Members of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change are eyeing to amend Republic Act No. 11038 or the “Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018” (E-NIPAS Act) to change the constitution of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which is dominated by barangay chairpersons.

During the Senate panel’s hearing Wednesday, Senator Cynthia Villar raised the issue of the constitution of the PAMB, and its role in formulating policies covering the country’s protected areas.

In the case of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan, Bohol, its construction was approved by the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument’s PAMB in 2018 and later was issued a business permit by the local government despite the absence of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

According to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, the E-NIPAS Act dictates the constitution and membership of every PAMB, which could be as many more than a hundred depending on the size of the protected area and the area of jurisdiction it covers.

“The membership of the PAMB is dominated by the local interest. DENR sits on a chair. It does not vote and the PAMB can be constituted by the majority of the members when the DENR is absent or not available because of another pressing engagement,” Yulo-Loyzaga explained to the panel.

“In the case of the Chocolate Hills, it was the barangay officials that actually approved their resolution, and that is, in fact, one of the longer-standing policy changes we would like to propose, as well as a change to the legislation in terms of the construction and membership of the PAMB and what its role should be,” she said.

Villar, who chairs the Senate panel, noted that the board should be dominated instead by experts rather than barangay officials.

“Why do you have to ask every barangay captain to be there. You can have one representative from the Association of Barangay Captains,” she said.

“I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think the barangay captains understand the damage of that they’re going to pass at PAMB would be disastrous to the protected area. So, I think that we should change the constitution of the PAMB to give more power to those who understand the issues,” Villar said.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa agreed and expressed his willingness to support the proposal.

“We would like to solicit their recommendation kung ano ang gusto ninyong amendment na gawin natin para hindi tayo palaging ganon ang problema (on what amendments you want to be made so we won’t always face this problem again),” dela Rosa said.

The Senate panel is conducting the hearing to tackle various resolutions filed in quick response to the public uproar over the viral image of resort facilities, including cottages, slides, and what appears to be an Olympic-sized swimming pool, built at the foot of three of the famous Chocolate Hills.

The resolutions filed by Senate President Pro-tempore Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay and, Villar seek, among others, to scrutinize the implementation of applicable laws, rules, and regulations governing protected areas, with a view of identifying gaps and introducing appropriate remedial legislative measures; as well as hold officials accountable for approval of questionable projects. (PNA)

Photo credit: Facebook/erwintulforeal