You are on page 1of 5

THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM (NIPAS) ACT AND

ITS IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

I. INTRODUCTION

The first important legislation that formed the basis of the current system of
national parks and protected areas in the Philippines is the Philippine Commission Act
No. 648 enacted in 1903 by the US Congress. This act authorized the Civil Governor to
"reserve for civil public purposes, and from sale or settlement, any part of the public
domain not appropriated by law for special public purposes."
A total of eight national reserves had been established in July 26, 1904 pursuant
to this law. In the same year, the Forest Act of 1904 (Act No. 1148) was adopted that
expanded the scope of protected areas in the Philippines. Among the first of such
mountain forest reserves to be declared was Mount Maquiling, declared in November
21, 1910.
On February 1, 1932, the National Parks Act (Act No. 3915) was enacted that
formally established the national parks system in the country. Mount Arayat became the
first national park in the Philippines established in June 27, 1933 following this act.
A series of acts and legislations were passed in the next decades that aimed to
further strengthen these policies, including the Revised Forestry Code of 1975
(Presidential Decree No. 705). Under Section 4 of the PD, the Bureau of Forestry, the
Reforestation Administration, the Southern Cebu Development Reforestation Project,
and the Parks and Wildlife Office were merged into a single agency to be known as the
Bureau of Forest Development (BFD). And in Section 10 of the PD, nine (9) divisions
and one (1) training center were created that included the Parks and Wildlife Division,
the functions of which are to manage and develop national parks and other forest
reserves, game refuge, bird sanctuaries, national shrines and national historic sites.
Section 18 of the P.D. empowered the President of the Philippines to establish within
any lands of the public domain, forest reserve and forest reservation for the national
park system, for preservation as critical watersheds, or for any other purpose, and
modify boundaries of existing ones.
On June 10, 1987, Executive Order No. 192 was issued by President Corazon
C. Aquino that re-organized the then Department of Energy, Environment and Natural
Resources, renaming it as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR). The re-organization abolished the Parks and Wildlife Division in the former
Bureau of Forest Development (BFD) and, under Section 6 hereof, paved the way for
the creation of a separate bureau-the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB). In
section 18 of the said EO, the PAWB have absorbed all divisions, committees, wildlife
centers, special projects, wildlife sanctuaries, game preserves, etc. previously being
managed and administered by the BFD, Ministry of Human Settlements and Ministry of
Tourism. The functions of PAWB were also specifically enumerated in Section 18 of the
EO, to wit:
a. Formulate, and recommend policies, guidelines, rules and regulations for the
establishment and management of an Integrated Protected Areas System
such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and refuge, marine parks and
biospheric reserves;
b. Formulate and recommend policies, guidelines, rules and regulations for the
preservation of biological diversity, genetic resources, the endangered
Philippine flora and fauna;
c. Prepare an up to date listing of endangered Philippine flora and fauna and
recommend a program of conservation and propagation of the same;
d. Assist the Secretary in the monitoring and assessment of the management of
the Integrated Protected Areas System and provide technical assistance to
the regional offices in the implementation of programs for these areas;
e. Perform other functions as may be assigned by the Secretary and/or
provided by law.
On February 06, 1992, the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS)
Act or Republic Act No. 7586 was enacted, which further enhanced the administration
and classification of protected areas, and broadened the mandate of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources in enforcing its provisions.
ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED
AREAS SYSTEM (NIPAS)
(As of December 31, 2013)

Republic Act 7586 otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System
(NIPAS) Act of 1992 provides the legal framework for the establishment and
management of protected areas in the Philippines. The Law defines protected areas as
the identified portions of land and/or water set aside by reason of their unique physical
and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected
against destructive human exploration. The establishment and management of
protected areas are part of the international commitments signed by the Philippine
Government such Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, World
Heritage Convention, Convention on Migratory Species, and the ASEAN Agreement on
the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

The implementation of the NIPAS Act is currently on its 19th year. It is implemented
originally through DENR Administrative Order No. 25, Series of 1992. The said DENR
Administrative Order was amended pursuant to DAO 2008-26 dated 24 December
2008. This Administrative Order sets the procedures for the establishment,
administration, management and development of the System.

The NIPAS Act identified 202 initial components comprising of proclaimed national
parks, game refuge and wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves, wilderness areas,
mangrove reserves, watershed reservations, fish sanctuaries, protected landscapes and
seascapes, among others prior to the effectivity of the NIPAS Act. The identified initial
components of NIPAS cover an approximate area of 2.57 million hectares. These areas
will be maintained as part of the NIPAS until such time that they are finally assessed as
to their suitability for inclusion to the System. As of to date, there are two hundred forty
(240) protected areas in the Philippines including the initial components of NIPAS
covering 5.45 million hectares. Of the 240, one hundred thirteen 113 protected
areas formally proclaimed by the President under the System covering 3.57 million
hectares. Seventy (71) out of the 113 are initial components with an area of 2.00 million
hectares and forty-two (42) additional areas with an area of 1.57 million hectares. Of the
113 proclaimed protected areas, 29 are marine protected areas with a total area of 1.37
million hectares while 84 are terrestrial protected areas covering an area of 2.20 million
hectares.

Nine (9) of the initial components and four (4) additional areas have specific laws for
their establishment under the System. These are Batanes Island Protected Landscape
and Seascape-R2, Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park-R2, Bangan Hills-R2, Mts.
Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape-R4A, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park-
R4B, Mt. Kanla-on Natural Park-R6, Sagay Marine Reserve-R6, Central Cebu Protected
Landscape-R7, Mimbilisan Protected Landscape-R10, Mt. Kitanglad Natural Park-R10,
Mt. Malindang Natural Park-R10, Mt. Apo Natural Park-R11 and Mt Hamiguitan Range
Wildlife Sanctuary-R11.
In terms of administration, the NIPAS Act requires the creation of respective Protected
Area Management Board (PAMB) which is a multi-sectoral and decision making body
for each of the protected area established under the NIPAS. As of December 2012
there are one hundred seventy-seven (177) protected areas with organized/appointed
Management Boards: 98 PAs with PAMB are proclaimed under the NIPAS (66 PAs are
initial components and 32 PAs are additional areas). Out of the 98 proclaimed PAs with
PAMB, 2 are under the management of Palawan Council for Sustainable Development
and City Government of Puerto Princesa and 1 is under this Bureau.

With regard to the financing of the System, there are one hundred and seventy-one
(171) protected areas with established Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF), of which
95 protected areas have active IPAF collections and utilization. As of May 15, 2013, a
total income of Php 261,254,677.47 has been generated by the System. On the same
period, a total amount of Php 161,772,421.29 was utilized for the management of
protected areas.

Furthermore, there were seventy-one (71) support policies issued by the DENR
including the approved Revised IRR of the NIPAS Act.

In recognition of the importance of the biological diversity of the Philippines, several


protected areas have been designated as World Heritage Sites (Tubbataha Reefs
Natural Park and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park), Ramsar Sites
(Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Naujan Lake
National Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, LAPPCHEA and Puerto Princesa
Subterranean River National Park), Transboundary Protected Areas (Turtle Islands
Wildlife Sanctuary), ASEAN Heritage Parks (Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mts. Iglit-Baco
National Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park
and Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve) and the New Seven (7) Wonders of Nature (Puerto
Princesa Subterranean River National Park).

Facts and Figures


Programs and Projects
Photo Gallery
Maps
PACBRMA Issuance per Region per Protected Area

You might also like