Protect; through strict enforcement of environmental & natural resource management laws, and rehabilitate natural habitats including our forests, rivers, wetlands & fishing grounds by increasing our forest cover to at least 40% nationwide through agro forestry approaches that recognizes the need to balance the social-economic need of forest dwellers as well as conservation needs. This will also be done by expanding to contiguous corridors our existing protected areas, including marine protected areas and strict enforcement of maritime and illegal fishing laws to achieve biological diversity conservation, sustainable utilization of natural resources & freshwater security.
We NEED actions towards sustainable forest cover of the Philippines. This can be ensured by the strict enforcement of the current nationwide logging ban and a nationwide ban on cutting of trees in all watersheds. Exception shall be when done sustainably by Indigenous Peoples and other traditional users. This will also require the reforestation and aforestation; using rainforestation approach & utilizing native tree species, of at least fifty per cent (50%) of all land areas of all our major islands. We NEED Actions that requires management and use of land, freshwater, wetlands, coastal, marine & other ecosystems be along ecological parameters, with soil, flora & fauna protected from degradation & exploitation & all natural resources protected from over utilization; and that rehabilitation, expansion and consolidation through biodiversity corridors of all watersheds and protected areas be prioritized.This will be done with substantial subsidy from government. To do this, deployment of 75% of our armed forces in permanent ecosystem rehabilitation work, the mandatory mobilization of all public servants in scheduled rehabilitation work, mobilization of all students and 4Ps program beneficiaries in reforestation and the training, deputization, funding from national government and mobilization of Barangay and IP tribal environmenal enforcers with the PNP and the Philippine Coast Guard on call to assist will be done.Where possible and for isolated small islands, jails will be decongested with low risk prisoners serving time in minimum security conditions relocated to conduct voluntary eco conservation and rehabilitation work in these islands. Furthermore, Also as part of this agenda, we will push for a nationwide moratorium on all land conversion until a national sustainable land use policy is adopted and institutionalize. |