NUNUNGAN, Lanao del Norte (MindaNews / 03 July) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has declared the Mt. Inayawan Range Natural Park (Mt. Inayawan Park) as the 53rd ASEAN heritage park in the 10-member regional bloc, and the 11th in the country.
The formal declaration coincided with the 64th Araw ng Lanao del Norte celebration held at the Pantar Lake in this town last June 28.
The declaration was made in accordance with the ASEAN declaration on heritage parks on December 18, 2003 in Yangon, Myanmar. It was approved last year during the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) via “ad referendum,” signed by his excellency Dato Lim Jock Hoi, ASEAN Secretary General, and Indonesian Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, the chairperson of the 16th AMME.
Environment Assistant Secretary Arleigh Adorable noted that Mt. Inayawan Park is the largest remaining virgin forest in Lanao del Norte.
“This is the 53rd ASEAN heritage park in the ASEAN region, the 11th in the Philippines and amazingly the fourth in Region 10. We have the most number of ASEAN heritage parks in the country compared (to our neighbors),” Adorable said.
“The Mt. Inayawan Range Natural Park is another treasure that Filipinos can truly be proud of. It brings honor and pride to the people of Lanao del Norte,” he added.
Mt. Inayawan Park has an elevation of 1,563 meters above sea level and hosts three major lakes namely Malaig, Pantar and Songgod.
The park helps sustain the livelihood of the people in the municipalities of Nunungan, Sapad, Kapatagan and Lala, all in Lanao del Norte. At least a thousand households depend on the park for irrigation, for industrial and domestic water supply, as well as for food. It also serves as the “center of their belief” as a protector and provider of their needs.
Dr. Arvin Diesmos, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity director for Biodiversity Information Management, said the ASEAN heritage park (AHP) program highlights the importance of protected areas with high biodiversity value in regional and global conservation efforts.
“This AHP is a precious jewel on Mindanao as it is one of the key biodiversity areas in the region. It is home of diverse species,” Diesmos said.
The natural park has a high ethnobiological significance, with its surrounding forests a source of pride on the customs, values and ways of life of the Meranaw people, he said.
Diesmos commended the Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte, the Nunungan municipal government and other stakeholders in the preservation of Mt. Inayawan Park.
Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda “Angging” Quibranza-Dimaporo called for continued cooperation in protecting Mother Earth, vowing to sustain the province’s commitment to actively engage the local communities in dialogues and preservation efforts.
By fostering a culture of environmental stewardship and promoting sustainable practices, Quibranza said they aim to shape a better future for the province.
“We have witnessed first-hand the devastating consequences of environmental degradation and climate change. We must understand that our actions today will shape the next generations,” she said. (Marivic Davis / MindaNews)
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