Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 7586)
The title is the "National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992."
The policy is to secure for the Filipino people the perpetual existence of native plants and animals through the establishment of a comprehensive integrated protected areas system that maintains ecological balance and sustainable development.
Categories include Strict nature reserve, Natural park, Natural monument, Wildlife sanctuary, Protected landscapes and seascapes, Resource reserve, Natural biotic areas, and other categories by law or international agreements.
It refers to portions of land and water set aside due to unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biodiversity and protected from destructive human exploitation.
The DENR controls and administers the National Integrated Protected Areas System, prepares management plans, promulgates rules, collects fees, enforces regulations, and coordinates with other agencies and the public.
Buffer zones are peripheral areas adjacent to protected areas established to protect them from activities harmful to the ecological balance of the protected area.
Violators can be fined between P5,000 to P500,000, imprisoned for 1 to 6 years, required to restore damages, evicted from the land, and forfeit collected resources and equipment.
The board includes the Regional Executive Director, representatives from autonomous regional government, provincial and municipal governments, barangays involved, tribal communities if applicable, NGOs/local community organizations, and other agencies as necessary.
Prohibited acts include hunting, dumping waste, use of motorized equipment without permits, mutilation or defacement of natural features, squatting, unauthorized construction, leaving unsanitary refuse, and altering boundary markers.
Ancestral lands and rights are recognized; indigenous communities cannot be evicted or resettled without consent, and they are accorded protection in management and rules concerning protected areas.