By Myris Lee
The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) declared five additional protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), bringing the total protected areas in the country at 112.
The five new areas considered as protected landscapes are Mt. Arayat in Pampanga, Mt. Pulag located on the triple border of the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya; Naga-Kabasalan in Zamboanga Sibugay, the Historical Tirad Pass in Ilocos Sur, and Banao in Kalinga.
“We welcome these recent developments in additional protected areas from our legislators. May this be the impetus of further environmental protection in more biologically important and related conservation areas,” DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna said.
DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Natividad Bernardino urged the people near the protected landscapes to help the DENR in their mission to preserve the areas.
“Our laws would be futile if people near these areas would violate them, so we urge those who live near these areas to help the DENR in its mission to conserve these sites for the benefit of their children and grandchildren,” Bernardino said
Meanwhile, the designations were signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on April 8, 2022 under Republic Act Nos. 11684, 11685, 11686, 11687 and 11688.
The law aims to protect the areas that are identified as portions of land and water that should be managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation. – gb
