Pasonanca Natural Park has been officially designated as the 52nd ASEAN Heritage Park, the first on the Zamboanga Peninsula, and the 10th in the Philippines, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga made the announcement while leading the opening of the Pasonanca Natural Park-Asean Heritage Park Monument on Castro Drive, Sitio Canucutan, Pasonanca village.
“This milestone represents a significant step forward in the nation’s conservation efforts and underscores our commitment to preserving our natural heritage for generations to come,” Secretary Loyzaga said.
A pyramid structure resembling a trophic pyramid is a feature of the monument's architecture that seeks to visually represent the park's immense natural diversity.
Preserving the all-important forest
The expansive 17,414-hectare Pasonanca Natural Park is a biodiversity haven on the Zamboanga Peninsula.
A wide variety of vegetation and wildlife, including uncommon species like the Mindanao Bleeding-Heart and the highly endangered Philippine Eagle, can be found in its dense dipterocarp forests.
"This is a protected area already and so what we are doing is actually working with the local government and we hope to work with the ZCWD (Zamboanga City Water District) and the communities as well in order to make sure that this old-growth forest remains intact as much as possible,” Yulo-Loyzaga said
Calling for conservation
Secretary Loyzaga urged everyone involved to recommit to the preservation and long-term administration of Pasonanca Natural Park and other national protected areas, underlining the importance of protecting the nation's natural treasures for the benefit of both the present and the future.
“The recognition of Pasonanca Natural Park as an ASEAN Heritage Park serves as a reminder that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done,” the Environment chief said.
“As an old-growth forest, it stores a lot of carbon and because of that, it can be a weapon in terms of fighting climate change,” she added.
According to the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACD), ASEAN Heritage Parks are highly protected areas encompassing the entire range of representative ecosystems in the region.
