House declares Pasonanca Natural Park a protected area

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The House of Representatives approved House Bill (HB) No. 6449, declaring the Pasonanca Natural Park in this city as a protected area.

Zamboanga City Rep Celso Lobregat said the approved bill will also ensure the protection and conservation of Pasonanca Natural Park’s biodiversity, the uniqueness of its landscape, and its socio-cultural and economic significance to the people of Zamboanga City.

The Pasonanca Natural Park is located in the highlands of Zamboanga City, and covers a total area of 10,102.08 hectares.

HB 6449 designates the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) as administrator of the parks, and prohibits the hunting, collecting, catching, wounding, killing, destroying or possessing within the park or its buffer zone species of plants or animals or their by-products or derivatives, or transporting of these plants and animal species without prior approval of the PAMB.

The bill also prohibit vandalism such as mutilating, transporting, destroying, excavating or in any manner damaging any natural formation or object of natural beauty inside the said park, including the removal, destruction and alteration of boundary markers and signs.

Lobregat said the bill also requires clearance and permits for bioprospecting in the park to be obtained from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and PAMB.

Lobregat said that this legislation was a landmark bill he had authored and was optimistic about its passage in the Senate, and eventual approval of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.