Protect Quezon watershed – Villar

IN recognition of the richness of its BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES — BOTH flORA AND FAUNA — THAT ARE NATIVE AND DISTINCT TO THE MULANAY WATERSHED FOREST RESERVE (MWFR) AS WELL AS THEIR AESTHETIC AND ecological importance, Sen. Cynthia Villar WANTS TO DECLARE IT A ”PROTECTED AREA.”

In filing Senate Bill 1691, Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, recommended that MWRF should be known as San Francisco Protected Landscape.

She said MWFR should be a protected area because of its rich and lush forest vegetation that serves as habitat of various wildlife, including threatened flora and fauna species.

The MWFR has a total area of 29.6 hectares.

Its flora and fauna include those on updated national lists of threatened Philippine plants and animals and their respective categories.

The Biodiversity Monitoring System Report identified 83 floral species and 59 fauna species in the area, three flora and two fauna species of which were classified as endangered.

The senator noted that the MWFR also provides a clean source of water for the people that can be used domestically and agriculturally.

In 2021, MWFR was subjected by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to the Protected Area Suitability Assessment (PASA) to determine its suitability to be legislated as a protected area under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.

Through the PASA, it was determined that the MWFR is suitable to be declared a protected area under the category of protected landscape.

It was then renamed as “San Francisco Protected Landscape” through legislation.

“As such, the State shall ensure the conservation, protection, management and rehabilitation of the area. It is likewise recognized that effective administration of this area is possible only through cooperation among the national government, LGUs (local government units), concerned NGOs (nongovernment organizations), private entities and local communities,” Villar said.

“The use and enjoyment of this area must be consistent with the principles of biological diversity and sustainable development,” she added.