A partners’ forum and photo exhibit, spearheaded by the Mindoro Bio-diversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (MBCFI) in partnership with the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) and other groups from the private sector, were successfully held in Calapan City in Mindoro as part of the celebration of World Wetlands Day. Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali Jr. said the preservation of wetlands is as important as the protection of forests, since it also provides many benefits to the people in terms of environment, food and livelihood. In Oriental Mindoro, Naujan Lake National Park (NLNP) is a prime example of a wetland that attained global stature when it was declared in 1999 as the 1008th of international importance by the Ramsar Convention, named after a coastal city in Iran near the Caspian Sea where an international conference was held in 1971.

Mahusay, J. (2014, February 24). World Wetlands Day highlights Mindoro's diversity. The Philippine Star, p. A-29.