DENR-NCR strengthens biodiversity conservation in the National Capital Region

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) steps up its effort in the preservation of the most important conservation sites in the NCR.

According to DENR-NCR Regional  Executive Director Neria A. Andin, one of the significant sites is the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area more popularly known as LPPCHEA. It is the first ever declared critical habitat in the country. The area is located along the Las Piñas-Parañaque coastal area and part of the Manila Bay. It covers approximately 175 hectares consisting of mangroves, mudflats and diverse avifauna. Recognizing the ecological importance of LPPCHEA, it was recently included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance as critical habitat which require careful and sustainable land use planning.

The other is the 29.47 hectare mangrove area along the shorelines of Manila Bay in Sitio Pulo, Barangay Tanza, Navotas City which hosts the habitat of the remaining old stands of mangroves in the region. Mangroves serve as spawning, nursing and feeding grounds not only to fishes but wild birds as in the case of LPPCHEA. They also serve as buffer zone which help shield from wave action. More importantly, they filter harmful effluents and absorb and store carbon in sediments, hence, lessening the impact of global warming.

Regional Technical Director Donna Mayor-Gordove of the Protected Areas Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management Services (PAWZCMS) reported that protection and rehabilitation are being consistently carried out to enhance their biodiversity integrity. These involved monitoring of water quality and conduct of replacement and enrichment planting. Coastal clean-up is also being carried out in partnership with different government and non-government agencies, local government units and the private sector.