Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to protect significant wetlands as the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area (NOCWCA) marks this week its eighth year of designation as a Ramsar site or a wetland of international importance.

“This marks a significant step forward in our shared mission in protecting and conserving the precious coastal wetlands that are vital to the biodiversity and sustainability of our province,” Lacson said in a video message on Friday.

Members of the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Area Management Alliance (NOCWAMA), led by Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo and the Provincial Environment Management Office, unveiled the Ramsar site marker at Bantayan Park on Oct. 21 to recognize inclusion in the wetlands of international importance.

On Oct. 20, 2016, the NOCWCA was declared the seventh Ramsar site in the Philippines and later, the fourth East Asian Australasian Flyway Site.

“The unveiling of the marker is more than just a ceremonial act. It is a testament to our continuing dedication to preserving these wetlands recognized globally as critical habitats under the Ramsar Convention. This marker stands as a reminder of our responsibility to protect the ecosystem that thrives here and countless other species that rely on these wetlands for survival,” Lacson said.

The NOCWCA initiative, titled the “Network of Alliances for Coastal Wetlands Conservation,” was one of the 10 winners of the 2021 Galing Pook Awards that recognizes innovative practices by local government units.

As an alliance, the NOCWAMA manages the NOCWCA that spans a contiguous wetlands area with a coastline of 109.52 kilometers across 10 LGUs in southern Negros.

It is composed of local governments, coastal villages, people’s organizations, fisheries, and aquatic management resources councils, and community-based environment law enforcement units in the cities of Bago, Himamaylan, and Kabankalan, as well as in the municipalities of Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, and Ilog.

The Convention on Wetlands is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.

Almost 90 percent of United Nations member states have acceded to become contracting Parties. (PNA)