KAHIUSAHAN ALANG SA ATONG KADAGATAN UG KINAIYAHAN!
We are one with the globe in celebrating the International Coastal Cleanup with this year’s theme “Fight for Plastic-Free Seas, Pilipinas: Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source”. ICC Philippines is supported through Presidential Proclamation 470 signed by President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo on September 15, 2003 declaring every third Saturday of September each year as the International Coastal Cleanup Day.
With its mission to help clean the seas, rivers, and waterways, and to raise awareness of the growing marine debris problem, ICC requires volunteers not only the collection of litter but also to identify and record collected trash on the Data Card. The data generated from all over the participating countries will be encoded in a database for further study and analysis by pollution specialists.
DENR Central Visayas as the lead agency collaborated with the City and Local Government Units and tap all stakeholders and partners for today’s cleanup activity.
With 3,647 number of individuals and 43 civic groups spread in more than 20 sites region wide, the central visayas volunteers collected around 742 sacks with an estimated 5,060.2 kg of mostly plastic products, beverage bottles, kid and adult pads, styrofoams, and other household wastes. (More data and information to follow) #IkawAkoKitaAngKalikupan#TayoAngKalikasan#ICC2022
Last September 7, 2022- A MOA signing was held at the Provincial Capitol in Tagbilaran City on the Creation of the Bohol Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef Management Council (BDBDBRMC). This Agreement enters between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resouces (BFAR), Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and the 10 Local Government Units of Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, Buenavista, Getafe, Talibon, Trinidad, Bien-Unido, Ubay and Pres. Carlos P.Garcia, Bohol.
This MOA serves as the guiding instrument of the members of the council and stakeholders in the province of Bohol in the proper management, protection, and conservation of Danajon (danawon) bank double barrier reef that has been serving as a breeding and nursery area for various marine organisms and fishing grounds for centuries and has helped ensure food security for the Central and Eastern Visayas communities while exhibiting considerable ecotourism potential.
Governor Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado on his statement “that it is a fresh start in protecting and conserving the Danajon double barrier reef and he will make sure that other provinces like Cebu, Southern Leyte, and Leyte will join the band and will help safeguard the nearly one million people who live directly in the vicinity of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef that relies on its resources for sustenance and livelihood”.
Present of the MOA signing are Governor Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado of the Provincial Government of Bohol, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director Paquito D. Melicor, Jr. represented by PENRO Ariel N. Rica, CENRO Richard N. Abella, CENRO Elena , Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Director Dr. Allan L. Poquita represented by Candido Samijon, LGU-Tubigon by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. William R. Jao, LGU-Clarin by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Eugeniano Ibarra, LGU-Inabanga by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Jose Jono Jumamoy, LGU-Buenavista by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Dave D. Duallo, LGU-Getafe by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Cary M. Camacho, LGU-TAlibon by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Janette A. Garcia, LGU-Trinidad by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Roberto C. Cajes, LGU-Bien Unido by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Rene B. Borenaga, LGU-Ubay by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Constantino H. Reyes and LGU-Pres. Carlos P. Garcia by its Municipal Mayor, Hon. Fernando B. Estavilla, 2nd District Representative Cong. Maria Vanessa C. Aumentado, Representative of Cong. Edgar M. Chatto and Representative of Cong. Alexie Tutor.
Danajon (also known as "Dawahon") Double Barrier Reef, composed of an outer reef and an inner reef, is one of six (6) in the world and the only documented Double Barrier Reef in the Philippines and South East Asia, with over 272 s.km. (27,200 ha) with a total coastline of 699 km and comprising over 1% of the Philippines' total coral reef area is bounded by the Provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Bohol, Southern Leyte, and the City of Lapu-Lapu, which through the coastal LGUs in the area, share administrative jurisdiction.
The coastal communities bordering the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef ecosystem rank among the most densely populated in the country and are threatened by impending climate change impacts are some of the underlying factors that are contributing to poverty, malnutrition, and climate vulnerabilities in these communities so that integrated resource protection, conservation, rehabilitation, and management approach that incorporates population management and climate change adaptation and/or mitigation measures as a strategy for sustainable development is therefore deemed necessary.
The most significant problem concerning the Danajon Double Barrier Reef is the lack of a collaborative governance framework leading to uncoordinated management of an important ecosystem leading to significant gaps in law enforcement resulting in rampant destructive fishing practices, economic development, capacities, adaptation to climate change impacts, and education and advocacy for relevant stakeholders, hence this agreement was initiated and formalized.
The Bohol’s “Trees for Unity Program” was launched on Friday, September 9, 2022, through a Tree-Growing activity at San Vicente, Ubay, Bohol. The activity was spearheaded by DENR-Bohol and the Provincial Government of Bohol together with other 28 partner National Government Agencies, different organizations, institutions, academe, and private sectors within the province of Bohol. During the activity, a total of 2500 seedlings were planted within 2.5 hectares participated by 430 individuals.
Trees for Unity Program is a program that unites and mobilizes Boholanos in protecting, conserving, and managing its environment and natural resources. Moreover, it is a collective effort and action among these entities to respond to the need to rehabilitate, restore, protect and conserve the damaged Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) plantations brought by typhoon Odette and the remaining denuded forestland within the province. Furthermore, this program will establish an initial 100 hectares in San Vicente, Ubay, Bohol which will be divided among the named partners.
Trees for Unity Program was initiated by CENR Officer Richard N. Abella of DENR-CENRO Talibon, Bohol of which the majority of the plantation of ENGP within his jurisdiction was being damaged by typhoon Odette.
Among these are the partners include: PENRO-Bohol, CENRO-Talibon and Tagbilaran, Office of 1st District Representative Atty. Edgar M. Chatto, Office of the 2nd District Representative Maria Vanessa C. Aumentado, Office of the 3rd District Representative Alexie B. Tutor; Sangguniang Kabataan Provincial Federation of Bohol, Local Government of Ubay, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-47IB, Bohol Provincial Police Office, Brotherhood Christian for Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP), Community Based Forest Management Agreement Federation of Bohol (CBFMAFB), Bohol Small Scale Mining Asso. (BSSMA), Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Department of Agrarian (DAR-BOHOL), Department of Agriculture (DA-BOHOL), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-BOHOL), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-BOHOL), Department of Education (DEPED-BOHOL), Philippine Coast-Guard (PCG), Philippine Port Authority (PPA), Alturas Group of Companies, Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP), Bohol Quality (BQ), PhilHealth, PNP-Special Action Force, Society of Filipino Forester Inc. (SFFI-Bohol Chapter), BLGU-San Vicente and San Vicente Farmers Association (SVFIA).
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 7, Central Visayas and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 7 are raising the young generation’s awareness of proper solid waste management via its new mascot and mobile game application.
On August 25-26, 2022 DENR-EMB-7 will conduct it’s 4th Solid Waste Management Summit and Expo and the SWM Advocacy Campaign “Pinas: Basura Buster (PBB) Mascot and Basura Buster mobile game” with the theme “Fast Tracking the Total Solid Waste Management Solution for a Sustainable-Driven Philippines at the City Wing, SM Seaside City Cebu in South Road Properties, Cebu City.
PBB is DENR’s solid waste management mascot and is the image of DENR's SWM program,which aims to attract support from the youth sector. The Basura Buster mobile game can be uploaded via Google Play Store for free. The mobile game will teach children or kids at heart waste segregation, recycling, and disposal “the proper and fun way.”
The Summit and Expo exhibits will showcase best/success stories on Solid Waste Management of the Local Government Units and Private Sectors in Central Visayas. There will also be presentations on technologies/services and products from the participating exhibitors during the event.
DENR7 and LGU Daanbantayan signed MOA to implement FLUP
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region 7, Central Visayas Regional Executive Director Paquito D. Melicor Jr. and Mayor Sun Shimura for the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu Province jointly signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in the implementation of the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP).
PENRO Cebu Cleo Cary Colis, CENRO Cebu City Raul Pasoc, Vice Mayor Ali Abucay, SB Member Bregitte Tancawan, and MLGOO Grace Caburnay witnesses the MOA signing.
The MOA formalizes the partnership between the DENR-7 and LGU Daanbantayan in the protection, management, conservation and development of the forests and forestlands within the jurisdiction of LGU Daanbantayan. The MOA serves as a symbol of partnership between the department and the local government units to co-manage the forests and forestland resources of the town to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of the people.
“The FLUP will serve as guide for the LGU in decision making, a planning tool that equips LGUs, DENR and other stakeholders to comprehensively map out future economic progress of an area in the context of sustainable forest management, biodiversity management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and management and forest degradation. FLUP should also be a part of their Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the municipality”, Melicor said.
Mayor Shimura also expressed his gratitude to DENR7, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Cebu and Cebu Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Cebu City for their invaluable inputs and technical assistance during the modification and updating of the FLUP. He said that while our town is on the road to progress, we should always put in mind to strike a balance between environmental conservation and development. #IkawAkoKitaAngKalikupan
