Threats posed by floods highlight need to protect Sierra Madre – Speaker Dy

MANILA, Philippines – With heavy rains and typhoons contributing to possible flooding in Metro Manila and nearby areas, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III on Friday stressed the urgency of protecting forests, watersheds, and other natural defenses against increasingly severe weather, as a House technical working group this week resumed work on a measure creating the Sierra Madre Mountain Range Authority (SMMRA).

Dy, author of House Bill No. 3538, said flooding caused by heavy rains highlighted the need to ramp up efforts to protect and restore critical ecosystems while addressing other factors that contribute to flooding.

“Ang mga pagbaha na naranasan natin sa iba’t-ibang lugar ay isang malinaw na paalala na hindi natin maaaring paghiwalayin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga komunidad sa pangangalaga sa ating kalikasan,” Dy said.

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“Flood control cannot be about infrastructure alone. We also have to protect our forests, watersheds, and natural ecosystems because they form part of our first line of defense against the growing impact of extreme weather.”

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The technical working group of the House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization resumed discussions on the proposed creation of the SMMRA, with HB 3538 serving as the mother bill of the proposed substitute measure.

The meeting was presided over by Bukidnon Rep. Jose Manuel Alba.

Under the proposed substitute bill, the SMMRA would serve as the central policy, coordinating and regulatory body for the management of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and oversee the ecological governance of the Sierra Madre landscape.

The proposed authority would also formulate and implement the Sierra Madre Master Plan, a 25-year blueprint adopting a science-based, ecosystem-oriented and climate-resilient approach to the conservation, protection, restoration and sustainable development of the mountain range.

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The measure also provides for a “nature-based solutions-first” policy, which would prioritize the use and restoration of natural ecosystems in addressing environmental and climate-related challenges.

Dy said the recent flooding demonstrates why government must adopt a comprehensive approach that combines infrastructure, environmental protection, sound land-use policies, and disaster resilience.

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“Hindi sapat na kumilos lamang tayo kapag baha na ang mga kalsada at lubog na ang mga tahanan. We have to address the problem before the next storms come, and that means protecting the ecosystems that help absorb rainfall, regulate water, and reduce the vulnerability of our communities,” explained the former governor of Isabela.

The Sierra Madre, the country’s longest mountain range, contains vast forest and watershed areas and serves as an important ecological system for communities across Luzon.

Dy added that protecting it must go hand in hand with providing sustainable livelihoods for families living within and around the mountain range.

“Hindi natin kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng pangangalaga sa kalikasan at kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan. Our goal should be to achieve both,” he said.

“Conservation will be more effective and sustainable when the communities who have lived with and cared for these resources are given opportunities to become our partners in protecting them.”

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The proposed creation of the SMMRA was recently included among the priority measures of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), strengthening the push for Congress and the Executive to establish a comprehensive and long-term framework for protecting the Sierra Madre.