A CONGRESSMAN on Tuesday urged Congress to pass a bill mandating the creation of a body tasked to protect the Sierra Madre Mountain Range from deforestation as part of efforts to prevent widespread flooding during torrential rains.
Filed by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles in 2022, the measure seeks to establish the Sierra Madre Development Authority, which would oversee and protect the mountain range from deforestation, illegal construction of infrastructure, and help in the economic development of the indigenous population.
Mr. Nograles cited the need to quickly enact the measure after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. noticed deforested areas in the mountain range during an aerial inspection on the damages caused by Severe Tropical Storm Yagi (Enteng) last week.
“I hope that the President’s recent statement about Sierra Madre’s deforestation will serve as a nudge in the right direction for us in Congress to prioritize the creation of the Sierra Madre Development Authority,” he said in a statement. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio