Marcos Jr. Establishes Innovation Hub, Declares New Protected Area
Biñan, Laguna & San Francisco, Quezon Benefit from Presidential Proclamations
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has greenlit the creation of a new innovation hub in Biñan, Laguna, and designated a significant new protected landscape in San Francisco, Quezon, bolstering scientific development and environmental conservation efforts.
De La Salle University Innovation Hub Launched
Under Proclamation 985, signed on July 30, a 50,000-square-meter parcel of land at the De La Salle University Science and Technology Complex in Biñan, Laguna, has been officially designated as the De La Salle University Innovation Hub. This initiative aims to foster knowledge, innovation, science, and technology within a specialized ecozone.
The establishment of this hub is authorized by Republic Act 7916, the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, as amended. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Board of Directors recommended this designation, which is intended to stimulate economic growth by developing specialized zones.
San Francisco Protected Landscape Safeguarded
In a move to preserve biodiversity, Republic Act 12229, signed by President Marcos Jr. on July 23, declares a 29.6-hectare area in San Francisco, Quezon, as a protected landscape. This designation recognizes the unique biological richness and ecological significance of the Mulanay Watershed Forest Reserve.
The newly formed San Francisco Protected Landscape (SFPL) will be classified as a national park. The law mandates the State’s commitment to the conservation, protection, management, and rehabilitation of this vital area.
Effective administration of the SFPL will depend on collaboration between national and local government units, non-governmental organizations, private entities, and local communities. A Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will be formed to oversee the landscape.
Additionally, a Protected Management Office will be established to handle the daily operations, protection, and administration of the SFPL. A dedicated trust fund will finance the ongoing operations of the protected area, with 75 percent of revenues retained by the PAMB for local projects and the remaining 25 percent deposited into the National Treasury’s General Fund.
The importance of national parks in the Philippines is underscored by their role in preserving ecosystems. For example, national parks often serve as critical habitats for endemic species; the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, for instance, is home to the Philippine Eagle, an endangered raptor that requires extensive forest cover for survival (DENR, 2024).
Copies of Proclamation 985 and Republic Act 12229 were made public on Friday via the Official Gazette.
