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Representative Edward Hagedorn of Palawan’s 3rd District expressed his sincere gratitude on Monday as his proposed resolution for the West Philippine Sea’s environmental preservation and protection got support from influential government organizations.

He is the author of House Bill No. 6373, which seeks to designate the Kalayaan Island Group, Scarborough Shoal, and a three-nautical-mile radius around them as Marine Protected Areas.

Hagedorn has previously met with representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), and the Department of National Defense to address pertinent issues (DND).

“I appreciate the DENR, DILG, DND, and all the other specialists who have talked with me and demonstrated a sincere concern for preserving our environment. The discussions held during the most recent sessions were fruitful, and we discovered that our points of view were congruent “added Hagedorn.

“These government representatives’ invaluable views will all be used to improve the bill’s protection and preservation of the atolls, coral reefs, and other important marine resources in the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal. Yes, this is a cause for which we should band together, “Added he.

The lawmaker intends to continue speaking with these government organizations to improve HB 6373, which will be heard on January 25 after being designated as one of the House of Representatives priority legislation by Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Hagedorn expressed his gratitude to Romualdez for appreciating the significance and necessity of the bill that cited Republic Act No. 11038, also known as the “Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018,” as well as the UN Arbitral Ruling in its attempt to designate the areas above as Marine Protected Areas.

It cited a 2012 research by Rudolf de Groot, et al. in its explanatory note, which claimed that coral reefs represent our “single most valuable ecosystem.”

“A reef with a potential value of one hectare, or roughly 2.5 acres, can generate about USD350,000 per year. Despite the South China Sea covering only 2.5% of the world’s total ocean and sea surface, the coral reefs in the Spratly Islands act as the fish breeding grounds in the South China Sea and makeup 34% of the world’s total coral reefs.

As a result, it said, “the South China Sea is one of the world’s richest marine environments and is home to diversified marine ecosystems with over 3,000 species of fish and 600 kinds of coral reef.”

The explanatory note also discussed how certain territorially conflicted actions by neighboring states, such as overfishing, poaching, and extensive ocean filling or reclamation, among others, contributed significantly to environmental degradation in the region.

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