Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu welcomed the move by the Senate to approve the spending plan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for 2019.
Cimatu said the approval of the DENR’s 2019 budget amounting to P24.17 billion would allow the agency to deliver on the priority programs and projects geared towards the protection of the environment, and the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s rich natural resources.
“We can finalize and carry out our 2019 plans, policies and activities to realize our mandate of improving the lives of Filipinos, while protecting and conserving our rich biodiversity for present and future generations,” Cimatu said, as he thanked the lawmakers for the approval.
The Senate approved the 2019 DENR budget on Monday night, following a two-hour interpellation. Senator Cynthia Villar sponsored and defended the DENR budget, while four senators—Manny Pacquiao, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros and Richard Gordon—interpellated her.
During the period of interpellation, the senators inquired on the priority areas and species for growing under the Enhanced National Greening Program (eNGP), implementation of the solid waste management and clean water laws in relation to the Manila Bay cleanup, status of ban on open pit mining, and the Boracay rehabilitation.
The lawmakers commended the DENR and Cimatu for showing “sheer political will” in carrying out the closure and rehabilitation of Boracay and the plan to rehabilitate other ecotourism sites.
For 2019, the DENR has allotted P5.072 billion, or almost 21 per cent of its total budget, to forest and watershed management through the eNGP, while almost P890 million have been earmarked to intensify its activities on forest protection and to fight illegal logging.
The agency is also setting aside more than three per cent, or P732 million, to carry out its activities in protected area development and wildlife protection and conservation.
Other priority areas include improvement of land administration and management with almost P400 million; scaling up of coastal and marine ecosystems with P267.69 million; and cleanup of Manila Bay with P80 million.
Of its line agencies, the Environmental Management Bureau has been allotted P969.8 million to implement programs on clean air, clean water, and solid waste management.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau, on the other hand, will get P469.07 million for geohazard, ground water assessment, and responsible mining programs.
The DENR’s proposed budget for 2019 is almost three per cent lower than the P24.91 billion budget for the agency in the General Appropriations Act for 2018. ###
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has underscored the vital role that indigenous peoples (IPs) play in mitigating climate change impacts and managing solid waste in the Philippines.
“We are greatly aware that our IP brothers and sisters have a bigger part to play in helping us to combatting the effects of climate change and global warming, and even our increasing problems in managing our solid waste,” DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Juan Miguel Cuna said in a message read by DENR Central Luzon Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr., during the “Salugnayan DENR at Katutubong Aetas para sa Kalikasan” held in Porac, Pampanga, last December 7.
Cuna said the IPs, particularly the Aetas, have been an important part in the success of DENR programs, including the National Greening Program, the government’s flagship reforestation initiative that doubles as a poverty reduction measure.
“Who else would know about the right place to plant trees and the right time to do so? Of course, it is none other than our Aeta brothers and sisters who reside on the place itself,” Cuna added.
“Salugnayan” is a term derived from two Filipino words, salu-salo (gathering or coming together) and ugnayan (connect).
The event aimed to inculcate among Aetas the current updates on NGP, knowledge on climate change and solid waste management, and current issues and problems in environmental management.
Another important part of the event was the tree-planting activity conducted by local community leaders and DENR officials to symbolize their commitment to environmental protection.
The Salugnayan is a joint project of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Pampanga, DENR central office, local community leaders, and the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Council in the province. ###
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has welcomed the approval of the 10-year solid waste management plans (SWMPs) of 160 local government units (LGUs) nationwide, saying it won more allies in the fight against waste pollution.
DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns Benny Antiporda said the approval was made by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), which he chairs, during its en banc meeting held last Thursday.
NSWMC is a DENR-led body tasked to oversee the implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which provides that the LGUs are primarily responsible for waste segregation and disposal.
Antiporda said that after providing cities and municipalities with “red carpet treatment” in assisting them in all aspects of environmental protection, the DENR expects them to reciprocate by fully implementing their respective SWMPs and adhering to the provisions of RA 9003.
“We have neglected our environment, but it’s never too late. [The SWMP] is the answer to the worsening problem on waste,” Antiporda told mayors and vice mayors who were present to personally receive the NSWMC resolution approving their SWMPs.
Antiporda vowed to strictly monitor the implementation of the approved SWMPs covering the periods 2014 to 2023, 2015-2024, 2016-2015, 2017-2026, 2018-2027 and 2019 to 2028.
He reminded local executives that they may be held administratively and criminally liable for non-implementation of their approved SWMPs.
“The commission is serious in its war on waste. Waste is always the last and the least, and now it is in a very alarming situation,” Antiporda added.
Earlier, Antiporda said the NSWMC was working to fast-track the approval process for the SWMPs submitted by more than 1,600 cities and municipalities across the country.
The move, he said, would allow the LGUs to immediately implement their respective plans for addressing garbage problems in their localities.
In August, the NSWMC also approved during its en banc meeting the SWMP of Quezon City and of 15 municipalities from Ifugao, Aurora, Isabela, La Union, Quezon, Pangasinan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija.
In September, 20 LGUs received approval of their plans including the municipalities of Iloilo, Batanagas, Bataan and Tarlac.
The Commission approved during its three en banc meetings in Octoberthe SWMPs of 67 LGUs, including the cities of Legazpi, Calpan and Mandaue, as well as several municipalities in Abra, Pampanga, Oriental Mindoro, Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Zamboanga del Norte, Saranggani and Maguindanao provinces. ###
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has honored its partners from government, non-government organizations, academe and the business sector for their valuable contributions to the environment through volunteer work.
A total of 55 partner organizations—10 government agencies and state-owned corporations, 14 local government units from Metro Manila, 15 from the academic community, 7 NGOs, and 9 private companies— were recognized for their active participation in over 500 volunteer projects and special events organized by the DENR since 2012.
Among those that received a certificate of appreciation from the DENR were Earth Day Network Philippines, National Bicycle Organization and the Land Bank of the Philippines.
The appreciation program is in line with the DENR’s celebration of December as the National Volunteer Month, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 55, Series of 1998.
DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns Benny Antiporda said the program aims not only to recognize the agency’s volunteer partners, but also encourage more people and organizations to help in protecting the environment.
During the awarding ceremony held at Seameo Innotech in Quezon City, Antiporda thanked the volunteer partners for their “invaluable support for the DENR’s pursuit for sustainable development.”
“This is our small way of thanking you for the big contributions you have made to the success of the DENR’s programs and activities,” Antiporda told the agency’s partner organizations during the event, which carried the theme: “Boluntarismo: Tugon sa Nagbabagong Panahon.”
In recognizing the importance of environmental volunteerism, Antiporda said the “citizen’s support alone will dictate either the success or failure of DENR’s programs.”
He noted that the citizen’s support through volunterism is “crucial” to the mission of DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu to demonstrate President Rodrigo Duterte’s “strong political will in seriously addressing the country’s environmental challenges.”
Antiporda cited the case of Boracay, which would have remained a “cesspool” had the President not ordered the DENR and other government agencies to rehabilitate the world-famous resort island.
There was no doubt, he said, that Cimatu carried out the President’s agenda for Boracay “through the active support of the island’s residents through volunteerism.”
“We hope to see the same spirit of support as we carry out the President’s directive in other resort-island destinations elsewhere in the country like El Nido in Palawan, Puerto Galera in Mindoro and Panglao Island in Bohol,” Antiporda said.
The DENR programs and activities participated in by the honorees include tree and mangrove planting, coastal cleanup, establishment of tree nurseries, and ecological conservation, among others. ###
Eleven countries bordering on the Seas of East Asia issued on Thursday a joint declaration affirming their commitment towards the conservation and sustainable development of coastal and marine resources in the region.
The Iloilo Ministerial Declaration entitled “East Asian Region Moving As One to Secure Healthy Oceans, People and Economies,” was adopted by environment ministers and heads of delegation during the 6th Ministerial Forum of the East Asian Seas Congress 2018 held in Iloilo City from November 27 to 30.
The 11 countries – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Philippines—are members of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), an intergovernmental organization operating in East Asia to foster and sustain healthy and resilient oceans, coasts, communities and economies across the region.
PEMSEA, together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), facilitated the ministerial forum that was chaired by the Philippines, represented by DENR Undersecretary Rodolfo Garcia.
DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu hailed the Iloilo Ministerial Declaration as “a reiteration and stronger call to action” among countries within the East Asian region.
“The Seas of East Asia are the most biodiverse marine areas in the world, yet they face severe threats from climate change and densely populated coastal communities,” Cimatu pointed out.
“The declaration, supported by the respective countries’ plans of action, will ensure that partner countries will work together in addressing complex issues faced by this region,” he added.
The Iloilo Declaration recognizes the significant value and critical contribution of coastal and marine ecosystems goods and services to securing food and jobs, helping to eradicate poverty, and building resilient coastal communities and blue economies in East Asia.
To achieve these benefits, PEMSEA member nations acknowledged the need to protect coastal and marine ecosystems from the impacts of climate change and other threats, including marine-related disasters, destruction and loss of habitats and natural coastlines, biodiversity loss and degradation, and overfishing and lack of food security.
The countries also took pride of PEMSEA’s pioneering work in the region to develop best practices in the design and implementation of the integrated coastal management (ICM) approach, as well as in developing knowledge and capacity to build climate smart policies and enable ocean-based blue economies.
The ICM approach addresses the governance of human activities affecting the sustainable use of goods and services generated by coastal and marine ecosystems; while the blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
Under the declaration, East Asian countries strongly believe that “PEMSEA remains relevant and is well-positioned to continue performing its role as the regional platform to ecourage the development of common policies, building capacity and orchestrating essential collaboration and scaled up actions alongside smart financing to deliver economic and social dividends, as well as protect biodiversity and address shrinking coastlines.”
“We are confident that PEMSEA will continue to facilitate regional cooperation to respond to the challenges within the context of the rapidly changing social, political, economic and environmental landscapes and encourage the region to move towards a Blue Economy and Sustainable Development of its coasts and oceans,” the declaration reads.
As part of their commitment to sustainable development, the countries will continue to work to achieve by 2021 the remaining targets set under the 2015 Da Nang Compact on ICM coverage of the region’s coastlines and the adoption and implementation of ICM national laws and policies in all countries in the region.
They also promised to regularly update the State of the Oceans and Coasts reports to highlight the contributions of coasts and oceans to economies, as well as to establish environmental, social and economic indicators to measure the development impact of initiatives on state of coasts, communities and economies.
Acknowledging the current strong momentum to tackle marine debris globally, the PEMSEA member nations agreed to significantly reduce or prevent marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based and sea-based activities, including marine litter and nutrient pollution.
The countries, through their representatives, also vowed to implement policies and programs for the sustainable management of coastal tourism destinations.
They likewise recognized the critical importance of regional collaboration in dealing with coastal and marine hazards like storm surges and tsunamis.
With respect to climate change, the PEMSEA member nations committed to implement adaptation and mitigation strategies to respond to the global phenomenon given the urgency and seriousness of its threats to the sustainable development of countries and the region.
Moreover, the 11 countries vowed to continue their efforts to improve cooperation and engagement between PEMSEA and other nations, relevant international development organizations, the private sector, NGOs, academic and research institutions, and other stakeholders.
They promised to step up the cooperation with regional organizations to achieve the targets under the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).
“We are determined to continue working together as PEMSEA country partners to deliver our common objectives in line with the SDS-SEA and our regional and global commitments,” they added.
Finally, the countries declared that the biggest threat they face in the region is “ourselves, in the way we live our lives and the way we manage our resources.”
“We therefore strongly urge everyone to shift towards a mindset of responsible stewardship, and pledge to take bold steps to protect, manage and restore our coasts and oceans for our present and future generations,” they said.
“PEMSEA Country Partners are ready to engage citizens in East Asia and peoples in other regions to work together to secure our shared vision of healthy oceans, people and economy.” ###
