Kalinga park scores high in suitability assessment

BAGUIO CITY  , Philippines  —  The famed Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park (BBNP) passed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Protected Area Suitability Assessment with a score of 97/100.  

The assessment, part of the process of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System, will usher in the congressional nod for the park to be included in the ENIPAS. 

The park’s high scores came from a series of ground validations, immersions, interviews with key informants and Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) members. 

It got perfect scores in four criteria – irreplaceability, presence of restricted range and congregatory species with 30 points; vulnerability or the presence of globally threatened species  with  25; naturalness, intact natural cover such as forest, mangroves, sea grass beds and corals got a score of 10 for having 95 percent forest cover; uniqueness or the presence of important cultural, geological and aesthetic features that support biodiversity with 10; and abundance or high concentration of species of flora and fauna on site with five. 

It scored 27/30 in socio-economic importance or the value of area in terms of recreational, educational, traditional use, heritage and other sustainable uses while hazard mitigation measures in the area are yet to be institutionalized. 

The Regional Ecotourism Committee and PAMB members had reviewed the five-year Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park Protected Area Management Plan with only minor revisions. The plan though is still subject to final approval by the three barangays covered by the protected area during a public hearing on Oct. 10-12. 

Salient among the amendments introduced is the change of title from BBNP to Balbalasang-Balbalan Protected Landscape in line with Republic Act 11038 or the ENIPAS, a provision of which classifies protected areas into biotic, landscape, heritage areas, sea and marine habitat. 

BBNP, categorized as a national biotic area, was created on June 17, 1972 through RA 6463. 

Balbalasang National Park covers the Banao ancestral domain composed of barangays Pantikian, Talalang and Balbalasang. It falls under the landscape category with the presence of settlements and other structures, as well as recreation and economic activities done in the protected area. 

Amendments include the exclusion of 390 hectares of the Minahang Bayan in Barangay Gaang from the protected area, reducing the park supervised by a superintendent and support staff to 21,000 hectares.   

The park has a management office of three buildings with yearly funding in the General Appropriations Act.