We should all keep our eyes on this.
“Juan Miguel Cuna—officer-in-charge of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau—assured lawmakers that the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat Eco-Tourism Area (LPPCHEA) will be protected from reclamation attempts,” reports Christina Mendez in The Philippine Star.
Cuna made the declaration during the Feb 14 hearing of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises. This was because “the LPPCHEA has been identified as one of the areas that will be affected by the planned reclamation in Manila Bay of proponent cities Las Piñas and Parañaque and contractor Altech Inc.”
Cuna explained that “the 175-hectare habitat is a protected area under Presidential Proclamation Nos. 1412 and 1412-A.”
As it turns out, the wetlands are also listed as one of the world’s most important wetlands in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
The wetlands boast of a mangrove forest, a lagoon, a beach, as well as various endemic trees. As such, it serves as a sanctuary for dozens of bird species.
