Solon pushes for Aliwagwag Falls as protected area

A lawmaker is seeking to declare the Aliwagwag Falls, one of the most picturesque and stunning waterfalls in Mindanao, a protected area.
In House Bill 6406, Rep. Nelson L. Dayanghirang (1st District, Davao Oriental) said the Aliwagwag Falls has been recognized for its terrestrial biodiversity as a natural habitat for different types of birds, animals and marine species that have been sighted in the area.
“Located in the Municipalities of Boston and Cateel, Davao Oriental and the Municipality of Compostela, Province of Compostela Valley, the area around the Aliwagwag Falls is not only home for these species, but it also supports an estimated 17,000 hectares of rice land in Cateel,” Dayanghirang said.
The bill, otherwise known as “The Aliwagwag Falls Protected Landscape (AFPL) Act of 2011,” provides technical descriptions for the area coverage of the AFPL, which shall be subject to ground survey and verification to be conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The measure states that all lands of the public domain comprising the AFPL shall fall under the classification of national park as provided for in the Philippine Constitution.
For public lands that are already classified or declared by law as agricultural or alienable and disposable prior to the passage of this Act, the bill provides that the said public lands shall remain as such and may be disposed of pursuant to the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 141 or the Public Land Act, as amended, and other public land laws.
The proposal establishes the buffer zone for the AFL, which shall be given special development control, subject to existing rights, to serve as a protective belt around the AFPL.
The bill calls for the creation of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which shall have the sole jurisdiction, power and authority over the AFPL for all matters that may affect biodiversity conservation, protection and sustainable development.
It creates the Aliwagwag Falls Protected Landscape (AFPL) Fund for the purposes of financing projects of the AFPL.
Dayanghirang said the declaration of the Aliwagwag Falls as a protected area shall shield it from exploitation, sustain its ecological stability and preserve it for future generation.
The bill is pending at the House Committee on Natural Resources chaired by Rep. Francisco “Lalo” T. Matugas (1st District, Surigao del Norte). (House of Representatives)