CEBU CITY — Officials from the Regional Development Council (RDC-7) urged local government units (LGUs) across Central Visayas on Tuesday to enact local ordinances that implement stringent development permit requirements for protected areas, aiming to bolster conservation efforts in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, Kenneth Cobonpue, co-chair of the RDC-7, emphasized the council’s initiative to adopt more robust measures to ensure the sustainable use and preservation of resources within the 24 protected areas located throughout Central Visayas. Cobonpue highlighted the need for provincial governments in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor to enforce policies that strengthen Special Use Agreements for municipalities and component cities with territories encompassing these protected zones. “This ordinance should require private establishments to obtain clearance from the Protected Area Management Board and the environmental compliance certificate or ECC,” Cobonpue stated.
The call for these ordinances arises amid concerns over extensive developments occurring in the mountainous regions of Cebu, including some activities within legally protected areas that have raised questions regarding their documentation and legality. Cobonpue stressed the importance of mandating an ECC from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as a prerequisite for local permits and clearances for construction and development in the multi-use zones of these protected landscapes.
Furthermore, Cobonpue mentioned that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-7) is set to issue a circular to ensure strict compliance with these enhanced regulations. “This issue on abuses in our protected area landscapes was addressed during the quarterly full council meeting of RDC-7 on Sept. 4 in Lapu-Lapu City,” he added.
This legislative push is designed to support the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in enforcing existing laws and ordinances more effectively, particularly against those who encroach on forestlands without a governmental tenurial agreement. Protected areas, as defined by the National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 1992, are crucial ecological zones designated for their unique physical and biological characteristics, managed to boost biological diversity and shielded from destructive human activities.