Introduction
The Philippines is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. Its biological wealth, represented by its flora and fauna, is enormous and has an extraordinarily high rate of endemicity being considered as the “center of the center” of marine shore fish diversity1. However, it is also the “hottest of the hotspots” in terms of biological diversity because of the rapid rate of habitat destruction, inadequacies in the environmental framework, and ineffective implementation of existing laws. Thus, the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (Republic Act No. 7586, NIPAS Act) was enacted “to secure for the Filipino people of present and future generations the perpetual existence of all native plants and animals through the establishment of a comprehensive system of integrated protected areas within the classification of national park as provided for in the Constitution” (Section 2, NIPAS Act). For almost two decades, protected area (PA) management has gained attention as a resource management strategy primarily due to global concerns over the loss of biological diversity, which is essential to human survival. The establishment of protected areas is considered as the most cost-effective means for preserving genes, non-mobile species, habitats and ecological processes. Protected areas are also considered as one of the most important on-site tools for biodiversity conservation. In the Philippines, the conservation of biodiversity is among the ten major strategies adopted in the Philippine Strategy for Sustainable Development, which aims
to achieve economic growth without depleting the stock on natural resources and degrading the environment. A centerpiece of the government’s action in this regard is the establishment of an integrated protected area system. The NIPAS Act provides the legal and developmental framework for the establishment and management of protected areas (PAs) in the Philippines. The implementing guidelines of the law are further set and defined under DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2008-26. NIPAS is the classification and management of all designated PAs, in order to maintain essential ecological processes and lifesupport systems, preserve genetic diversity, ensure sustainable use of resources found therein, and maintain their natural conditions to the greatest extent possible. In the context of environmental governance in the Philippines, the NIPAS Act is recognized as both a legal and policy instrument. As a legal instrument, it sets the regulatory bounds and stipulations for identifying, delineating, and managing PAs, including who shall do so, how they are to do so, and how their activities and efforts are to be funded. It thus also sets the basis for adjudicating conflicts over PAs. As a policy instrument, it provides the basis for
Carpenter, K. and V. Springer 2005. “The Center of the Center of Marine Shore fish Biodiversity, Philippines. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 72:467:480
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An In-Depth Review of the Nipas Law and Related Statutes on the Establishment and Management of Protected Areas in the Philippines
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