Metro Manila, Philippines – The House of Representatives has begun discussions on a priority bill to round up efforts at conserving the Sierra Madre mountain range, a geographical feature on the eastern seaboard of Luzon, known as a natural barrier against climate-related disasters.
A consolidated version of 10 bills, the substitute measure before the committee on government enterprises and privatization, seeks the creation of an oversight, inter-regional body for the preservation of the longest mountain range that has seen illegal logging, land conversion, and mining through the years.
Jose Manuel Alba, technical working group chairperson, said the proposed Sierra Madre Mountain Range Authority, will address a “fundamentally broken” approach to managing the natural resource, which is also ancestral land to a number of indigenous communities, as well as home for biodiversity.
The Sierra Madre stretches from Cagayan to Quezon province and is managed by a number of government agencies.
The bill calls for a “whole-of-government” approach that aims to prevent ecologically destructive practices, recognize indigenous peoples and local communities as both partners and beneficiaries, while current mandates will remain with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“We are not just passing another environmental bill,” Alba said. “We are securing a wealthy, self-reliant, and climate-resilient foundation for the future of our nation.”
The bill is a priority identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
