Pugad Island is a small densely populated island situated in Manila Bay and at the mouth of the Angat – Pampanga River Delta. The island is part of the municipality of Hagonoy, Bulacan. Once, mangrove forests and marshes were proximate in the area and then over time people converted them into fish ponds, which they utilize today in cultivating aquatic organisms such as clams, whiting fish and mussels. According to the latest national census, the island has a population of 1,636. [1]
Pulo ng Pugad | |
|---|---|
.svg)  Pugad Island Location in Luzon .svg) Pugad Island Location in the Philippines | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 14°46′03″N 120°44′32″E / 14.7676°N 120.7421°E |
| Adjacent to | Manila Bay Angat River |
| Area | 0.04 km2 (0.015 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Province | Bulacan |
| Municipality | Hagonoy |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1,636 (2020) |
| Pop. density | 40,900/km2 (105900/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Tagalog |
Natural Hazards and Disasters
editSituated in the overlap of two major river systems, flooding has become a norm especially during monsoon season. [2] Flood waters submerge the island during high tide and when heavy rainfall brought by typhoons, which causes the dams upstream to spill excess water. In 2023, three tropical cyclones resulted to major flooding in Pugad Island and in low-lying areas in Central Luzon. [3][4]
The frequent occurrence of flooding in the area are linked to urban and population expansion in the area, the decreasing area of mangrove forests, which buffered the island from tides and the threat of rising sea levels due to the melting of the ice sheets and climate change. [5]
A study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, in partnership with the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Santo Tomas presents various factors that hinder community resilience in small island communities in the Philippines, which includes limited resources and inadequate policies for the implementation of community-based disaster risk reduction and management. The findings of the report are gathered primarily from the responses and experiences of community leaders and residents of Pugad Island.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Philippine Standard Geographic Code – Pugad". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
- ^ Gozum, Iya (2 August 2023). "Hope Never Sinks in flooded Bulacan". Rappler. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
- ^ Ombay, Giselle. "Central Luzon areas flooded due to rains from Habagat enhanced by Egay, Falcon". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ Santos, Rudy; Cabrera, Romina. "Goring enters; Hanna enters Philippines today". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ Delano, James. "Sinking land and rising seas menace Manila Bay's coastal communities". Canada’s National Observer. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
- ^ Abenir, Mark Anthony; Manzanero, Lea Ivy; Bollettino, Vincenzo (January 14, 2022). "Community-based leadership in disaster resilience: The case of small island community in Hagonoy, Bulacan, Philippines" (PDF). International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 71 (March 2022). Bibcode:2022IJDRR..7102797A. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102797.