MANILA, Philippines -- In a bid to protect the area from illegal settlers, Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel "Nene" Aguilar has ordered a tighter watch on 175 hectares of coastal swamp known to be a haven for endangered species of migratory birds.

Aguilar issued the directive after the city government found out that some unscrupulous individuals had encroached on some portions of the coastal area which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently declared as a “critical habitat and ecotourism area” through Presidential Proclamation 1412.

“We have to maintain our vigilance to further protect and preserve our natural resources in the light of environmental degradation,” Aguilar said in a statement e-mailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Saturday.

The swamp, located along the coastline of the cities of Las Piñas and Parañaque, is home to eight species of mangrove trees.

Its mangrove area and some 113 hectares of mudflats serve as nesting and feeding grounds for at least 27 species of threatened birds.

According to Aguilar, they are working closely with the city government of Parañaque to develop a blueprint for protecting and developing the mangrove swamp as one of the country’s top tourists’ destination for bird watchers.

He said at least 60 species of birds, among them the endangered East Asian flyaway population of common greenshank and black-winged stilts, can be found in the area.

Citing a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Aguilar said the population of birds in the swamp was “very significant to conservation” as around 5,000 migratory birds were recorded to have visited it.

“In the light global financial meltdown, ecotourism development of the area for bird watching activities could provide jobs and livelihood opportunities,” he said.