Senator Cynthia A. Villar leads the opening of the Wetland Center Building at the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) which coincided with the celebration of the World Migratory Bird Day.

“My purpose in building this Wetland Center is to educate and to help raise the public consciousness about wetlands,” said Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

She noted that wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability and to economies, among its many functions.

This Wetland Center, she said, is our solid edifice and contribution for the Philippine wetlands.

With our country’s archipelagic nature, she related that “we have an abundant number of wetlands that call for much-needed attention.”

Based on the 2016 Atlas of Philippine Inland Wetlands and Classified Caves, we have 314 inland wetlands and 2,487 river systems. Out of the 314 wetlands, there are 221 lakes, 12 marshes and swamps, 9 peat lands, 39 water storage, and 31 ponds.

But the senator lamented that not a lot of people in the Philippines fully recognize and appreciate the significance of wetlands.

She specifically mentioned the case of Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP), which has always been facing reclamation threats.

Apart from being a Ramsar site, she emphasized Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) is a protected area by virtue of RA No. 11038 or the Expanded NIPAs Act of 2018.

The senator, a known environmental advocate, related that Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) is an important coastal wetland and a key biodiversity site hosting a wide range of water birds.

“Due to this, it is fitting to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day here because Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP). This is an important coastal wetland mangrove that hosts at least 47 species of migratory birds using the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which include the vulnerable migratory birds with some coming from as far Siberia,” said Villar.

On the other hand, the World Bird Day celebration is dedicated to raising awareness on migratory birds and their habitats and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.

During the twin celebrations, the guests were treated by the DENR regional offices and the Biodiversity Management Bureau in Wetland Center museum and auditorium audio visual presentations on Ramsar Sites or the so-called Wetlands of International Importance in the Philippines. The Philippines, with eight RAmsar Sites, is one of the 170 nations that are signatories to this convention.

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph