• The Ramsar sites: Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary; Naujan Lake National Park; Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary; Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park; Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park; Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat And Ecotourism Area; Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area; and Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands
• On Feb. 2, 2022, DENR celebrated World Wetlands Day with activities that focused on saving the country's wetlands from further degradation.
• Wetlands provide many benefits — from food and habitat of marine life, wildlife, and endangered species, to water quality improvement, flood storage, and erosion control.
Do you know that the Philippines has eight Wetlands of International Importance? They are the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary; Naujan Lake National Park; Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary; Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park; Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park; Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat And Ecotourism Area; Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area; and Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands (which was only added last year).
These are also known as “Ramsar sites” after the Iranian city of Ramsar where the Convention on Wetlands was held in 1971, where the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources was adopted. Today, almost 90 percent of member states of the United Nations have joined the convention.
The Philippines has 244 inland wetlands –221 are lakes, 14 are marshes or swamps, and 9 are peatlands.
Boracay Wetland Conservation Park (Photo courtesy of DENR)
To protect these wetlands from further degradation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has formed partnerships with private entities such as Energy Development Corp. (EDC), Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., Boracay Tubi System Inc., and JG Summit Olefins Corp to conserve wetlands.
On Feb. 2, 2022, DENR celebrated World Wetlands Day with activities that focused on saving the country's wetlands from further degradation. The activities also showcased the gains of Boracay Island's rehabilitation. In April 2018, the government had ordered the six-month closure of Boracay for rehabilitation. In 2020 the department identified nine Boracay wetlands for rehabilitation, contributing to the pollution of the island's waters.
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Photo courtesy of Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and World Heritage Facebook page)
With the theme "Wetlands Action for People and Nature," the department emphasized the need to maintain the sustainable use of wetlands for humans, animals, and the environment.
"Wetlands are among our country's natural assets, and thus we have made them part of our ongoing rehabilitation of Boracay Island. Showcasing their importance through wetlands recovery and restoration in the island is an effective means of spreading awareness to the public," DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said in a statement.
Wetlands provide many benefits — from food and habitat of marine life, wildlife, and endangered species, to water quality improvement, flood storage, and erosion control.
Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands (Photo courtesy of DENR)
Aside from sheltering a wide diversity of life, wetlands also provide people with fresh water and fish. They also reduce flood impact, protect shores from tsunamis and storm surges, and alleviate water pollution.
In 2021, on World Wetlands Day, Senator Cynthia Villar filed the "National Wetlands Conservation Act.' The proposed act aims to address various national issues such as water security, food security, disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and resiliency, and maintenance of ecosystem services, among others.
Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area (Photo courtesy of DENR)
Prior to the country's celebration of World Wetlands Day 2022, Cimatu, on Jan. 27, reminded the public to maintain a clean environment, specifically, coastal areas and wetlands, as the department wraps up the Asian Waterbird Census 2022.
"Filipinos should be more conscientious about the impact of migratory birds on the environment. Maintaining the ecological integrity and abundance of our coastal areas, offshore habitats, and inland wetlands are crucial for bird migration and beneficial to people," he said.