(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
BMB reported that a total of 244 PAs covering more than seven million hectares have been either legislated or proclaimed in 2020, pursuant to Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas (E-NIPAS) Act of 2018.
DENR Assistant Secretary and concurrent BMB Director Ricardo Calderon said the importance of designating PAs could not be overstated.
“Without the legislated and proclaimed PAs in the Cagayan and Marikina River Basin, the devastation of typhoon Ulysses could have been worst for the wildlife and the communities dependent on these natural ecosystems,” he pointed out.
Calderon noted that each PA is guided by a science-based management plan, incorporating biodiversity assessment tools that identify appropriate management and conservation measures for flora and fauna and their habitats.