We know that the planet is already in a bad shape, thanks to decades of neglect and bad practices. Let’s hope it’s not too late for this.
The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) declared Mt. Cleopatra’s Needle in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan as a critical habitat and a biodiversity conservation area. It’s an effort to protect the mountain’s rich species of flora and fauna.
Mt. Cleopatra’s Needle got its name from the obelisk-like rock structure on its peak. It is a famous tourist attraction and mountaineering destination in the city.
The Puerto Princesa government supports the declaration.
“Gaya ng sa underground river although meron siyang economic aspect, hindi makakalimutan iyong environmental aspect kasi kung masisira ang environment, doon mawawala na rin ang benepisyo,” City Mayor Lucilo Bayron said in a report by GMA News Online.
(‘Like in the underground river, although this has an economic aspect, we can’t forget the environmental aspect. If the environment gets destroyed, all the benefits will disappear.’)
The popular mountain is a safe haven for threatened species including the Philippine Cockatoo, the Palawan Forest Turtle, the Palawan Bearcat, Palawan Horned Frog, Palawan Toadlet, Philippine Flat-headed Frog and the Palawan Monitor Lizard.
According to the environmental group Global Wildlife Conservation, Mt. Cleopartra’s Needle and its neighbor the Underground River National Park are home to eighty-five percent of Palawan’s endemic mammals and birds.
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