An international advocacy group is calling on the country's lawmakers to declare Panaon Island as a protected seascape as it showcased the expanse of biodiversity of the island via a photo exhibit at the Senate grounds.

Senator Cynthia Villar — who full backs the environmental group Oceana
— stressed that they are racing against time to preserve the rich marine biodiversity at the southern tip of Southern Leyte.

"There is a pressing need to declare more protected areas through legislation as a strategy to counteract biodiversity loss," Villar said.

The lady senator — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change — filed earlier this year Senate Bill 1690, or the "Panaon Island Protected Seascape Act of 2023" to declare the Island as a protected seascape under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.

An expedition done by international advocacy group Oceana in 2021 unveiled the marine treasures of Panaon, from untouched coral reefs to diverse marine life — a spectacle that was proudly displayed at the Senate photo exhibit.

"These discoveries underscore the need to include Panaon Island under the protective framework of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, RA 11038," Villar said.

Oceana discovered that this island in the southern tip of Southern Leyte has coral reefs with up to 60 percent of very good coral cover, way above the national average of around 20 percent and is home to endangered species listed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species like whale sharks and sea turtles.