Protected areas to get P5 million

CEBU, Philippines - The revenues generated from the resource user fees generated from 39 establishments that set up recreational, extractive, commercial, and other purposes within the protected areas in Central Visayas will go to the Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF), which will be managed by the IPAF governing board and the concerned Protected Area Management Board.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 has already collected nearly P9.7M as resource user fee from January to July 2011.

DENR-7 regional executive director Maximo Dichoso said the fund shall be disbursed solely for the protection, maintenance, administration and management of National Integrated Protected Area System.

In Cebu, it has collected resource user fees from the six protected areas.

The Tañon Strait Protected Seascape generated some P5.319 million, The Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Mactan has collected P191,683 from its admission fees; while the Camotes Island Mangroves Swamp Forest Reserve earned about P25,600.

The Bantayan Island Wilderness Area generated some P72,200 of resource user fee.

Protected area refers to identified portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance. It is being managed to enhance biological diversity and is protected against destructive human exploitation.

Dichoso said that DENR strictly monitors any development of land and other resources in a protected area.

It must not alter the landscape and shall not significantly disrupt the normal ecological functions and processes of those protected areas, he added.

Dichoso said resource user fee is paid for the sustainable commercial use of a specified quantity of resources within the protected areas over a specific period of time.

These commercial uses include admission fees for eco-tourism, wildlife sanctuary, and other recreational purposes such as production fees from film shooting and others.

Extraction of minerals such as sand quarry; copper, dolomite and other mineral mining activities; oil exploration and ports development and expansion are also some of the user fees sources. —(FREEMAN)