Tarlac mountain, Leyte waters declared protected areas

Tarlac City — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed two new laws to protect key natural sites in the Philippines, declaring Tarlac’s Mt. Sawtooth and the waters off Southern Leyte’s Panaon Island as protected areas.

The two Republic Acts (RA), signed on 6 September, aim to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development in these regions.

Marcos signed RA 12237, establishing the Mt. Sawtooth Protected Landscape in the Tarlac municipalities of Mayantoc and San Jose. The new protected area spans over 10,967 hectares and is part of the larger mountain range that includes Mount Tapulao.

It is home to endemic and globally threatened species, including the golden-capped fruit bat, northern rufous hornbill and Philippine deer. The protected status will help shield the environment from damaging activities such as illegal logging and destructive development.

The President also signed RA 12238, which designates the waters surrounding Panaon Island in Southern Leyte as the Panaon Island Protected Seascape. The law places the area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System to protect its rich marine biodiversity and ecologically important habitats. RA 12238 creates a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), composed of representatives from national and local government units, to oversee the area.

The act aims to ensure the perpetual existence of native marine life, manage resources sustainably, and preserve the area for future generations.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will manage both sites through their respective PAMBs, which will include local officials, community groups and other government agencies.

According to the DENR, the protected status also promises sustainable livelihood programs tied to ecotourism and conservation for local communities. The measures are intended to safeguard biodiversity, protect natural resources and provide essential ecosystem services like climate regulation and carbon storage.