Camotes Island Featured in Protected Areas Series

On the third week of the docu-series Our Fragile Earth: Protected Areas of the Philippines, Senator Loren Legarda enjoins the public to watch the episode on the Camotes Island Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve, which is described as a precious fortress in Central Visayas.

“Unspoiled white sand beaches and untouched natural forests thrive in the Camotes Island in Cebu. Its breathtaking aqua-blue seascape, mangroves, lakes, dive sites, and majestic caves are part of a fragile biodiversity that is threatened by a growing population and climate change,” Legarda said.

Legarda mentioned that, within recent years, Camotes Island has experienced a significant increase in the number of visitors because of local tourism. She noted, however, that natural hazards magnified by climate change are still the biggest threat to the island. In 2013, Camotes Island was along the storm path of Typhoon Yolanda, and quite recently, tropical depression Urduja.

“The Camotes Island Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve, which covers the coastlines of Camotes, acts as a vital defense against the impacts of climate change, such as storm surge and sea level rise. The third episode from the docu-series features how the mangrove forest has protected and saved the lives of the people on the island. It also calls for sustainable development and preservation for the mangrove forest, which necessitates cooperation from government agencies and the people it serves,” Legarda added.

The protected areas documentary series was narrated and conceptualized by Legarda, directed by Brillante Mendoza and produced by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“This series aims to educate citizens on our protected areas, which are critical in conserving our biodiversity that is essential to our existence and survival. Through this documentary series, Filipinos will learn more about our protected areas—the richness of these areas and the challenges in conservation. We want Filipinos to appreciate the unique natural heritage that we have and enjoin everyone to protect them,” said Legarda.

Protected areas are identified portions of land and water set aside by reasons of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation. There are 240 identified protected areas in the country.

Our Fragile Earth: Protected Areas of the Philippines airs every Saturday, 7:45 a.m., on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), with replays every Sunday, 1:45 p.m.