In time for the national celebration of June as Environment Month, Secretary Roy A. Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is urging the public to refrain from using single-use plastic items, such as pet bottles and grocery bags, which usually end up polluting the oceans and waterways.

“It is high time we refrain from using disposable plastic products that are used for minutes, but persist in the environment forever,” Cimatu said.

Proclamation No. 237 declares the month of June as Environment Month in the Philippines. June 5 of every year is World Environment Day (WED). This year’s theme for World Environment Day is “Beat Plastic Pollution”.

Cimatu made the appeal not only in consonance with the global theme, but also in preparation for the coming rainy season in the country.

Plastics are non-biodegradable, which means that they do not decay and become absorbed by the environment. Once discarded, plastic is likely to end up in oceans after being washed down rivers, flushed down toilets, or windblown from dumps.

Cimatu said the easiest and best way to reduce plastic waste is to use reusable alternatives, such as eco-friendly tumblers and eco-bags.

DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones said the effect of plastic can be devastating for marine biodiversity.

“Small litters like candy wrappers end up in our oceans. It is eaten by marine species, clogging their stomach and causing their death,” Leones pointed out.

Next to China and Indonesia, the Philippines placed third in the list of countries with most ocean plastic pollution, according to a 2015 study conducted by the University of Georgia and reported by Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment.

Leones said this should serve as a “wake up call” for the Philippines to reduce its plastic consumption.

Although the country does not impose a nationwide ban on plastic, the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) reported that most local government units had passed ordinances to regulate plastic use, including shopping bags and secondary packaging materials.

The EMB noted that shopping malls practice plastic holidays in which plastic bags are not used in specific days of the week.

Some malls have also taken further steps by totally discouraging the use of plastic, replacing it with paper bags and encouraging customers to bring reusable bags for their purchases.

The National Solid Waste Management Commission also works with the manufacturing and recycling industries in the country, in an effort to increase the recovery of post consumer plastic materials.

The Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability is currently doing a pilot study on recycling flexible packaging or multi-material film packaging, which is expected to be operational by end of 2018.

Flexible packaging is used in shampoo sachets, snacks and chips packaging, coffee, sauces, juices and other manufactured food items.

The DENR continues to encourage industries to get involved in environmental efforts through programs that increase recovery of packaging materials, which end up in dumps and oceans. ###

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Published: 06 June 2018

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Iloilo City has been chosen as the venue of the upcoming 2018 East Asian Seas Congress to be held on November 27 to 30 at the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC). Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. said that it is a great privilege to be the host city for the upcoming Congress as the ICC’s state of the art facilities has been “home to congregations that encourage dialogues towards sustainable development and bridging potential collaborations towards the future of the East Asian Seas region.”

“With a coastline of approximately 72 kilometers, Iloilo City is a coastal metropolitan area with a population of around 950,000 Ilonggos,” said Governor Defensor. “We extend our warm invitation to the delegates to explore the historic and scenic side of the city and the rest of the province.”

Similarly, Iloilo Mayor Jose Espinosa III expressed that they are “deeply honored that our beloved city has been chosen as the venue for this momentous event.” He added that the City Government of Iloilo supports the efforts of the Congress in “bringing together various stakeholders and working towards aligning local, national and regional actions and goals with that of the global ocean agenda.”

Mayor Espinosa added that “Iloilo is actively pursuing good and responsible governance that promotes social, economic and environmental development. Aside from the different Congress events, get ready to be welcomed with warm Ilonggo hospitality, to indulge in our delicious cuisine, and to immerse in our rich culture.”

Known as the “Heart of the Philippines,” Iloilo City has successfully hosted international assemblies such as the 2015 APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy and ASEAN in the past.

Initial preparations for the Congress have already commenced, as representatives from the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) convened for a preparatory meeting with the local organizing committee (LOC) members from DENR Region 6 and the Provincial and City Governments of Iloilo and Guimaras during a four-day visit last April 17 to 20.

This year’s EAS Congress will feature an International Conference and Environmental Exhibition alongside other events including the Fifth EAS Youth Forum and PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum which will culminate with the Sixth Ministerial Forum. A special field visit to a PEMSEA integrated coastal management (ICM) site in the Island of Guimaras will also happen.

Registration for the EAS Congress 2018 is ongoing! For more information and updates about the Congress, visit http://eascongress2018.pemsea.org/. For questions and inquiries, contact the EAS Congress 2018 Secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. #SeasAsOne

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Published: 01 June 2018

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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in partnership with the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI), is hosting a five-day international conference dedicated to coral reef protection.

The 4th Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Symposium (APCRS) will be held from June 4 to 8 at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu City. It is co-hosted by the Philippine Association of Marine Science, UP-Cebu, University of San Carlos, and UP-Mindanao.

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the symposium comes at an opportune time as the world celebrates 2018 as the International Year of the Reef.

Cimatu said the APCRS event could “greatly contribute to better understand and appreciate science behind coral reef conservation.”

“More importantly, it can help us develop scientifically-grounded policies and programs that can address the challenges we are currently facing in terms of sustainably managing our coastal and marine resources,” he added.

According to Dr. Porfirio Aliño of the UP-MSI, the country’s hosting of the coral reef conference will highlight the importance of science and technology in conservation and good governance considering that the Philippines is the “center of the center of marine biodiversity” in the world and one of the leading scientific bastions in the Coral Triangle.

During the conference, the DENR—through Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez—will present its policies and initiatives on reef management in the Philippines.

One of the highlights of the presentation, she said, will be the DENR’s 12-year program on the seas called the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.

“By effectively reducing the drivers and pressures on coastal and marine ecosystems which led to its continuous degradation, the coastal and marine ecosystems’ condition will improve thereby enhancing ecosystem functions and services,” Rodriguez said.

With the theme “Coral Reefs of the Asia-Pacific: Working Together Amidst Contemporary Challenges,” the APCRS hopes to forge greater cooperation and concrete programs for collaboration to preserve and sustainably manage our common natural marine heritage.

The conference will bring together the champions of coral reef research and conservation in the Asia-Pacific region with the hope of inspiring the younger generation to continue the work of understanding and using wisely these resources.

Latest research techniques and emerging trends in marine biodiversity, coral reef ecology, geology, and restoration, ocean processes, and citizen science efforts will also be featured in the five-day event.

Parallel sessions and workshops are organized by leading marine science institutions in the Philippines and abroad, as well as national and international conservation projects and programs. Speakers include conservation experts from Australia, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and the United States. ###

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Published: 31 May 2018

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Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has ordered an investigation into media reports that arson may have caused the pre-dawn fire that gutted the Land Management Bureau (LMB) building in Binondo, Manila last Monday.

“While we hope that this is not the case, arson is a serious crime and the LMB fire significantly impacts Filipinos who place premium value on land,” Cimatu said.

LMB is a staff bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Cimatu said that DENR and LMB officials would work closely with investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Manila Fire District to determine the cause of the fire which started at the upper floors of the LMB.

The fire, which lasted for 22 hours, destroyed not only the LMB building but other adjacent buildings and establishments, including the National Archives Office.

With the Binondo building out of commission, the LMB has set up a temporary HelpDesk at the DENR main office in Quezon City to address land-related queries and concerns by the public.

The LMB is also eyeing to relocate its other offices in the DENR.

While the LMB stores back-up files of land titles digitized by the DENR’s regional offices, it has also been digitizing land titles in its care with the use of modern, high-tech equipment which were unfortunately also destroyed by the fire.

In 2016, it launched the Land Administration Management System, a computerized information system to consolidate all land data and records in the country to facilitate the land titling process. ###

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Published: 30 May 2018

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"We're all in this together."

Thus said newly installed Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu as he called for solidarity in protecting the country's environment and natural resources during the turnover ceremony held at the DENR central office in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Cimatu, the 16th DENR Secretary since the agency was reorganized in 1987, said environmental protection requires teamwork among those in the DENR, various stakeholders and the general public.

"I cannot do this alone, President Duterte cannot do this alone. We need all hands on deck," Cimatu said in a speech after the DENR leadership was formally transferred to him by outgoing Secretary Gina Lopez.

The new DENR chief specifically mentioned "the men and women of the DENR from the senior officials at the central office to the rangers, foresters, geologists and even janitors on the ground."

He also mentioned the various clients of the DENR, including big and small businesses and all households, as well as agency's international partners.

"We have to work together as a team. With teamwork, we can do so much more in accomplishing the critical responsibilities we carry on our shoulders," he pointed out.

According to Cimatu, his appointment to the DENR has caught him "completely by surprise."

In a gesture of humility, Cimatu asked that he be given time to fully grasp the DENR and all its functions.

He admitted that the DENR is a completely different field for him since he has been known as a former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and later as special envoy for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

"Here I am wading in into a field far removed from soldiery. That is why you will please excuse me if I ask that I be given time to scan and study the terrain in an agency which impacts considerably on our very life as a people and the future of our beloved Philippines," Cimatu said.

Meanwhile, Cimatu was all praises to Lopez, saying he wished he could approximate her passion for the environment.

He described his predecessor as a "very passionate and ardent advocate of environmental protection and inclusive growth."

The former military chief said his entry to the DENR was "even more challenging" as it came right after the "very heated confirmation debates" involving Lopez.

Nevertheless, Cimatu said he will try to do his best as "President Duterte's point man in the daunting task of protecting our environment in all its forms."

He vowed to promote the "wise and proper use" of the country's natural resources "for the public good."

Prior to his appointment as DENR Secretary, Cimatu served as the 29th AFP chief of staff in 2002.

In the 1980s, Cimatu was sent to Northern Panay as Batallion Commander in Aklan province, which was then under the heavy influence of the New People’s Army (NPA).

At that time, the highway of the northern towns, especially in Ibajay, was heavily infested by the NPA. The highway was also a gateway to the present-day Boracay Island, to which his successful efforts to clear the area from threats led to the development of the top tourist destination spot in the country today.

He also became a Brigade Commander in Davao, Cotabato, and Sarangani, where he was promoted as a one-star general after his troops successfully rescued four hostages kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf. ###

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Published: 10 May 2017

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