Ilocos Norte's Paoay Lake now a protected area

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed legislation on Monday, August 4, that creates the Paoay Lake Protected Landscape in Ilocos Norte and establishes a management board and dedicated fund to preserve the area's biodiversity.

Republic Act 12230 gives the area a protected status under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) "in recognition of the richness of biological resources, both flora and fauna, that are native and distinct to Paoay Lake as well as their aesthetic and ecological importance," according to a release by the Presidential Communications Office. 

What is a protected area? NIPAS defines protected areas as “portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation."

The legislation signed on Monday creates a Protected Area Management Board that will include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional executive director, the provincial governor, senators who are registered residents of Ilocos Norte, the representative of the congressional district where Paoay Lake is located (2nd district of Ilocos Norte), and the Paoay mayor.

The board will be tasked with overseeing the management of the landscape and crafting a management plan to ensure its long-term protection. A separate office will handle day-to-day management.

Funding. The law establishes the Paoay Lake Protected Landscape Integrated Fund to pay for the landscape's protection and maintenance, as well as any board-approved projects. 

The fund can accept grants and donations from domestic and foreign sources, stored in a special National Treasury account.

There are currently 249 protected areas across the Philippines, according to data from the Philippine Clearing House Mechanism, a body under the DENR's biodiversity management bureau that stores data on the country's biological diversity.