Villar pushes for more protected areas under NIPAS law

Senator Cynthia Villar has filed five bills to include additional protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) to ensure their management, protection and funding.

The chair of the Senate environment and natural resources commitee said the NIPAS Act declared it is the policy of the State “to secure for the Filipino people of present and future generations the perpetual existence of all native plants and animals through the establishment of comprehensive system of integrated protected areas.”

The system, Villar said, shall encompass ecologically rich, unique and biologically important areas that are habitats of threatened species of plants and animals, biographic zones and related ecosystem, whether terrestial, wetland or marine.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rythm and harmony of nature.

In line witn safeguarding a healthful ecology, the Constitution likewise provides that Congress shall determine the national parks, which shall be conserved and may not be increased nor diminished except by law.

At pressent, Villar related there are 107 protected areas in the country that have been so declared through legislation.

However, based on the records and suitability assessments by the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, she pointed out there are still numerous sites in the country which necessitate ‘protected area’ status.

NIPAS was established by virtue of RA 7586, as amended by RA 11038, known as the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)