Department of Environment and Natural Resources Acting Sec. Jim O. Sampulna underscored the importance of continued partnerships with stakeholders to combat illegal wildlife trade vigorously and effectively.
“We need to establish a partnership with various stakeholders and continue to raise awareness among local communities to empower them towards more effective responses to environmental issues on the ground,” Sampulna said.
“We are assured knowing that we have allies working from the international to the local level in helping us protect key species in the ecosystem.”
Sampulna also pushed for the approval of the revised Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, which remained pending in the Senate.
The bill seeks to expand the protection and coverage of RA 9147, strengthen and improve enforcement, and inter-agency cooperation to combat illegal wildlife trade including responses to transnational wildlife crimes.
DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau led the country’s celebration recently of World Wildlife Day through webinars that highlighted wildlife conservation programs for key species such as Rufous hornbill, flying fox, Philippine cockatoo, Philippine pond turtle, dugong, and threatened native flora.
Conservation partners such as the Katala Foundation, Inc.; Community-Centered Conservation; Energy Development Corporation; Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc.; and the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Society, Inc. shared their expertise and conducted the webinars in partnership with the DENR-BMB.
There are more than 40,000 species of flora and fauna worldwide that are threatened with extinction.
In the Philippines, the DENR listed 1,106 threatened fauna species and 984 threatened flora.
DENR Usec. for Enforcement Benito Antonio de Leon said the DENR will continue to uphold its mandate to conserve and protect the country’s natural resources. – Press release
April 27, 2024
