House approves Upper Agno River Basin Protected Landscapes Act of 2018

HOUSE Committee on Natural Resources has approved a bill seeking to protect the Upper Agno River Basin.

House Committee on Natural Resources approved House Bill 8262 on November 14. House Bill 8262 ‘An act declaring the Upper Agno River basin protected landscape (UARBPL) in the municipalities of Bokod and Kabayan and some portions of the municipalities of Atok, Buguias, Itogon, La Tirinidad, and Tublay all in the province of Benguet portions of Bauko, Mt. Province portions of Tinoc, Ifugao and Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya as a protected area under the category of protected landscapes providing for its management and for other purposes’ field by Benguet Representative Ronald Cosalan.

The solon added the bill known as Upper Agno River Basin Protected Landscapes Act of 2018 will protect the area and serve as an added protection including to the residents near.

All lands of the public domain comprising the UARBPL shall fall under the classification of protected landscapes as provided for in the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

The Protected Area Management Board served as the highest policy making body of the UARBPL.

Upper Agno River Basin is one of the fifth largest river basin in the Philippines with a land area of 623,318.69 hectares.

Based on the data obtained from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera the river basin covers Region 1,2,3 and CAR. In the Cordillera region Benguet province covers 119,399.08 hectares, Ifugao with 1,735.65 hectares, and Mountain Province with 402.32 hectares.