The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here recently partnered with the Bulacan State University (BulSU) in an effort to conserve the cultural heritage and promote ecotourism in the Biak-Na-Bato National Park (BNBNP) in San Miguel, Bulacan.

 

DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. noted that this newly-minted Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was an all-encompassing strategy to preserve both the historical and environmental value of the BNBNP by integrating research and rehabilitation components that convert the national park’s pavilion into an exhibit area.

 

“By staging the heritage and ecotourism value of this more than 2,000-hectare protected area, we are establishing a channel to educate the public on the critical role it plays to our biodiversity and wildlife, thus, encouraging them to help us in our protection and conservation efforts,” Moreno explained.

 

Said exhibit is part of the implementation of the Sustainable Heritage Imbibing Nationalism through Education in Bulacan, otherwise known as the SHINE Bulacan project. It aims to increase awareness and nationalism by promoting sustainable heritage through educational tourism and community engagement.

 

Material culture retrieved from archaeological excavations and researches in Bulacan, particularly in the BNBNP, will be displayed in the exhibit, which is part of the BulSU’s three-year research program, “Bulacan Landscape Reconstruction: Identifying Anthropogenic and Natural Indicators in Changing Environment.”

 

It may be recalled that in 2020, a team of archeologists led by Dr. Armand Salvador Mijares, recovered archaeological materials like earthenware pots, modified bones, and even faunal remains inside the Tanggapan Cave in the BNBNP. This discovery added a new dimension to the ecological and archaeological relevance of the national park with evidence of Neolithic and Late Paleolithic periods present within the cave.

 

For her part, BulSU President Cecilia Gascon expressed her gratitude towards the ratification of the MOA, noting that this would further collaborative efforts to safeguard Bulacan’s cultural heritage and rich natural resources.

 

Under the MOA, the Protected Area Management Board of the BNBNP will be responsible for the protection and maintenance of the exhibit, as well as the provision of technical support to the BulSU’s research program.

 

The BNBNP is established by former President Manuel Quezon through Proclamation No. 223 on November 1937. DENR studies show that aside from its historical value, the national park is home to 177 animal species, including the endemic Kalaw or Philippine hornbill, wild boar and Philippine deer. (-30-)