Give due recognition to 10 priority areas, gov’t urged

The Ecological Society of the Philippines urged the government to give due recognition and immediate attention to the 10 priority protected areas in the country. The list includes five terrestrial ecosystems, two wetlands, two marine ecosystems and one mixed ecosystems.

The priority protected areas cover four of the five major faunal regions in the country, which is divided into three categories: nature park, wildlife sanctuary and protected landscapes and seascape, Antonio M. Claparols, ESP president, said.

The 10 priority protected areas are: Batanes protected land and seascapes, Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Mangyan Heritage Natural Park, Apo Reef Marine Natural Park, Mt. Canlaon Natural Park, Siargao Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Kitanglad Natural Park, Mt. Apo Natural Park, Agusan Marsh Wildlife sanctuary and Turtle Island Marine Natural Park.

Claparols said these  priority protected areas occupy 1.25 million hectares with 746,000 hectares of area and 505,000 hectares of wetlands and water. It is larger than the 715,00 hectares (excluding Palawan as a wildlife sanctuary) reported by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) in 1990.

The NIPAS has also identified 10 other future sites. These are Mt. Malindang National Park, Bicol National Park, Mt. Isarog National Park, Mt. Palay Palay Mataas na Gulod National Park, Bulusan Lake National Park, Rajah Sikatuna National Park, Taklong Island Marine wildlife sanctuary, Bataan National Park, Malampaya Sound and Coron Island.