Villar welcomes passage of bill strengthening protection of Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park

PHILIPPINES, January 27 - Press Release
January 27, 2025

Villar welcomes passage of bill strengthening protection of Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar welcomed the passage on third and final reading of a bill seeking better protection of the Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP), an internationally recognized Wetland of International Importance, and the only remaining viable wetland ecosystem in Metro Manila

Voting 21-0, the Senate, approved Senate Bill No. 1536 or the LPPWP Protection Act on Monday January 26. The bill seeks a 3-kilometer seaward expansion from its current shoreline boundary to ensure that the ecological integrity of both its land and water is well-preserved and managed and safeguard said biodiversity critical areas from the tensions of development, Villar said.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (ENIPAS), expanding the coverage of LPPWP.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, said with the bill's unanimous approval, senators take on their patriotic as well as their global duty to ensure that all steps were taken to fulfill international commitments under the Ramsar Convention, the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species and the ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, among others.

The mangrove forest will protect Las Piñas and Parañaque from disasters, provide the fingerlings necessary to support the livelihood of 300,000 members of the fisherfolk community in Manila Bay, and contribute to food security for Metro Manila residents.

"With the buffer zone expansion provided by the bill, the LPPWP will be better conserved and more ecosystems can be conserved with a buffer zone that will broaden the scope of protection, ensure the integrity of its ecosystems, and ensure the free flow of water coming from 4 rivers, Parañaque River of Parañaque, Las Piñas and Zapote Rivers of Las Piñas, and Molino River of Bacoor which are connected with each other."

In its present state, the LPPWP is composed of shallow waters, tidal marshes, mudflats, and mangrove swamp forests. The various ecosystems within host at least 5,000 individuals of about 159 species of migratory and resident birds, 23 species of true and associate mangroves, several economically important fish species, and mollusks. The Waterbirds include those threatened with extinction such as the Philippine Duck, the Chinese Egret, and the Black Winged Stilt.

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Villar pinuri ang pagpasa sa batas na magpapalakas ng proteksiyon ng Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park

Pinuri ni Sen. Cynthia A. Villar ang pag-apruba sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ng kanyang panukalang batas na naglalayong magbigay ng mas mahusay na proteksyon sa Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP), isang Wetland of International Importance na kinikilala sa buong mundo, at ang tanging viable wetland ecosystem sa Metro Manila.

Sa botong 21-0, sinang-ayunan ng Senado ang Senate Bill No. 1536 o ang LPPWP Protection Act, nitong Lunes January 26. Layunin ng panukalang batas na magpatupad ng 3-kilometrong pagpapalawak mula sa kasalukuyang hangganan ng baybayin upang matiyak na ang ekolohikal na integridad ng parehong lupa at tubig ay maayos na mapapanatili at mamanage, at maprotektahan ang mga kritikal na lugar ng biodiversity mula sa mga epekto ng urbanisasyon, ayon kay Villar.

Layunin ng panukalang batas na amyendahan ang Republic Act 11038 o ang Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (ENIPAS), upang palawakin ang saklaw ng LPPWP.

Ayon kay Sen.Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, sa pamamagitan ng pag-apruba sa panukalang batas, tinutupad ng mga senador ang kanilang makabayang tungkulin pati na rin ang kanilang pandaigdigang obligasyon upang matiyak na ang lahat ng hakbang ay isinasagawa upang tuparin ang mga international agreements sa ilalim ng Ramsar Convention, World Heritage Convention, Convention on Migratory Species, at ang ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, at iba pa.

Ang mga mangrove forests ay magsisilbing proteksyon sa Las Piñas at Parañaque mula sa mga kalamidad, nagbibigay ng mga fingerlings na kailangan upang suportahan ang kabuhayan ng 300,000 na miyembro ng komunidad ng mga mangingisda sa Manila Bay, at makakatulong sa seguridad sa pagkain para sa mga residente ng Metro Manila.

"With the buffer zone expansion provided by the bill, the LPPWP will be better conserved and more ecosystems can be conserved with a buffer zone that will broaden the scope of protection, ensure the integrity of its ecosystems, and ensure the free flow of water coming from 4 rivers, Parañaque River of Parañaque, Las Piñas and Zapote Rivers of Las Piñas, and Molino River of Bacoor which are connected with each other."

Sa kasalukuyang, ang LPPWP ay binubuo ng mababaw na tubig, mga tidal marshes, mudflats, at mga mangrove forests. Ang iba't ibang ecosystem nito ay tahanan ng hindi bababa sa 5,000 indibidwal mula sa humigit-kumulang 159 uri ng migratory at residenteng mga ibon, 23 uri ng mga tunay at kaugnay na bakawan, ilang mga uri ng isda na may ekonomikong halaga, at mga mollusk. Kasama sa mga waterbirds ang mga nanganganib na mawala tulad ng Philippine Duck, Chinese Egret, at Black Winged Stilt.