Lack of sufficient funds has hampered the country's vow to rehabilitate denuded forests and defend the marine environment.

This terse assessment was issued Friday by the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga), which has long been associated with campaigns to sustain the country's protected parks and coral reeds.

At the same time, La Liga lashed out at the unbridled development in supposedly protected areas as contributory to the imminent extinction of endangered species in the Philippines, La Liga environment campaigner Jonathan Ronquillo said.

This unwanted development comes at a time after the United Nations (UN) declared 2010 as International Bio-diversity Year, Ronquillo said.

He said that in spite of a commitment by the government to protect forests and coral reefs, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has a budget of only P474.8 million this year to protect forests and the marine environment this year.

Ronquillo stressed the Executive Department proposed a budget of P299.8 million for this item but environment advocates succeeded in raising the allocation by P175 million.

“Still, the amount is way below of what can even be considered as a “maintenance budget” for the 109 Protected Areas and National Parks all over the country,” he said.

The new allocation is still low, Ronquillo said.

“Often national government funds for protected areas are augmented by support of local government units and private stakeholders,” he said.

Out of the 109 Protected Areas and National Parks in the Philippines, only a few have budget allotments under the 2010 budget.

These are: The Hinulugang Taktak National Park in Antipolo, Rizal (P19.3 million); Mt. Apo National Park (P11 million); Tubattaha Reef (P20 million); Mts Banahaw and San Cristobal (P5 million); Mt. Kitanglad (P5 million); Northern Negros National Park (P10 million); Central Cebu National Park (P10 million), and; Mt. Kanlaon National Park (P5 million).

Last year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) did not release the budget for Protected Areas and National Parks, he said.

In the case of the Hundred Island National Parks (HINP), the Alaminos city government has taken over the park's management and administration including its protection and conservation.

Thus, local government funds are spent for the following: Campaigns against illegal fishing; bio-diversity mapping; eco-tourism; and, alternative livelihoods for fisherfolk. On account of its work, HINP received international recognition as a bird sanctuary.

Unfortunately, a bill has been filed in the Lower House that would split and reclassify the HINP.

Authored by Pangasinan 1st district Rep. Arthur Celeste, House Bill No. 4995 proposes to divide and declare one of the biggest islands within the HINP as alienable and disposable land and allow its residential, commercial and industrial use.

Once approved, the bill will effectively supersede the 69-year-old Presidential Proclamation No. 667, which designates the Hundred Islands as a reservation site and makes it a protected area.

Alaminos City officials and residents have assailed the bill as subversion of the HINP. “It is a wildlife sanctuary and breeding ground for a variety of marine species,” Ronquillo said.

HINP is an eco-tourism site with white beaches, dive spots and caves.

“HINP is part of a network of protected areas all over the country that help preserve the Philippines' bio-diversity. As it is, government is already providing very minimal support to the many protected areas in the country. The Celeste proposal to 'chop-chop' the Hundred Islands is a great disservice to the citizens of Alaminos City and Pangasinan and to the environment as well,” he stressed.

Tourist arrivals rose from 92,000 in 2004 to 200,000 in 2009. The revival of marine life in HINP and the entire Lingayen Gulf became more extensive and alternative non-destructive livelihoods to fisherfolk, guides, boatmen and park rangers were generated.