What is the real condition of the Sierra Madre mountain range, one of the longest mountain ranges in the Philippines?
As the onset of the rainy season once again highlighted the Sierra Madre’s alleged role in mitigating the impacts of severe weather, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and members of the House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization conducted an aerial survey last June 11 over the mountain range.
At least two representatives from Laguna province – 1st District Representative Ann Matibag and Calamba City Representative Charisse Hernandez – joined Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Louise Co, ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, Bukidnon First District Representative Jose Manuel Alba, and Antipolo Second District Representative Philip Conrad Acop during the tour.
This initiative came after amid the ongoing development of a substitute bill by the House committee, which proposes the establishment of a Sierra Madre Mountain Range Authority.
Among its supposed priorities are the protection, conservation, and sustainable management of Luzon’s primary natural defense against typhoons.
According to DENR officials, the tour was an opportunity for the agency to have a thorough discussion with lawmakers about the status, ecological significance, legal framework and management challenges of the protected area.
Aside from technical assistance, they also shared policy, scientific and field-based information related to Sierra Madre.
It was their mission to gain a clearer appreciation of the environmental conditions, conservation priorities, and management concerns within the Sierra Madre landscape.
But the two government bodies also acknowledged the need for institutional and legislative support to protect the longest mountain range in the Philippines.
Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Protected Area Resources Management and Protection Section Chief Francisco Feliciano said the BMB will coordinate with the Protected Area Management Office and the Conservation and Development Division of DENR CALABARZON to validate and finalize the protected area’s metes and bounds based on the results of the Protected Area Suitability Assessment.
The agency reiterates the various and critical roles of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range not only in the country's ecosystem but also in defense against natural disasters.
It safeguards numerous watersheds, provides habitat for diverse wildlife species, and acts as a natural barrier against typhoons and extreme weather events affecting communities in Luzon.
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