CONGRESSWOMAN Alexie B. Tutor has proposed for a review of all laws governing the protected areas system in the entire country.
To this effect, she filed a Resolution calling for an exhaustive review of laws, regulations, procedures, and systems on integrated protected areas, in aid of oversight and in aid of legislation, to address gaps, loopholes, and cracks in the national integrated protected areas system.
This came following the viral posting in social media of aerial shot of the Captain’s Peak resort in barangay Canmano, Sagbayan, Bohol that showed alleged illegal structures that have been built without proper documents.
Under her proposed Resolution, Tutor calls officials of the DENR, DILG, DOJ, and Land Registration Authority to meetings for an exhaustive review of the country’s laws, regulations, and implementation on the National Integrated Protected Area System.
Under appropriate committee, she wanted for meetings with officials of the DENR, DILG, DOJ, Land Registration Authority, PAMBs, and local government units to ascertain compliance with current laws on the country’s laws, regulations, and implementation on the National Integrated Protected Area System.
Other moves for review, such as the call for the: (1) updating of DENR DAO 2009-09, verification of the actual state of each Protected Area all over the country, with particular focus on a detailed inventory of all structures built within each protected area, all buffer zones, and every multi-purpose zone, and (2) drafting of the Joint Memorandum Circular necessary to establish and update guidelines, parameters, and standards applicable to all Protected Areas and for specific types of Protected Areas, and that a PAMB Manual developed by these three Departments to guide every PAMB and their members.
And call for a conduct of an inventory of areas declared or recognized as protected areas at the local government level, but not yet at the national level.
Meanwhile, SP environment committee chairperson Atty. Jiselle Rare Villamor has proposed resolutions that help putting in order of the resort management and protection of the critical areas.
She urged government agencies and local government units to religiously enforce the environmental laws, and when the need to exercise discretion, moral, social and cultural significance are of paramount consideration.
She also calls for a coordination with national government agencies which offices are within Region VII and in the province to coordinate with the Provincial Government of Bohol for activities and/or concerns within the province.
She also urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to officially furnish this August Body its findings and actions taken on our previous recommendations. Further, we respectfully request DENR to furnish us with the inventory of all Protected Areas in the Province, including an inventory of all establishments situated within these protected areas.
“So much has been said about the issue, but looking closely into the matter, it ultimately comes down to the gap between the appreciation of the laws and guidelines by an ordinary citizen and the faithful enforcement of the laws by the concerned offices,” she said.
She concluded that “as policymakers, we need this data to further assist us in the ongoing crafting of a comprehensive policy regulating our protected areas and Geosites.” (rvo)
