Photo Release

RAMSAR MARKER AT LPPCHEA: Sen. Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, led the unveiling of the marker recognizing the 175-hectare Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area as Site No. 2124 of Ramsar Convention's Wetlands of International Significance. LPPCHEA was declared the 6th Ramsar site in the Philippines and the only one situated in an urban setting on March 15, 2013. It was recognized for its important role as a coastal urban wetland and bird sanctuary for resident, vulnerable, threatened, as well as migratory birds from as far as Siberia. Its 36-hectare mangrove swamp serves as barriers against storm surges and nursery grounds for fish. The site's inclusion in the Ramsar List embodies the government's commitment to take the necessary steps to ensure that LPPCHEA's ecological character is preserved. Photo shows Villar with Rey Aguinaldo, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region Focal Officer for LPPCHEA; Theresa Mundita Lim, Director, DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, and Emiliana Casbadillo, OIC, Fisheries and Production Division, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region IV-A.