The Philippine Senate on Monday, Sept. 27 approved on third and final reading five local bills that seek to declare five “ecologically vital areas” as protected sites under the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS).
| House Bill No(HBN) | Short Title | Location/Region |
| HBN 9320 | Banao Protected Landscape Act | Balbalan, Kalinga (CAR) |
| HBN 9327 | Tirad Pass Protected Landscape Act | Municipalities of Gregorio del Pilar,Quirino, Sigay, Cervantes and Suyo, in the Province of Ilocos Sur (Region 1) |
| HBN 9326 | Naga-Kabasalan Protected Act | Municipalities of Naga and Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay (Region 9) |
| HBN 9325 | Mt. Pulag Protected Landscape Act | Municipalities of Kabayan, Boko and Buguias in Benguet; Tinoc, Ifugao and Kayapa in Nueva Vizcaya |
| HBN 9206 | Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape Act | Province of Pampanga (Region 3) |
In declaring the new 5 protected areas, the Senate through the head of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, said that the passage of the measures into law would expand the conservation and protection of the rich biodiversity of the Philippines being one of the 17 biodiverse rich countries in the world that contains two thirds of the earth’s biodiversity and 70 to 80 percent of the world’s plant and animal species.