A lawmaker has renewed his call to Congress to immediately pass a bill proposing the creation of a government body tasked with the conservation and management of the 540-kilometer Sierra Madre mountain range.
Rizal Fourth District Rep. Fidel Nograles said his bill would create a government body tasked with the conservation and management of the mountain range. He issued his call amid the commemoration of Sierra Madre Day on Monday and a day after the onslaught of typhoon “Karding” last Sunday in Central Luzon.
“Amid the threat of Karding, Sierra Madre has once again shown just how crucial it is in protecting us against extreme weather events. The [proposed] Sierra Madre Development Authority [SMDA] will help us preserve this shield in the face of a worsening climate,” Nograles said.
The lawmaker stressed the need to protect the Sierra Madre region, which includes the majority of the country’s 68 Protected Areas (PA), consisting of national parks, watershed forest reserves, natural monuments, marine reserves, and protected landscapes and seascapes.
Nograles is the author of House Bill No. 1972, which seeks to establish the SMDA to protect the mountain range, which includes the majority of the country’s 68 PAs.
The SMDA would also lead the government’s anti-illegal logging and reforestation campaigns, prevent construction of unwarranted and illegal infrastructure, enhance and develop indigenous resources in the areas that can be utilized for development and educate people on the importance of the mountain range.
The bill also mandates the proposed body to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Sierra Madre region’s physical and natural resources and draft a comprehensive plan to conserve and utilize these to promote the region’s social and economic development.
It will also plan, program, finance and undertake infrastructure projects such as river, flood, and tidal control work, wastewater and sewerage work, dams and water supply, roads, irrigation, housing, and related work; and assess and approve all plans, programs, and projects proposed by local government offices/agencies within the region related to the development of the mountain range.
Sierra Madre plays a key role in Metro Manila’s major water supply demands, along with the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, and Bulacan.
Save Sierra Madre Day is observed annually on September 26 by virtue of Proclamation No. 413 as a reminder of the dangers of the continuous degradation of the mountain range, which is known as the “backbone” of Luzon.
“We have to be more aggressive, strategic, and comprehensive in our efforts to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. The SMDA will be a massive help in unifying our efforts,” Nograles added.