CAPIZ – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO) in Capiz is pushing for the declaration of Mount Panginraon in Dumalag as a protected area to safeguard the municipality’s primary watershed, preserve biodiversity, and reduce disaster risks.
DENR-PENRO Capiz Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Dr. Ernest Federiso said the proposed declaration seeks to protect the mountain’s vital ecological resources, particularly its role as the main source of potable water for communities in Dumalag.
Covering approximately 440.22 hectares, Mount Panginraon serves as a watershed that feeds several creeks and natural springs supplying clean water to the municipality.
“If the area faces overexploitation or if the forests are damaged due to various activities, we risk losing the primary source of potable water in Dumalag,” Federiso said in an interview with Bombo Radyo Roxas.
He added that protecting the mountain is also a key disaster risk reduction measure, as studies show that more than 70.5 percent of its total land area is susceptible to landslides.
According to Federiso, deforestation and the effects of climate change could further increase the area’s vulnerability, making forest conservation essential to minimizing geohazard risks.
He said maintaining the mountain’s forest cover would help reduce the likelihood of landslides while strengthening the resilience of nearby communities against extreme weather events.
As part of the process, the Conservation and Development Section of DENR-PENRO Capiz recently conducted a public consultation and hearing in Dumalag on the proposed establishment of the Mount Panginraon Protected Landscape.
The proposal seeks to include the mountain under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), which provides a legal framework for the conservation and sustainable management of environmentally critical areas.
DENR said the protected area status would help preserve the mountain’s ecological integrity, secure water resources, conserve biodiversity, and promote sustainable development while enhancing the community’s resilience to climate change and natural disasters.
Officials said protecting Mount Panginraon is crucial to ensuring that its environmental resources will continue to benefit present and future generations./PN
