Senatorial candidate Loren Legarda. Contributed photo
MEXICO, Pampanga—Antique Rep. Loren Legarda said she planned to increase the number of protected areas in the country if she gets elected back to the Senate.
According to Legarda, she authored Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, enabling her to help raise the country’s protected areas from three to 94.
“Pagdating ko sa Senado, God-willing, naku, dodoblehin ko yan. We should do more protection. Why? Because we are at the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration by the United Nations,” she told reporters on the sidelines of an election campaign rally on Monday (April 4) night here of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, UniTeam’s vice-presidential candidate.
Duterte-Carpio came earlier to attend the birthday rally of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is running unopposed in her comeback to Congress.
Legarda said many areas need to be protected to conserve the people’s sources of food, water, and livelihood.
In Pampanga, she mentioned Mt. Arayat and the Candaba wetlands.
“What is important is that the conservation work is funded and the local governments, non-government organizations, and people’s organizations are engaged,” she said in Filipino.