⌛ Development over the Twin lakes

I'm pro environmental, but I have a question for those guys who are from the US: Isn't it that all the natural parks in the US have this similar same format? Natural park and beside it is a restaurant/Lodge house with a souvenir shop? Is the US government being criticized with this kind of moves?

 

Hi Paul.
In the U.S. the government, as well as private interests, are held to strict environmental guidelines concerning pollution, wetlands protection, etc., that are enforced with consistency. In many cases a small development next to a natural park actually increases the likelyhood the park area will be preserved and protected due to constant supervision and steady funding.
Do you feel the Philippines has the same structure in place? What is the track record of the Philippine government in these situations?

 

Well put tim8ter.



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I guess we have to take note that the US is a vast country where many Philippines can fit in it.The difference is as as tim8ter said the US has the consistency in implementing its laws and guidelines with the interest also from many sectors to preserve and protect the environment. The Philippines hasn’t ,infact it’s one of the countries of the world with high deforestation rates.2/3’s of our forest are already gone and with known eternal political corruption from top to bottom ,having big improverish population it’s not good recipe for environmental progress plans .Apparently ,the government monitoring data stated that 58% of the country’s ground water is contaminated with coliform bacteria,cholera,hep A. and is a major threat,worrying. Seems often in the Philippine news highlights of disasters of floods and land slides,these are just few to mention .The twin lakes ecosystem is a small area and what is left precious for us in this side of Negros .If we start chopping the small forest left ,we are endangering the ecosystem and biodiversity which the tourism sector is capitalizing on it by flaunting the area as one natural attractions to tourists .I can't see the simple logic involve,instead of protecting the twin lakes , they are allowing gradual destrucion to creep in.I do feel the restuarant wouldn't be sitting there alone ,lets wait and see ,there'll be another one new coming ,perhaps an accomodation .With each day this little forest is endangered and reduced by human greed then lets prepare for the dire consequences in the days to come.


This comes from one of the investment promotion sites of balinsasayao (twin lakes).

“An extensive tropical rainforest ecosystem and one of the centers of great biodiversity on Negros Island.
Lake Balinsasayao is a Natural Park that is home to 180 species of dipterocarp and non-dipterocarp trees, 113 species of birds, 27 mammals, and 49 amphibians and reptiles.”

But how come they allow chopping of the forest to give way to some form of commercial development. Perhaps because Gloria had declared the Negros Oriental an economic zone that such declaration interpreted to override previous environmental legislations to protect the lakes. Some forestry experts predicted based from the current rate of deforestation they’ve seen that by 2025 there’s no more virgin forest left in this country. Picture the twin lakes with more development to give way of the greedy.

It feels like doom and gloom.