Area

• 413,745 hectares

Location

•  Philippines

General Description

• TBPPS is one of the marine biodiversity corridors of the Philippines and the largest fishing ground in the Bicol region. It was established as a nationally protected area under RA No. 11038 known as “Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act of 2018. 
• The area serves as habitat to ecologically rich and biologically important species within its coverage of 413,745 hectares in the provinces of Masbate, Sorsogon, Albay, and Camarines Sur in the Bicol region.

• TBPPS is considered the second largest protected area in the Philippines next to Tañon Strait in Negros and Cebu. It possesses different ecosystems such as mangrove forest, seagrass beds, and coral reefs that house abundant flora and fauna species.  
• The mangrove ecosystem in TBPPS is composed of 51 species of true mangroves and its associates. At least two species are under the threatened category of the IUCN Red List, i.e., Gapas-gapas (Camptostemon philippinensis) is endangered, Piapi (Avicennia lanata) is vulnerable while two, Saging-saging (Aegiceras floridum) and Baras-baras (Ceriops decandra), are near threatened status. 
• The seagrass ecosystem, which is composed of 10 seagrass species, covers 5,319 hectares. The coral reef area covers an area of 8,316 hectares, with at least 12 species observed, one of which has a threat status as vulnerable (i.e., Yellow Scroll coral, Turbinaria sp.). Since TBPPS has a component, it also has a rich beach forest flora and terrestrial fauna (117 species) 
• TBPPS is reported to host 134 marine fauna species, which include several threatened species such as marine mammals  (dolphins and dugong), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), green sea turtle/karahan (Chelonia mydas), leatherback turtle/Balimbingan (Dermochelys coriacea), olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), and loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta); whale shark/butanding (Rhincodon typus), mantas/devil rays (Mobulid sp.), scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus),  hump-head wrasse/maming (Cheilinus undulatus), and giant clams (Tridacna gigas).

Primary Threats

• Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated fishing activities 
• Degradation of habitats and habitat conversion

• The ethnic tribe known as “Agta-Tabangnon” is documented residing in the municipalities of Pilar and Donsol, two of the municipalities of Sorsogon. 
• Agta households are organised into tribal communities, each headed by a tribal chieftain and a tribal council. Tribal chieftains select among themselves a municipal tribal chieftain to coordinate with the Municipal Local Government Unit on various matters affecting them.