Press Release
January 14, 2022

Villar vows to push for more protected areas in the PH

SEN. Cynthia A. Villar has committed to pursue more legislations in the Upper Chamber in order to protect more forest lands and secure more protected areas (PAs) in the country.

As chairperson of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, she led last January 11, the Senate hearing on bills seeking to declare the Tugbo Natural Biotic Area in Masbate as a protected area, and to reclassify into an agricultural land a portion of the Mangabul Forest Reserve in Bayambang, Pangasinan.

"The Tugbo Natural Biotic Area, under consideration today, is the seventh (7th) protected area we hope to pass within this 18th Congress," said Villar during the hearing.

Located in Masbate City and the Municipality of Mobo in Masbate, she said the Tugbo Natural Biotic Area serves as the primary water source of the said LGUs, and is home to various endemic flora and fauna, including vulnerable wild bird species.

On the other hand, Villar said the proposed conversion of a portion of the Mangabul Forest Reserve as an alienable and disposable land will "promote social justice" as it will benefit the long-term farmer-occupants of the area.

"It will also be for "setting things right" for farmers who have been occupying the area for a long time," she emphasized.

"We aim to strike a balance between affording social justice and the conservation and the restoration of our forest ecosystem," She added.

Villar pushed for the passage of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (E-NIPAS) Act of 2018, which strengthened the legal framework for the establishment, management and maintenance of all designated protected areas in the country or those that are identified to be ecologically rich and biologically important public lands.

The said law is a landmark because it facilitated the legislation of ninety four (94) more protected areas or PAs, in addition to the 13 PAs individually legislated under the operation of the original NIPAS law.

"It brought the country's total legislated protected areas to one hundred seven (107) or a total of 4,382,568.69 hectares. However, while 107 is already a staggering number, based on the records and suitability assessments by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of DENR, there are still numerous sites in the country that have yet to be given "protected area" status by legislative action, in order to ensure their conservation," related Villar.

This is the reason why in this present 18th Congress, the senator said they have already so far passed bills covering five (5) more protected areas under the ENIPAS and the bills are now to be transmitted to the Office of the President for approval and enactment.

These refer to the following protected areas: Mt. Pulag Protected Landscape in Benguet, the Banao Protected Landscape in Kalinga Province; the Tirad Pass Protected Landscape in Ilocos Sur; the Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape in Pampanga and the Naga-Kabasalan Protected Landscape in Zamboanga Sibugay. A sixth (6th) bill, the Sicogon Island Wildlife Sanctuary bill, is pending second reading in the Senate plenary.

"We hope to pass it also on 3rd reading upon the resumption of session next week," further stated Villar.

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Villar, tiniyak na isusulong ang karagdagang protected areas sa PH

NANGAKO si Sen. Cynthia A. Villar na isusulong sa Upper Chamber ang karagdagang legislations upang protektahan ang mas maraming forest lands at ma-secure ang mas maraming protected areas (PAs) sa bansa.

Bilang chairperson ng Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, pinangunahan ni Villar noong January 11, ang pagdinig sa bills para madeklarang protected area ang Tugbo Natural Biotic Area sa Masbate at ma-reclassify na agricultural land ang bahagi ng Mangabul Forest Reserve sa Bayambang, Pangasinan.

"The Tugbo Natural Biotic Area, under consideration today, is the seventh (7th) protected area we hope to pass within this 18th Congress," ani Villar sa pagdinig.

Matatagpuan sa Masbate City at ng Mobo sa Masbate, sinabi niyang ang Tugbo Natural Biotic Area ang pangunahing kukunan ng tubig sa mga naturang LGUs. Tirahan din ito ng mga endemic flora at fauna, kabilang ang vulnerable wild bird species.

Sa kabilang dako, sinabi ni Villar na ang panukalang konbersyon ng bahagi ng Mangabul Forest Reserve bilang 'alienable at disposable land' ay magsusulong sa social justice dahil mabibiyayaan nito ang long-term farmer-occupants ng lugar.

"It will also be for "setting things right" for farmers who have been occupying the area for a long time," giit niya.

"We aim to strike a balance between affording social justice and the conservation and the restoration of our forest ecosystem," dagdag pa niya.

Itinulak ni Villar ang pagsasabatas sa Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (E-NIPAS) Act of 2018 na nagpapalakas sa legal framework sa pagtatayo, pangangasiwa at pagpapanatili sa lahat ng designated protected areas sa bansa na 'ecologically rich and biologically important public lands.'

Ikinokonsidera ni Villar na 'landmark' ang batas dahil legislation ng 94) pang protected areas o PAs, bukod sa karagdagang individually legislated 13 PAs sa ilalim ng operasyon ng orihinal na NIPAS law.

"It brought the country's total legislated protected areas to one hundred seven (107) or a total of 4,382,568.69 hectares. However, while 107 is already a staggering number, based on the records and suitability assessments by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of DENR, there are still numerous sites in the country that have yet to be given "protected area" status by legislative action, in order to ensure their conservation," pahayag ni Villar.

Aniya, ito ang dahilan kung bakit sa 18th Congress, naipasa na nila ang the senator ang limang bills na sumasakop sa lima pang protected areas sa ilalim ng ENIPAS. Naipasa na ang mga ito sa Office of the President para sa approval at enactment.

Tinutukoy dito ang mga sumusunod na protected areas: Mt. Pulag Protected Landscape sa Benguet, Banao Protected Landscape sa Kalinga Province; Tirad Pass Protected Landscape sa Ilocos Sur; Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape sa Pampanga at Naga-Kabasalan Protected Landscape sa Zamboanga Sibugay. Nasa second reading pa sa Senate plenary ang pang anim na bill- ang Sicogon Island Wildlife Sanctuary bill.

"We hope to pass it also on 3rd reading upon the resumption of session next week," dagdag pa ni Villar.

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