By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The officer-in-charge of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) admitted that a large part of the protected North Negros Natural Park (NNNP) is now being resided by people, despite the prohibition on the building of structures or homes inside the protected area.
PENRO head Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya explained that in other countries it is highly restricted for people to set up homes inside a protected zone, but due to the Philippines having a high population, people have begun constructing their homes inside protected areas.
The construction of dwellings inside a protected area is prohibited according to Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act of 2018.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), violators of the ENIPAS law could face fines ranging from P200,000 to P1 million, imprisonment of one to six years, or both.
Gerangaya said over 30 years ago, the NNNP has 70,000 hectares of endemic forest.
However, native tree species have been cut down over the past few years and were never rehabilitated.
Gerangaya said the DENR had already tried rehabilitating the native tree species, but it proved to be too difficult.
In order to solve the growing problem of deforestation, they have already started importing exotic trees which are easy and quicker to grow, and therefore also expedites reforestation efforts.
Once the situation of the forest covers in Negros improves, they will also begin restoring the native trees.
Based on PENRO’s monitoring, of the 70,000 hectares covering the NNNP, only 20,000 hectares remain forested and maintained by the DENR, while the remaining 50,000 had already been settled by people.
The DENR has already partnered with residents to assist them in rehabilitating a 50-hectare land area inside the NNNP.
Gerangaya stressed that it is very important for the NNNP to be rehabilitated especially as climate change continues to worsen, and to rehabilitate the province’s major water source./DGB, WDJ