The Bugang River is a river situated in the northwest of
Panay
Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...
island in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It is located in municipality of
Pandan, Antique
Pandan, officially the Municipality of Pandan ( krj, Banwa kang Pandan; hil, Banwa sang Pandan; Aklanon: ''Banwa it Pandan''; tl, Bayan ng Pandan), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
which is noted for its distinction as the "Cleanest Inland Body of Water" in the country.
Topography
The Bugang River entirely traverses
Pandan town of
Antique province. It has a length of Its headspring is deep.
The river originates from around the area of the
Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park
The Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park is located on the island of Panay, in the provinces of Aklan and Antique of the Philippines which was proclaimed a natural park by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on 18 April 2002 (Presidential Proclam ...
From upstream to Pandan Bay where it converges, the Bugang flows along the barangays Candari, Santo Rosario, Guia, Zaldivar and Mag-aba.
During the
summer season, water levels of the river temporarily decreases.
Fauna
Thirty-eight species of fish belonging to 30
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
and 20
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
were recorded in a November 2013 to March 2014 survey of the Bugang River. ''
Eleotridae
Eleotridae is a family of fish commonly known as sleeper gobies, with about 34 genera and 180 species. Most species are found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, but there are also species in subtropical and temperate regions, warmer parts of th ...
'' is the most dominant family with six species while ''
Gobiidae
Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the ...
'' is the second most dominant with four species.
Tourism
The river serves as a primary tourist destination of the town of
Pandan,
Antique. The Malumpati Cold Spring Resort, which is situated in the upper portions of the river near the headspring is the main tourist destination of
Pandan town.
Environmental conservation
Efforts to keep the river clean despite exploiting it for tourism has received recognition in both the national and international level. The river received a Hall of Fame award as part of the national government's Cleanest Inland Body of Water competition.
The United Kingdom-based The Green Organization recognized the Bugang Community-Based Eco-Tourism Organization (BCBTO) at the Green Environment Apple Awards in 2006 for their campaign to preserve the river. The BCBTO conducts information drives regarding the river's preservation as well as monthly cleanups of the river. The organization also campaigned for the prohibition of maintaining pigpens along the riverside and swimming at the river's headspring.
The 16th Congress of the
Philippine Senate
The Senate of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Senado ng Pilipinas'', also ''Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas'' or "upper chamber") is the upper house of Congress of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines with the House of Representatives a ...
commended the local government and community of Pandan in a September 2014 resolution for their conservation efforts which made the river the "Cleanest Inland Body of Water" in the country and cited their case a successful model for community-based
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
.
References
Rivers of the Philippines
Landforms of Antique (province)
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