Bill on integrated coastal
management pushed
By Jester
Manalasats
A BALANCED and
healthy ecology is need-
ed to protect the nation,s
marine wealth and ex-
clusive economic zone.
Assistant Maioritv
Leaderand Las PinisCity
Rep. Camille Villar saiil
this as she pushed for the
approval a measure that
seeks to adoDt a sustain-
able nationil integrated
coastal manaeement.
Villar, a sta"lwart of the
Nacionalista Party (NP),
filed House BiI (HB) No.
3315 that aims to create
National Coordinatine
Committee on Intesrarei
Coastal Manage"ment
(ICM) to formuJate, insti-
tute and implement the
country's national policy
on coastal manasement
airned at ensurine"the sus-
tainable develop'ment of
the coastal and marine en-
vironmmt and tesources.
The proposed Nation-
al ICM through the help of
the Deparhnent of Envi-
ronment and Nafural Re-
sources (DENR) will also
"grant incentives to local
govemment units that ex-
hibit exemplary perfor-
mance in the develoDment uct (GDP).
and implementatibn of Under the measure, the
their respective local inte- National Coordinatins
grated coastal manage- Committee shall exercisE
ment plans." and pedorm the following
She underscored the
powersand functions: fori
passage of the measure to mulate, adopt, institution-
overcome the challenees
alize and amend, ifneces-
of falling fish populatioirs, sary, the National ICM
rising pollution levels, con-
Framework;identify ICM
tinued threats on coral management areas such
reefs and rnangrove for- as bays, lakes, gulfs, river
ests, coastal coEunurrities
basins, watersheds- wpt-
experiencing increased lands,protrected ateas,and
poverty, among other other resources tlut are
things.
shared by two or more
"These challenges are provinces;lesolveconJlicts
winnable. We should iust
arising flom ICMbetween
strengthen further'the or among provinces; arld
country's campaign onl ' recommend to Congress
a coastal management ef- tor enacknent of lesisla-
forts to reve$e the sihra-
tions or to the approp--ria te
tion. The coordination and govemment agency for is-
support of local govem- suance of Dolicies.
mentuniE to na tional gov- - The bili provides that
ernment is verv crucial to the Nationa'l ICM Frame-
effect an integr;ted coasF
work shall include the fol-
al management, especial- lowing components of the
ly on fisheries and fiabitat lramework for sustain-
protection efforts," Villar
able develoDment of
explained. coastal ateas:'soals an.l
Villar said coastal en- obiectives; straiegies and
vironments encomoass
actron plans; required
differmt ecosvstems i uch polcy or legislatidn; in-
as shore lands, mangroves, lormation and public
seagrass beds and coral awareness campaign; fi-
reefs that are verv impor- nanang mecharrisms; and
tarlt to the liveth6od oithe
capacity building and
people, tourismand corm- ICM Training
National
try's gross domestii prod- rroSrm..Fcrl€T