater clams thrive. The mudflats serve as pit stops for birds.
Plastic pollution endangers the Park and its mudflats. The ongoing Navotas City Coastal Bay Reclamation Project threatens biodiversity. These projects put the Locale of Pulo at risk. It jeopardizes the surrounding flatlands.