Press Release December 16, 2021 Boost wildlife conservation and protection-- Sen. Villar TO strengthen the two-decades-old Wildlife Act to address the growing scale and sophistication of wildlife crimes, Senator Cynthia A. Villar sought for a Revised Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection. Villar, chairperson of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, sponsored Senate Bill No. 2465 or "An Act Strengthening the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Mechanism in the Philippines, Amending for this Purpose Republic Act No. 9147, Otherwise Known as the 'Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act'. "Strengthening wildlife protection is crucial to the Philippines, which is considered as one of the world's 17 megadiverse or biodiversity-rich countries, which collectively hosts two-thirds of the Earth's biodiversity and contain about 70 to 80 percent of the world's plant and animal species," stressed Villar in sponsoring the bill. She related that the Philippines harbors one of the highest concentrations of unique wildlife species in the world. "Yet, it is also a biodiversity hotspot with high levels of threats from habitat loss, invasive alien species (IAS), climate change, pollution, and overexploitation," also said the senator . "Thus, this calls for us to take action on the protection of our wildlife because any damage or loss will cost too much for us," she added. The senator, a known environment advocate, also cited the need to develop a more stringent legal framework, improve enforcement mechanisms, and strengthen inter-agency cooperation against illegal wildlife trade. "We need to give more "teeth" so to speak to existing policies and laws to help enforcement authorities also to apprehend violators. And that's what Senate Bill 2465 seeks to provide — to fortify the mechanisms in place to afford better protection to our wildlife resources," she emphasized. According to Villar, there is an evolution of wildlife crimes due to globalization. She said open borders and better transport infrastructure also permitted access of illegal wildlife trade syndicates to previously remote areas, while the internet gave unprecedented access to new markets. Villar said her proposed Revised Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection bill will provide the timely or relevant amendments to RA 9147. These include the following, among others:
"We owe it to the future generation to conserve and protect our wildlife resources. It is part of our duty to leave this world better than we found it. Let us make sure that the future generations will still actually encounter and co-exist with an abundance of plants and animals, and not just see them in old pictures, further stated the senator. ### _________________________________________ Palakasin ang wildlife conservation at protection-- Sen. Villar UPANG palakasin ang dalawang dekadang Wildlife Act para matugunan ang dumarami at makabagong wildlife crimes, isinusulong Ni Senator Cynthia A. Villar ang Revised Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection. Inisponsor ni Villar, chairperson ng Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, ang Senate Bill No. 2465 o ang "An Act Strengthening the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Mechanism in the Philippines, Amending for this Purpose Republic Act No. 9147, Otherwise Known as the 'Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act." "Strengthening wildlife protection is crucial to the Philippines, which is considered as one of the world's 17 megadiverse or biodiversity-rich countries, which collectively hosts two-thirds of the Earth's biodiversity and contain about 70 to 80 percent of the world's plant and animal species," giit ni Villar. Aniya, ang Pilipinas ay isa sa may pinaka- kakaibang wildlife species sa buong mundo. "Yet, it is also a biodiversity hotspot with high levels of threats from habitat loss, invasive alien species (IAS), climate change, pollution, and over exploitation," sabi pa ng senador. "Thus, this calls for us to take action on the protection of our wildlife because any damage or loss will cost too much for us," dagdag pa niya. Kilalang environment advocate, sinabi ng senador na kailangang magkaroon ng mas mahigpit na legal framework, pagandahin ang enforcement mechanisms at palakasin ang inter-agency cooperation laban sa illegal wildlife trade. "We need to give more "teeth" so to speak to existing policies and laws to help enforcement authorities also to apprehend violators. And that's what Senate Bill 2465 seeks to provide — to fortify the mechanisms in place to afford better protection to our wildlife resources," binigyan diin ni Villar. Ayon kay Villar, may evolution ng wildlife crimes dahil sa globalization. Sinabi rin niya na sanhi ng open borders at mas maayos na transport infrastructure, nagkakaroon ng access ang illegal wildlife trade syndicates sa mga dating malalayong lugar samantalang ang internet ang nagbigigay sa kanila ng access sa bagong merkado. Inihayag ni Villar na kailangan ang Revised Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection bill dahil magbibigay ito ng mahahalagang pagbabago sa RA 9147. Kabilang rito ang mga sumusunod:
"We owe it to the future generation to conserve and protect our wildlife resources. It is part of our duty to leave this world better than we found it. Let us make sure that the future generations will still actually encounter and co-exist with an abundance of plants and animals, and not just see them in old pictures," sabi pa ng senador. ### |
Wednesday, April 24
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