EFFORTS to conserve biodiversity continue to get a big boost with the selection of and proclamation of more protected areas in 2007.

Environment  Secretary Lito Atienza said from 103 in 2006, there are now 107 proclaimed protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas), covering a total of 3.34 million hectares, citing a year-end report of the Department of Government and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) headed by Director Mundita Lim.

Atienza said the proclamation of more protected areas would mean a bigger chance for all life forms in nature to flourish, thus providing for the basic needs and protection of future generations.

“Conserving biodiversity through declaring protected areas is just one of the ways of attaining sustainable development of our natural resources,” he said.

Atienza said protected areas under the Nipas were selected from a variety of sites from within Metro Manila to Mindanao.

Protected areas are identified portions of land and water set aside by reasons of their unique physical and biological significance.

These include national parks, natural parks, marine parks, marine reserves, game refuge and bird sanctuaries, wilderness areas, watershed- forest reserves, mangrove swamps, protected landscapes/seascapes, natural monuments/landmarks, resource reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and natural biotic areas.

During the past year, the DENR had worked for the issuance of proclamations of four protected areas covering 19,829.13 hectares. These are the Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park in Misamis Oriental, Mount Inayawan Natural Park in Lanao del Norte, Kalbario-Patapat Natural Park in Ilocos Norte and  Mount Palay-Palay Mataas na Gulod Protected Landscape in Cavite.

It had likewise facilitated the approval of Republic Act 9494 establishing the Mimbilisan Protected Landscape in the municipalities of Balingoan and Talisayan, Misamis Oriental, and Republic Act 9486 establishing the Central Cebu Protected Landscape.

The Central Cebu Protected Landscape includes the Buhisan Watershed Forest Reserve, the Mananga Watershed Forest Reserve, the Sudlon National Park, the Central Cebu National Park and the Kotkot-Lusaran Watershed Forest Reserve situated in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Toledo and Danao and in the municipalities of Minglanilla, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Balamban, Cebu.

The DENR has also set in motion other significant initiatives to conserve the country’s wildlife resources, notably the facilitation of the signing of Presidential Proclamation 1412,  Establishing a Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area within the Coastal Lagoon of Las Piñas and Parañaque.

The proclamation is a major breakthrough in the implementation of the Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy and a big stride in the protection and conservation of mangrove and avi-faunal resources.

The department has solicited P100,000 from boxing champ Manny Pacquiao for the Philippine Eagle Foundation to help protect the endangered Philippine Eagle.

As part of its Avian Influenza Protection Program, the DENR has monitored 189 wetlands frequented by migratory birds to ensure quick response and containment in case of the incidence of bird flu.

Among the priority list of wetland areas that were closely monitored by DENR wildlife officers were Naujan Lake in Oriental Mindoro, Candaba Swamp in Pampanga, Liguasan Marsh in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato, Agusan Marsh in Eastern Mindanao and the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu.

For the proper management of the country’s coastal and marine ecosystem, the department has assessed 73 coastal and marine areas through the conduct of Participatory Coastal Resource Assessment. The output of the assessment serves as the basis in preparing the Coastal Resource Management Plan.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Camiguin Gov. Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo for the implementation of the P116-million Camiguin Coastal Resource Management Project (CCRMP) was likewise forged in the past year.

The MOA was signed by Environment Secretary Atienza, New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Pine and Camiguin Gov. Romualdo.

The multimillion-peso coastal project will promote the Camiguin CCRMP which aims to enhance sustainable fish harvest and coastal-resource conservation and management.

The CCRMP is a technical-assistance grant provided by the New Zealand Aid to the government of the Philippines through the DENR, and will be managed by Tetra Tech Em Inc.-Philippines.

The DENR had further moved to strengthen the protection of marine sanctuaries all over the country through the National Congress on Sustainable Financing and Marine Protected Area (MPA) and the Coastal Zone Philippines 2 Summit, which was held on October 27 and 28 at the Punta Villa Resort in Iloilo City.

Seven MPAs vied for the outstanding MPA Awards, a recognition given to communities with commanding MPA management performance facilitated by the Marine Protected Areas Support Network (MSN) and sanctioned by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development. 

The DENR was represented in the MSN by the PAWB.

The Handumon/Libaon Marine Sanctuary in Getafe, Bohol won 1st place; Sagay Marine Reserve in Negros Occidental won 2nd place; and the Twin Rocks Fish Sanctuary in Mabini, Batangas won 3rd place.

It has started implementing the Integrated Coastal Resource Management Project (ICRMP) with funding assistance of $62.32 million from the Asian Development Bank. It will be implemented in six priority marine-biodiversity corridors and ecosystems covering 68 municipalities in the provinces of Cagayan, Cebu, Davao Oriental, Masbate, Siquijor and Zambales.

The ICRMP aims to develop not only livelihood for coastal residents but also help in mitigating the effects of global warming.

TAGUM CITY—President Arroyo said the country’s economy is in a “path of permanent growth and stability” and believed that people “are now feeling the blessings of development.”

AS an offshoot of the exposé made by Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada in connection with the canceled ZTE-national broadband network (NBN) project, civil-society groups on Monday called for the creation of a civil-society-led debt-audit commission to look into government projects and ensure public accountability in connection with all transactions involving public funds.

EFFORTS to conserve biodiversity continue to get a big boost with the selection of and proclamation of more protected areas in 2007.

TAGUM CITY—President Arroyo said she would direct the military to form an “investment defense force” to provide a wider security shield to businesses located in the countryside.

DAVAO CITY—The Davao region received P9.18 billion in investments last year, the biggest of which were poured into generation of hydroelectric power and into processing of iron and steel.

ATTRIBUTING the lower-than-previous net income to its debt load, TeaM Energy Corp., the new owner of Mirant Philippines’ assets, said it posted a net income of $25 million last year, down from $200 million during the previous year.