GMA signs EO establishing biodiversity policy

ISLA VERDE, Batangas City — President Arroyo signed here yesterday an executive order establishing the National Policy on Biological Diversity and prescribing its implementation by all government agencies.

Mrs. Arroyo signed the unnumbered EO at the National Biodiversity Summit attended by 300 participants from government agencies, local governments, private firms, members of academe and non-government organizations (NGOs), which was held in what is considered by the international scientific community as the "center of the center "of marine biodiversity for having the largest number of marine shorefish species in the world.

She also declared the Verde Island Passage, located between Batangas and Mindoro, a marine sanctuary and a national protected area.

"We can only continue to be tops in terrestrial and marine wealth if we care for our resources, use them prudently and alleviate the poverty that forces people to exploit them mindlessly," the President said.

"We aim for the day when no Filipino will have to burn the forest or poison the waters to earn his keep or feed his family," she said.

She said expanding the economy to create jobs and livelihood opportunities is one of the best ways of saving the environment.

During the conference, energy firm First Gen Corp. committed to allocating $1 million to protect the Verde Island Passage over the next five years.

First Gen is the largest Filipino-owned independent power generation company in the country. Its power plants in Batangas use environment-friendly natural gas.

Mrs. Arroyo said other major corporations like San Miguel Corp., JG Summit, Shell Philippines Exploration, Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco), Marcopper Mining Corp., Chevron, Placer-Dome, Keppel and tycoon Lucio Tan also made similar pledges.

Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, who organized the summit, said the EO highlights the importance of protecting the country’s biodiversity both in the short-term and the long-term.

The order mandates all government agencies and departments to incorporate in their respective plans and programs policies for protecting and conserving biodiversity, he said.

The order also encourages other sectors of society, including the media, youth and academe to join efforts to protect such sanctuaries, Reyes said.

Mrs. Arroyo also ordered the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), upon the request of local communities and fishermen, to increase its patrols through the passage to protect it from pollution and destructive fishing methods using poison and dynamite.

She also certified as urgent pending environment bills approved by the House of Representatives that are gathering dust in the Senate.

"These measures will be part of our national policy in protecting our biodiversity," she said.

She directed Reyes to update the chapters on environment in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan and Medium Term Philippine Investment Plan to suit the urgency of protecting the country’s fragile biodiversity.

The revisions, she said, should include the designation of wildlife sanctuaries and refuges.

Marine biologist Dr. Kent Carpenter told the conference that, in his studies, he found that of the 254 species of reptiles in the world, 208 are endemic to the Philippines while of the 276 bird species, 195 are found in the country.

It was also learned that of the 179 land mammal species, 111 are found in the Philippines while 34 of the 37 mangrove species in the world are endemic to the country. — Paolo Romero