DENR Hails Multi-Sectoral Feat as 10-Hectare Leganes Mangrove Eco-Park Opens

Leganes, Iloilo- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 has expressed high praise for the collaboration between local government units, national agencies, and private sector partners following the June 02 inauguration of the Provincial Katunggan Ecological and Economic Park (ProKEEP) in Barangay Nabitasan, Leganes, Iloilo.

The 10-hectare site, a former Abandoned, Underutilized and Undeveloped Fishponds (AUUF), has been successfully transformed into a thriving coastal greenbelt. The project serves as Iloilo province’s hub for mangrove conservation and marine biodiversity protection.

DENR-6 OIC-Regional Executive Director Atty. Ramar Niel V. Pascua commended the project as a model for excellent environmental governance by the Iloilo Provincial Government under Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.

The DENR emphasized that rehabilitation of the degraded ecosystem stands as a testament to what can be achieved when government frameworks align with community action and private sector corporate social responsibility.

The initiative originated in 2016 through Iloilo Provincial Government ENRO’s Katunggan: Coastal Greenbelt for BioCoCo Protection Project backed by an initial provincial allocation of ₱710,000. It has since scaled up significantly through external partnerships. Governor Defensor noted that this infrastructure lays the groundwork for ProKEEP to develop into a premier ecotourism destination, aligning with the province’s Tanum Iloilo for MoRProGRes" agenda to build a resilient ‘forest province.’

With the park already securing elite milestones like the DILG EXCELL Awards 2024 and the prestigious 2025 Normandy Honor for Peace — with the Earth, the DENR is using this momentum to challenge other municipal and provincial governments to aggressively step up.

“The task of restoring our coastal greenbelts, expanding our forests, and making Western Visayas truly green is a shared regional responsibility,” RED Pascua noted.

“We cannot do this in isolation. Leganes has proven that when an LGU opens its doors to national agencies, scientific advisers, and private enterprise, real ecological restoration happens. We challenge every other LGU in the region to replicate this ecosystem model,”  he added.

By establishing ProKEEP as a premier ecotourism and conservation hub, Iloilo has set the standard. The DENR reiterates its full commitment to providing technical and policy support to any LGU willing to take up the mantle, turning abandoned or damaged public lands into thriving green spaces for the next generation.