The Philippines can be found within the molten Ring of Fire, such is why the country is prone to volcanic

eruptions and earthquakes. As a result, the Philippine tectonic plates kept on evolving tirelessly that it
studded its 7,641 islands with multiple geographical wonders beautifully carved on different scales . In
addition, the country had also become a crucial importance to global biodiversity because of its
exceptional levels of narrow endemism, both terrestrial and marine. This is now termed as Endemic
Species under the “Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018” (ENIPAS), being
referred to as that “species or subspecies of flora and fauna which are naturally occurring and found
within specific areas in the country.”

However, due to the “profound impact of man’s activities on all components of the natural environment
particularly the effect of increasing population, [and] resource exploitation,” the lawmakers in 1992 had
established a National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (NIPAS) to “secure for the Filipino people
of present and future generations the perpetual existence of all native plants and animals through the
establishment of a comprehensive system of integrated protected areas xxx.” The NIPAS also had for its
intent an effective administration over these areas with the “cooperation of the national government, local
government and concerned private organizations, & that the use and enjoyment of these protected areas
must be consistent with the principles of biological diversity and sustainable development.”

Conversely, more than two decades thereafter, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the ENIPAS which took
effect in 2018. This expanded version of the NIPAS Act not only provided for a national legislation for all
protected areas to ensure their ecological integrity but it also intended for the “mobilization of resources
for the institutional mechanisms xxx and the full scientific and technical support needed for the
conservation of biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystems, culture and indigenous practices.”

Moreover, there are roughly 94 protected areas enumerated under the ENIPAS that are compromised of
national parks, game refuge, bird and wildlife sanctuaries, wilderness areas, strict nature reserves,
watersheds, mangrove reserves, fish sanctuaries, natural and historical landmarks, protected and
managed landscape/seascapes, as well as old growth forests that were already identified before the
effectivity of the NIPAS Act. Consequently, the ENIPAS had to necessarily provide for the “delineation
and demarcation of boundaries; deputation of support especially on enforcement to the Protected Area
Superintendent (PASu); and regular reporting on the status of the Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF)
and allocating 75% of all revenues raised to the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). It also
prohibits the use and possession of destructive fishing gears within the protected seascape.”

One of the 94 enumerated protected areas in the ENIPAS is the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape
(TVPL), measured at 62,292.16 sq/km. As a short historical overview and to emphasize its biodiversity,
the Taal Lake was once part of the Balayan Bay. Due to a series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes,
that portion of the bay emerged slightly from the ocean floor and had isolated itself from the body of the
Balayan. Perplexingly, surfacing with the area is the head of a volcano with a crater now filled with
rainwater. Curiously, the body of collected rainwater had become a lake on its own called the Main Crater
Lake, or the Yellow Lake. Moreover, 300 years worth of rainfall in the Yellow Lake had diluted the
saltiness of its water, prompting the marine species within it to adapt to its new surroundings. As a result,
Taal Lake is home to some unique flora and fauna. One of these is the Tawilis fish specie, or Sardinella
tawilis. It is one of a few marine species trapped within the lake that has evolved into a purely freshwater
species. It is the only freshwater sardine in the world and it is an endemic species of sardines that can
only be found in the Taal Lake.

As quoted from DENR-CALABARZON, the Taal Volcano was proclaimed as a Protected Area under the
NIPAS Act through Proclamation No. 923 in 1996 under which the site demonstrates harmonious
interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for public enjoyment through recreation and
tourism within the normal lifestyle and economic activity of the area. TVPL covers 13 municipalities and 3
cities in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite. The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of TVPL
has the full jurisdiction over the use of the waters of Taal Lake and as such has the responsibility of
proper management.