Group lobbies for 11 protected areas bills

BORONGAN CITY, Philippines — Environment group Oceana, an international ocean conservation organization, is lobbying for Senate approval of bills that seek to establish 11 protected areas in the country.

Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana vice president, said the passage of the environment bills is needed to ensure the restoration and health of the country’s biodiversity.

“The passage of the bill declaring Panaon Island (in Southern Leyte) as a protected seascape is crucial for safeguarding our vastly threatened corals and marine ecosystems and requires management measures to address them,” Ramos said, referring to the bill passed by the House of Representatives in November.

Oceana has been prodding the Senate to make sure that the proposed protected areas in various parts of the country are reinforced under Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.

According to Ramos, the Senate approval of the bills will ensure that the Philippines would achieve the 30x30 biodiversity target based on world standards.

The biodiversity target – part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – ensures that at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water and marine areas, especially those of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed by year 2030.

“This goal is vital for reversing the alarming global decline in biodiversity,” Ramos said.

The Philippines is among six countries located within the Coral Triangle, the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, which is home to about 600 hard coral species and over 2,000 reef fishes.