Manila Bay bird sanctuary eyed to become Metro tourist spot
The Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) in Manila Bay is set to be the next tourist attraction in the Metro.
Sen. Cynthia Villar, the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chair, said the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park will soon rise at LPPCHEA.
Covering around 175 hectares of wetland ecosystem, LPPCHEA is composed of two islands — Freedom Island in Parañaque and Long Island in Las Piñas.
“We envision this to be
a very important tourist attraction in Metro Manila just like the Hong Kong Wetland Park,” Villar said.
View towers, bird hides, nature trails, boardwalks and wetland center are some of the facilities to be constructed at LPPCHEA, according to the senator.
Villar said the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has approved the budget of 145 million for the conservation of LPPCHEA.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has also appropriated 110 million for the construction of the nature hall and boardwalk.
Villar Sipag will construct the Visitors Center. Construction is expected to start this year.
LPPCHEA, known as the “last bastion” in Metro Manila, shelters a 36-hectare mangrove forest. At present, there are 11 mangrove species growing in the area.
It also serves as a sanctuary for 82 species of birds, including three endangered species: the Philippine duck, Chinese egret and Black-Winged Stilt.
The presence of the globally-threatened species has prompted the inclusion of LPPCHEA on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance in 2013.
“We’re very proud because the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat is the only one in an urban setting and in Metro Manila as such,” Villar said.
Rey Aguinaldo, project manager at the habitat, said of the 82 wild bird species found in LPPCHEA, 47 of which are migratory.
LPPCHEA is the sixth Ramsar site in the country. Other Philippine sites in the Ramsar list are: the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan; the Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park in Sulu; the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur; the Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro; the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu; and the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area in Negros Occidental.