SOGOD, Southern Leyte — Two bills filed by Southern Leyte solons to declare an island in the province as a protected area gained support from an international environmental advocacy group.

Southern Leyte Second District Rep. Christopherson Yap filed House Bill 4095 and First District Rep. Luz Mercado filed House Bill 3743 seeking to declare Panaon Island as a protected seascape under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act and enhance efforts to safeguard the island's coral reefs and threatened and endangered species.

The two bills were filed at the start of the 19th Congress and are still pending in the House Committee on Natural Resources and they outline the parameters of the protected seascape's coverage in the towns of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan and San Ricardo, the mechanisms for administration, the prohibited acts and penalties, and the funding requirements to sustain its protection.

The Sangguniang Bayan of the four municipalities earlier this year passed their respective resolutions expressing support for the establishment of Panaon Island as a protected seascape under the E-NIPAS.

"Our municipality's vision is to be the premier eco-tourism destination in the region and since municipal waters are blessed with whale sharks in our area, a well-managed marine sanctuary would definitely benefit the well-being and natural habitat of these wonderful sea creators," Pintuyan Mayor Ricarte Amper Estrella said.

Yap says the declaration of Panaon Island as a marine protected area will ensure that the future generations will still be able to enjoy the diverse marine flora and fauna that are still present.

He said the formation of a special body to protect the area will deter commercial vessels from encroaching in municipal waters and keep its prized reefs from destruction.

"This will allow marine life to thrive and to be available to our subsistence fishermen and give assurance to our visitors that they will get what they came for or will have something much better to come back to," Yap said.

The island was found by an international study as among the priority reefs that will highly likely withstand the devastating impacts of climate change.