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Sunday, September 25, 2005
Environment steps up drive to protect C. Luzon atmosphere
ENVIRONMENT authorities in the City of San Fernando and local officials of Zambales recently forged a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to strengthen the implementation of community-based forestry as a strategy to address the twin problems of poverty and forest degradation and achieve the goals of sustainable development in the province of Zambales.
Regidor de Leon, executive director of the DENR in Central Luzon, said the agreement set forth the mutual cooperation and collaboration between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) in promoting sustainable forest management by empowering communities and local people.
De Leon said the MOA will strengthen the five-year Enhancement of Community-Based Forest Management Project (ECBFMP) which will end by 2009.
“The task of reversing the trend of forest destruction requires that the DENR forge creative partnerships with local governments to protect and manage our dwindling forest resources,” he said.
Under the Local Government Code, LGUs are mandated to share with the National Government the responsibility in the management and maintenance of ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction.
Botolan Mayor Rogelio Yap vowed to provide an enabling environment and legislative support to the ECBFM project as a manifestation of support and gratitude of the people of Zambales to the Japanese Government and the DENR for having selected the town’s Loob-Bunga CBFM site.
The 174-hectare Loob-Bunga CBFM site is managed by the Loob-Bunga Settlers Association Incorporated (LBSAI), a federation of nine people’s organizations of about 1,000 members, mostly Aetas displaced by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
Hideki Miyakawa, chief advisor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), said only five out of the 22 proposed model sites in Central Luzon met the criteria set by the Japanese Government, which include the relative peace and order situation in the area, expressed political will of the local government to support the project, and the commitment of local communities to implement the project activities.
The DENR launched the five-year ECBFMP last year which received a technical assistance grant of P250 million from the Japanese Government through Jica.
Ricardo Calderon, DENR deputy director for forestry, said the CBFM enhancement project covers five CBFM model sites in Magalang and Sapangbato in Pampanga; Gen. Tinio in Nueva Ecija and Botolan in Zambales. This is the second major forestry project of the Japanese Government in the Philippines since 1976, the first being the RP Japan Forest Development Project in Caranglan, Nueva Ecija.
Information campaign
Earlier, the DENR conducted a massive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign, to various schools and universities in Central Luzon through a series of lectures and film showings on current environmental and natural resources issues and concerns.
De Leon said the IEC campaign is part of the DENR’s mandate of raising the public’s awareness and consciousness on different environmental and natural resources issues.
“Our primary objective here is to inform the public particularly the different students from elementary to college level here in Central Luzon about the present situation of our environment and natural resources and the various projects and programs of the DENR that addresses the different environmental problems, as well as their role in the protection and conservation of the environment” he said.
Perla Collado, chief of the DENR Regional Public Affairs Office (Rpao), said environmental education lectures dubbed as “dalaw-turo” updated the various students from different schools in Central Luzon on issues, concepts and principles pertaining to biodiversity conservation, solid waste management, clean air act, global warming and the present state of Central Luzon’s environment and natural resources.
“The younger generations’ action particularly their contribution in the protection and conservation of the environment is a big support in the DENRs’ campaign of promoting a clean and green environment,” she said. (ABL)
(September 25, 2005 issue)
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