The Calbayog Pan-as–Hayiban Protected Landscape, also known as the Calbayog Watershed, is a watershed and

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

located northwest of the city of

Calbayog Calbayog, officially the City of Calbayog ( war, Siyudad han Calbayog; fil, Lungsod ng Calbayog), is a 1st class component city in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 186,960 people. It lies ...

, Province of Samar in Oquendo District between Tinambacan District and San Isidro,

Northern Samar Northern Samar ( war, Amihanan Samar/Norte san Samar; tl, Hilagang Samar), officially the Province of Northern Samar, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas Regions of the Philippines, regio ...

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 a mountainous region in the Tanaoan Ridge within the Mount Zamal Range that divides the three provinces of

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

. The protected area extends along the valley of the Hayiban River, the primary source of water for the Calbayog Water District. It consists of old growth trees and a system of rivers, waterfalls and streams capable of generating 2,279 liters per day. It also contains the Pan-as Falls and surrounding landscape which also supplies hydroelectric power to the city. The area was declared a forest reserve in 1967 known as the Pan-as Falls–Hayiban Watershed Forest Reserve with a total area of . In 1998, through Proclamation No. 1158 issued by President

Fidel Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...

, the watershed was reclassified as a protected landscape. It is one of four protected areas in the island of Samar.

Description

The Pan-as–Hayiban protected area is one of 39 watersheds in the main island of Samar. It encompasses several

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

s in the mountainous northern interior of Oquendo District by Calbayog's border with Northern Samar province. The area is the location of all three sources of water supply for the Calbayog City Water District, namely Pan-as Falls in the barangay of Pilar, and Pasungon Falls and Himoni River in the adjacent barangay of Cabatuan. Pan-as Falls, situated some northwest of the Calbayog city proper with an elevation of above sea level, is one of the city's popular tourist attractions. It is surrounded by open canopy and residual forests with some areas of cultivation with brushes and grasslands. Ton-oc Falls in the barangay of Barral is also located within the watershed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calbayog Pan-as-Hayiban Protected Landscape Protected landscapes of the Philippines Geography of Samar (province) Calbayog Protected areas established in 1967 1967 establishments in the Philippines