By: Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola
Senator Cynthia Villar welcomed yesterday the clearance of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for the establishment of wetland park facilities at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Eco-Tourism Area (LPPCHEA).
In a letter to Villar dated September 14, 2017, CAAP director-general Captain Jim Sydiongco granted the clearance to build the Las Piñas- Parañaque Wetland Park at the LPPCHEA.
“With this clearance, we can start the construction of the wetland center at LPPCHEA for the holding in Manila of the 12th Session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP12) on October 20 this year,” Villar, chair of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said in a statement.
“There will be 1,000 delegates. This will be the first time it will be held in the Philippines and in Asia for that matter. One of their destinations is the LPPCHEA. We are trying to improve it so we can show something to them,” she added.
Villar has since been pushing for the establishment of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park to ensure LPPCHEA’s conservation and make the people’s visit to the park more convenient and educational.
She said it will also serve as the drop-off point and gathering area of people visiting the 175-hectare park.
The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) last April required a clearance from CAAP before allowing the Tourism Infastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to start building a wetland center that will house a museum, a training center, an office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and a restaurant.