Sen. Cynthia A. Villar hopes to encourage more advocates, especially the youth, to join them in the endeavor to protect and preserve the Las Piñas – Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP).
“You, the youth will surely gain the benefits from the LPPWP,” said Villar in her speech during the 5th Anniversary of LPPWP as a Legislated Protected Area and Philippine Environment Month last June 17, 2023.
The park was declared a protected area by virtue of the signing into law of RA No. 11038 or the ENIPAS Act (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act) on June 22, 2018.
The occasion held at the LPPWP was attended by youth sector members from the different barangays of Las Piñas who will be participating on our Sayaw Kabataan Dance Challenge in celebration of our Waterlily Festival next month.
“We were thinking that it will be best for you to be exposed to our wetland park to be inspired and obtain good environmental conservation ideas that you may not just incorporate into your dance, but also you may practice in your daily life,” said Villar.
“We are blessed because we were gifted with this protected area which is something rare in an urban setting like Metro Manila,” she added.
To date, there are 114 legislated protected areas in the Philippines, two of which are found in Metro Manila–one is the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center on Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City and this wetland park.
She said this is the lone protected wetland park in Metro Manila, declared by Wetland of International Importance under the International Convention for the Conservation of Wetlands or the Ramsar Convention.
“The LPPWP is a 182-hectare key biodiversity area that features 2 interconnected islands- the Long Island in Las Piñas and the Freedom Island in Parañaque, lagoons, ponds, salt marches, mudflats and remarkably, a 36-hectare mangrove forest, which is the thickest and most diverse mangrove forest along the Manila Bay area with 12 species of mangroves,” related Villar.
It serves as an important spawning ground of fishes in Manila Bay, nursery, feeding and temporary shelter of different fish species and other forms of wildlife, as well as protects the communities of Las Piñas and Parañaque cities against flooding, storm surges and high tides.
According to the chairperson of the Senate committee responsible and environment, she has been involved in the conservation of our wetland park for two decades now. She has been continuously protecting it against reclamation that threatens the survival of this protected area.
The senator maintained they are strongly opposing the reclamation projects on this side of Manila Bay because it will also impede the free flow of water of the 6 rivers in the area, namely: the Parañaque River, the Las Piñas River, the Zapote River, the Molino River, the Bacoor River and the Imus River.
She warned that if that will happen along with the phenomenon of climate change, disastrous flooding (that predicted to reach 3 to 6 meters high) will result in the cities of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Bacoor in case of torrential rain.
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