Villar stresses value of wetland park as bird sanctuary
Sen. Cynthia Villar stressed anew the importance of wetlands in providing wildlife habitats, including as sanctuary of migratory birds. On the occasion of the World Migratory Bird Day, Villar said the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPWP) located South of Manila Bay, has served as resting and feeding grounds for migratory birds coming from Japan, China, and Siberia. “Wetlands have a unique characteristic and serve a lot of functions that is why these areas are protected and preserved,” Villar said. Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, authored Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Act or E-NIPAS Act, which lists the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park as a protected area. The park is a 175- hectare nature reserve providing sanctuary to 82 species of wild bird including Philippine ducks, Chinese egret, and the Black-winged stilts. It has 36 hectares of mangrove forest, the thickest and most diverse among the remai