Environmental officials said this year’s celebration of World Wetlands Day serves as a "clarion call for Filipinos to act for the welfare of the country’s wetlands."
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) is set to highlight its gains in the restoration of Boracay Islands at the local observance of World Wetlands Day 2022 on Wednesday (February 2).
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said that this year's celebration focuses on our concrete actions for wetlands to save them from further degradation.
"Wetlands are among our country’s natural assets and thus we have made them part of our ongoing rehabilitation of Boracay Island. We believe that showcasing their importance through wetlands recovery and restoration in the island is an effective means of spreading awareness to the public," Cimatu said in a press release.
“By restoring the ‘Wetlands of Boracay,’ we do not only conserve their ecological functions in the island but also add up to the diversification of Boracay’s tourism attraction sites,” he added.
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Festivities
The DENR will lead the Philippines' World Wetlands Day celebration at the Boracay Wetland Conservation Park (formerly Wetland No. 2) in Barangay Balabag, Boracay Island on February 2.
The event will showcase the partnership in wetland conservation with private companies such as Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., Boracay Tubi System Inc., Energy Development Corp. (EDC), and J.G. Summit Olefins Corp.
The EDC, an adopter of the DENR’s “Adopt-a-Wetland Program,” will also turn over the completed project for Wetland No. 2 to the DENR after more than three years of rehabilitation.
With the theme "Wetlands Action for People and Nature," this year’s World Wetlands Day highlights the importance of concerted actions in conserving and ensuring the sustainable use of wetlands for human beings, the environment, and all living creatures that depend on it.
DENR-BMB OIC Director Natividad Bernardino said this year’s theme also serves as a "clarion call for Filipinos to act for the welfare of the country’s wetlands."
World Wetlands Day is celebrated annually on February 2 to raise global awareness on the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet.
The date also marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty in 1971.
Tags: #environment, #wetlands, #BoracayIsland, #Boracayrehab, #DepartmentOfEnvironmentandNaturalResources
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