Let’s be the Earth’s Defenders, says Loren Legarda
Senatorial candidate Loren Legarda.
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial candidate Loren Legarda on Earth Day called on the government, private sector, and civil society to engage in projects and programs that would address overexploitation, habitat loss, and pollution.
“In light of the fast-declining state of our environment due to our destructive ways and the intensifying effects of the climate crisis, let us be the Earth’s defenders who are needed today and tomorrow. Let us continue to help bring back the life of our planet, so our children and future generations can also marvel at its beauty. Patuloy nating payabungin ang ganda at sigla ng ating kalikasan [Let us continue to nurture the beauty and vitality of our nature],” Legarda said
As the only candidate for the 2022 Elections with a clear track record on the environment and climate agenda, the Three-term Senator also stressed that people should not only appreciate the planet but also protect and fight for it as this year’s Earth Day celebration’s theme states, “Invest in Our Planet.”
Legarda made these statements as she led the “Pagyabong 2022: Enrichment Tree Planting Activity” of Philippine native tree species, organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), and the Climate Change Commission (CCC), at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (NAPWC) in Quezon City today.
The NAPWC is a legislated protected area and classified as a national park under Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act of 2018, a law that Legarda authored in the Senate, which declared 94 natural parks, protected landscapes or seascapes, and reserves as protected areas under national law, bringing the total number of areas protected by law to 107.
“The enactment of the ENIPAS measure has benefited protected areas in the country by giving more access to funding for conservation programs as well as the prosecution of prohibited acts enumerated in the law,” Legarda said.
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