The Cagayan Valley Regional Law Enforcement Council (RELEC) held its 1st quarter meeting yesterday to intensify its monitoring and surveillance operations against illegal forest activities particularly in the region’s hot spot areas.

 

Regional Executive Director and RELEC chairperson Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 2 underscored in the meeting the importance of trees in ensuring the sustainability of all life forms giving off oxygen and taking in carbon dioxide to reduce global warming.

 

“The creation of this council aims to protect and conserve our trees. The council members play a vital role in protecting our forests,” said chairperson Bambalan.

 

The regional environment chief appealed to the representatives of Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other law enforcement agencies to support and heighten their monitoring in areas particularly in Baggao and Peñablanca in Cagayan; and Jones, Isabela.

 

“While we cannot avoid apprehending and confiscating unauthorized forest products passing through the region, it is best to stop cutting down of trees in the forest,” she added.

 

In his presentation of 2022 accomplishment, Enforcement Division Chief Joel Daquioag reported 105 DENR-PNP joint apprehension incidence with a total confiscation of 59,218.44 board feet forest products and 41 conveyances.

 

The meeting also intends to renew the commitment of council members in this year’s forest protection and law enforcement implementation programs.

 

DENR Legal Chief Atty. Richard Jayson Garan presented and facilitated the review on duties and responsibilities of council members to include the Philippine Air Force and Land Transportation Office.

 

In order to be updated on ENR policies, Director Bambalan recommended the conduct of reorientation on DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 97-32 known as “1997 Rules for the Administrative Adjudication of Illegal Forest Products and the Machinery, Equipment, Tools and Conveyances used in Connection Therewith,” to be attended by the Chief of Police and staff of the different municipalities and cities in the region.

 

She proposed to the group the inclusion of RELEC activities in the Regional Development Council Sub-Committee to further discuss strategic mechanism to curb illegal forest activities.

 

Atty. Johnlee Rumusud of the Legal Division also explained during the meeting the salient features of DAO 97-32.

Also joining the meeting was ARED for Technical Services Marcos Dacanay who discussed the meeting's objectives.

 

In 2020, a memorandum of agreement establishing the council was signed between and among the regional heads of DENR, PNP, PCG, PIA, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, and Archdiocese of Tuguegarao which represented the religious community.#

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 under the leadership of Regional Executive Director (RED) Gwendolyn Bambalan launched today the regionwide simultaneous “Puno ng Pag-Ibig” in celebration of the Heart’s Day.

This aims to highlight the Department’s tree hugging campaign dubbed “I am a tree hugger” and tree growing program.

 

As a way of caring for trees and environment, officials and employees in the regional and field offices including Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau celebrated the day by hugging centennial trees and indigenous tree species to raise awareness on their importance to life’s sustenance and mitigating climate-risks in vulnerable areas.

 

In the regionwide tree growing activity, over 1,000 indigenous trees were planted at the Rogelio B. Baggayan Nature Park and Wildlife Center in Tuguegarao City and in the different provinces of the region.

 

RED Gwendolyn Bambalan of DENR Cagayan Valley emphasized the value of trees to the people and in maintaining the ecological balance of nature.

 

“Trees are important because of their connection to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The trees which will become a forest promote water and food security which are among the major programs of the Department,” she said.

 

During the launch, DENR personnel demonstrated a green heart to manifest the protection and preservation of trees. “Aside from our families and loved ones, we also show our love to nature this Valentine’s Day,” the regional environment chief underscored.

 

Director Bambalan also directed employees to grow at least 10 seedlings a year in their respective backyards or select areas in support of the National Greening Program.

 

Joining the RED were Regional Bureau Directors Mario Ancheta and Nelson Honrado and ARED Marcos Dacanay. The provincial and community environment and natural resources officers led the event in their respective offices.

 

The launch also included fitness activity, roadside cleanup and distribution of seedlings to clients and partner-stakeholders.#

Anchoring nature-based adaptation solutions as the core of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in implementing its programs, projects and activities, Regional Executive Director (RED) Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Cagayan Valley Region has directed key officials and employees of the activities to be undertaken this year.

 

In the New Year’s Call cum Capacity Building on Planning and Budgeting held yesterday at the Go Hotel, Tuguegarao City, RED Bambalan appealed for the support of environment officials and personnel by enhancing their competencies on science-based ENR management, geospatial planning, and climate change mitigation and adaptation to support the Department’s thrusts and priority directions.

 

“The people of Cagayan Valley are expecting the commitment of DENR personnel to implement the Agency’s mandate to protect, conserve and manage the region’s bountiful natural resources,” Director Bambalan emphasized adding the Department’s programs and projects to create impacts on the lives and condition of the local communities and other partners.

 

She also stressed the need to sustain linkages to the different sectors in the region such as the law enforcement agencies, local government units, people’s organizations, mining companies, academe, business sector, media, and other government agencies. “We have to revisit our partnership with them and capitalize on our experiences in building more and in strengthening our existing partnerships especially with the civil society organizations and private groups,” said the regional environment chief.

 

Meanwhile, Assistant Regional Executive Director for Technical Services Marcos Dacanay discussed the ways forward for activities in four divisions of technical services, namely; surveys and mapping; conservation and development; enforcement; and licenses, patents and deeds.

 

For his part, Atty. Ismael Manaligod, assistant regional executive director for management services, committed on behalf of the management group to provide timely and sufficient logistical support; implement a capability upskilling or reskilling in collaboration with the technical services; and implement cost-effective future-ready interventions both in service delivery and back-end support by going to a digital-ready office.

 

Planning and Management Division Chief Nenita Naranja cascaded to the PENR and CENR Officers programs for implementation this year realigning and integrating with the approved Work and Financial Plan as discussed during the recent National Reprogramming Workshop in Tagaytay City.

 

These initiatives aim to increase high target setting; accelerate urgent and essential activities; redirect or refocus activities to align with broader national needs and goals; maximize financial leverage through private sector engagement, development partners or international organizations, academe, other NGAs to address knowledge, technology and funding gap; intersect sectors with climate change and disaster risk reduction; and integrate policy across sectors.

 

Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division Chief Florentino Lingan of the Environmental Management Bureau; and Planning Officer Diana Imee Estrada of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau also shared their planned interventions on environment and mining related programs and projects.#

The South Exit Monitoring Station in Calitlitan, Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) jointly intercepted a conveyance loaded with undocumented forest products on Feb. 5, this year at the Boarder Control Point, Barangay Tactac, Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.

 

An Isuzu Forward Van-Wing Truck with plate number XPT116 loaded with undocumented Narra flitches or lumbers was apprehended with a volume of 2,975.333 bd.ft. and estimated value of more than 1 million pesos.

 

Ronald Demate y Guillermo, 47, truck driver and a resident of San Agustin, San Miguel, Bulacan was arrested and is now under the custody of Santa Fe Police Station for further investigation.

 

The apprehended truck and lumber are now under the care of the Cagayan Valley Product Monitoring Station (CAVAPROM) in Aritao which conducted hot pursuit operation chasing the conveyance up to Sta. Fe town.

 

The said conveyance was originated from the province of Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

 

It can be recalled that on Jan. 18, this year, police operatives in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya intercepted a 10-wheeler Isuzu Giga Dump Truck loaded with illegal forest products worth 2 million pesos, originated from Paracelis, Mountain Province in the Cordilleras.

 

With the series of apprehended hot lumbers starting in the last quarter of CY 2022, the forest protection officers assigned at the CAVAPROM led by Jay Marshal Jasmin, supervising ecosystems management specialist and checkpoint team leader, have committed to be more vigilant in manning the checkpoint in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies in the province.

 

Regional Executive Director (RED) Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 mentioned that an initial meeting among the REDs of Regions 1, 2, 3, and CAR was chaired by the DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations who also directed the strengthening of inter-regional collaboration among the regions in intensifying surveillance operation and monitoring of forest protection and law enforcement initiatives.

 

Earlier, the DENR Assistant Secretary for Field Operations has instructed the regional environment chief to submit recommendations as to the proposed convergence meeting on forest protection to be led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary.

 

Meanwhile, the Regional Environmental Law Enforcement Council chaired by Director Bambalan will meet officials of the different law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to discuss strategic plans to curb illegal activities passing through the region.

 

The illegal transport of timber and other forest products is punishable under Section 77 of Presidential Decree No. 705 as amended by Executive Order No. 277, s. 1987.#

To take action against global wetlands degradation, personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 and other volunteers planted over 600 bamboo and native tree seedlings today in celebration of World Wetlands Day.

 

With the celebration’s theme “It’s Time to Restore Our Wetlands,” the tree-growing activity served as response to revive the degrading wetlands globally as reported by Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

 

Among the tree growing sites include the 14 legislated wetland areas in the region, as well as protected areas or forest reserves, and National Greening Program sites.

 

“Planting trees helps revive our wetland areas including the various flora and fauna thriving in these waterbodies,” said Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape Protected Area Superintendent Robert Rivera in a radio interview.

 

He cited that in the previous years, the water levels of some wetland areas have reduced due to siltation caused by soil erosions that are attributed to illegal forest activities such as kaingin.

 

“These wetlands are of great importance not only to biodiversity but also in mitigating the effects of climate change,” added Forester Rivera saying these wetland areas help in controlling global temperature.

 

In a separate radio interview, Senior Ecosystems Management Specialist Emerlyn Daliong of the provincial environment and natural resources office in Cagayan, emphasized the need to mainstream wetlands conservation to generate support from stakeholders and the public as a whole.

 

“We should speak for our wetlands and do something to conserve the remaining resources we have,” she added as she encouraged the public to practice simple conservation efforts such as proper solid waste management that is linked to making wetland areas free from pollution or contamination.

 

Aside from the tree growing, volunteers also conducted cleanup drives along wetlands and riverbanks. Around 30 sacks of plastic waste were collected.

 

To generate public support in preserving the wetlands, information, education, and communication campaigns were held in schools, and barangay and municipal local government units (LGUs).

 

Other field offices distributed over 300 native tree seedlings to commemorate the environmental celebration.

 

The celebration was joined by DENR officials and personnel, Department of Agriculture, Philippine National Police, LGUs, teachers and students, people’s organizations, and other partners.#