Let’s take a break from noisome political news and focus on more positive issues like the twin bills filed by Surigao del Sur District 2 Rep. Johnny Pimentel to have Enchanted River and Tinuy-an Falls included in the country’s registry of protected natural parks to preserve their unique features and protect them from potentially destructive human activities.
“No effort must be spared to conserve the magical river and the majestic falls, both of which are now clearly in danger of degradation on account of unchecked human activities, spurred mainly by the growing number of local and foreign visitors,” said Pimentel who filed House Bills 1903 and 2116 to protect the two natural wonders which are both located in his home province.
Located in the municipality of Hinatuan, the lawmaker said Enchanted River got its name from the country’s first tourism commissioner (or Secretary today) Modesto Farolan who was captivated by the natural beauty of the waterway during a tour—inspiring the late tourism official to write a poem titled “Rio Encantado.” The extraordinarily clear blue, 270-meter river flows into the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean through Hinatuan Bay.
Tinuy-an Falls, on the other hand, has been dubbed as the Philippines’ “Little Niagara Falls” after the great chutes that straddle the Canada-United States border. The multi-tiered cascades of Tinuy-an Falls (located in Barangay Burboanan in Bislig City) are 55 meters high and 95 meters wide—making it the broadest of falls in the Philippines. Tinuy-an has a highly diverse ecosystem that includes 235 varieties of plant and animal life, many of which have been marked vulnerable or endangered, according to the office of Pimentel.
Under the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992, portions of land and water may be reserved as “protected areas,” by law or by presidential proclamation, to safeguard and enrich their exceptional qualities. The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau oversees all protected areas, mostly with the help of local governments, or the state-run corporation that owns or controls the area.
Thus far, the bureau’s list of 240 protected areas already covers 35,700 square kilometers, or around 12 percent of the country’s total land area. The country’s largest protected area is the 761,416-hectare Palawan Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, while the smallest is the 3.2-hectare Hinulugang Taktak in Antipolo, Rizal.
While Filipinos appreciate the influx of tourists to the country, efforts should be made to protect our natural resources from irresponsible, exploitative practices and activities. Initiatives such as this one by Representative Pimentel are certainly welcome.
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