The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) is urging local government units (LGUs), including Puerto Princesa City, to identify 2,000 hectares of lowlands within their jurisdictions for environmental restoration and reforestation.
The PCSD, in a resolution passed on July 29, said these lowlands should be between 0 to 500 meters above sea level to be classified as Restricted Use Zones within the scope of the Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN).
“The Council also encourages all Palawan LGUs to prioritize the rehabilitation of the habitats of threatened and endangered species in the lowlands,” a PCSD statement said.
The PCSD further directed the ECAN Boards to identify lowland regions and include them in the current ECAN Zones Map update process.
This year, the PCSD said that the implementation will begin in two municipalities to ensure the “gradual but certain implementation of the endeavor”.
For each succeeding year, three towns will be chosen where it could be done again.
“The Council also urges the city, all municipal mayors, and legislators to spearhead this effort. We even encourage all members of the community to urge their LGU leaders to support the effort, since environmental protection is a social responsibility in which all individuals have the obligation to work and cooperate with each other for the benefit of the present and future generations,” the PCSD added.
