A new law will strengthen the conservation of 97 ecologically “critical areas” in the country. Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, was approved on June 22. “The increasing loss of biodiversity is being attributed to development activities and land degradation, especially overgrazing and deforestation, as well as pollution, overfishing, hunting, infrastructure development, species invasion, land-use change, and the overuse of freshwater. Thus the conservation of our protected areas must be part of our climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts,” Legarda said.

New law to protect 97 PH 'critical areas'. (2018, July 5). Panay News, p. 13.