By Johnny C. Nuñez / Philippines News Agency
LEGAZPI CITY—The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (Unesco) Fourth World Congress on Biosphere Reserve from March 14 to 18 this year in Lima, Peru, will deliberate on the nomination of Albay as a World Heritage Site.
As a declared Biosphere Reserve, Albay was nominated in 2014 to Unesco as a World Heritage Site, together with its other protected areas, particularly the Mayon Volcano National Park (MVNP), under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) program. The MVNP is now tentatively listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Albay Gov. Joey S. Salceda believes Unesco is “likely to consider the nomination,” since Albay’s strong points include its firm commitment to its ecosystems and biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development supported by scientific and institutionalized programs.
Albay has made sustainability as framework of its development programs, along with its firm commitment to protect its natural habitats, as evidenced by its increased forest cover to 44,891 hectares in 2010, from 28,298 hectares in 2003, or an 88-percent expansion.
The National Historical Commission has named four national cultural properties in Albay, namely, the 201-year-old Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga town, which is also recently declared as a National Cultural Treasure; the Nuestra Señora de Porteria Church also in Daraga; the Tabaco City Church; and the Pighulugan Cave in Misibis, Bacacay town, where artifacts dating back to 1,000 years of civilization were recovered.
The Lima deliberation will be participated in by the Unesco-MAB National Committees and experts directly involved in practical implementation of the biosphere reserve program.
Salceda said he believes Albay qualifies as a Unesco reserve, and that the world body recognizes the province’s deep commitment to protect its natural habitats through ecologically sustainable development initiatives. Working for the Unesco-MAB recognition has been a three-year labor of love by Albay on both culture and arts as heritage, and environment as biosphere reserve, the governor stressed.
As a Unesco-MAB biosphere reserve, Albay’s environment and ecology will be entitled to more protection, and is expected to bring more prestige to the province, which aims to achieve a sustainable balance between biological diversity conservation, economic development and maintaining associated cultural values.
Salceda also said the title will further enhance Albay’s tourism potential and economic growth. The province is now considered as one among the country’s fastest-growing tourist destinations. It was recently named as global “new frontiers destination” by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) after it won Pata’s 2015 CEO Challenge award.
He said Albay’s commitment to ecosystem and biodiversity conservation is clearly manifest, and the nomination echoes the province’s awareness of environmental threats to the natural ecosystems, along with its social and economic costs.
Recently, the Green Convergence Philippines, a coalition of networks and organizations in the country, has named Albay as its First Eco Champion, the first in the country’s 80 provinces to win the newly launched award, for its successful and effective environment policies and ecologically sound tourism program.
Albay’s biodiversity, particularly within the MMVNP area, has been the subject of many studies. The province is home to nearly 800 flora and fauna species, 137 of which are endemic. Some of them are vulnerable species and are included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Among them are the Philippine brown deer, Luzon bleeding heart, Philippine eagle-owl, Philippine warty pig and giant golden-crowned flying fox.