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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Villar wants to place Philippine Rise under NIPAS

Villar wants to place Philippine Rise under NIPAS

Published Aug 1, 2022 03:48 pm

Senator Cynthia Villar wants to place the Philippine (Benham) Rise under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) in order to monitor and maintain the high biodiversity and pristine habitats in the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PMRR).

Legislation of the PMRR, Villar stressed, would not only institutionalize and provide funds for its management, but would also be in keeping with the exercise of Philippine sovereignty over its waters and resources.

Villar thus filed Senate Bill (SB) 51, or An Act Declaring a portion of Philippine Rise within the exclusive economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippine Sea, as a protected are with the category of Marine Resource Reserve under NIPAS.

Villar is the chairperson of the Senate Environment Committee.

The bill also seeks to establish a mechanism that would ensure measures toward this objective are enforced and implemented.

The majority of the Philippine Rise including the Benham Bank Seamount, has always been within the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UN-CLCS) adopted the recommendation of the Philippines on the limits of our Continental Shelf.

"Following the discoveries in the Benham Rise, four more research expeditions were conducted in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022 to further assess its biodiversity and extent of habitats,” Villar said.

The lady legislator noted that the data and information obtained from the past expeditions supported the recognition of the Philippine Rise as an Ecologically and Biogically Significant Marine Area (EBSMA) under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

This also refers to the declaration of a portion of the Philippine Rise, namely Benham Bank, and its surrounding waters as a marine resource reserve under NIPAS in 2018 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 489.

The proclamation of the portion of the Philippine Rise as a marine protected area (MPA) in 2018 was just an initial step towards fulfilling the requirements for a full-fledged protected area to be finally declared as part of ENIPAS in 2018.

Since the PMRR is the first MPA in the Philippine EEZ wherein fisheries operations are regular, Villar said the state of habitats and biodiversity in the Benham Bank must be closely monitored.

Villar said this would ensure the sustainability of the resources found in the area.

Also, she said that regular expeditions in the area must be conducted in order to establish long-term trends in the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the Benham Bank.

The bill also provides that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group would be involved in maritime patrolling, maritime safety for Filipino fishers, and enforcement of fisheries and conservation laws.

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NIPAs 80122 Cynthia Villar Benham Rise Philippine Rise
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