Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Monday (Feb. 13) assures a crowd of pro-mining advocates, including mine workers from the provinces of Zambales, Benguet and Surigao who will be affected by the closure of mining operations as a result of the mining audit conducted by DENR, of livelihood support through the agency’s area development thrust in 29 priority areas nationwide. ###
Dr. Vincent Hilomen (left), executive director for Priority Programs in Coastal and Marine of the Biodiversity Management Bureau, opens the celebration of World Wetlands Day with the launching of Atlas of Philippine Inland Wetlands and Classified Caves (right), which, according to him, will “serve as a reference to assist the partners concerned in the protection and conservation of wetlands and caves.” The book launch, held at the BMB Training Center in Quezon City, coincided with the global celebration of World Wetlands Day on February 2. ###
Ms. Amy Lecciones (left), vice president of the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands (SCPW), Inc., leads the launching of the book Youth Eco Camp Training Manual (inset). The book, which was produced by the SCPW, is “a product of more than 10 years of refining,” according to Lecciones. The manual also serves as a guide for organizations on how to conduct environment-friendly camping for students and young individuals. ###
Ms. Joy M. Navarro (left) of the Biodiversity Management Bureau’s Caves, Wetlands and Other Ecosystems Division, leads the roundtable discussion on the Philippine-authored Ramsar Resolution on Wetlands and Disaster Risk Reduction or the Ramsar Resolution XII.13. Adopted on the 12th Conference of Parties in 2015, the Resolution highlights the importance of wetlands in preventing extreme weather events such as storm surge and typhoons. ###
Joint forces of the government led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) have started the massive dismantling of fish pens in Laguna Lake in compliance with Pres. Duterte’s directive to clear the lake of illegal structures and to allow small fishermen to gain access to traditional fishing grounds. Inset photo shows LLDA General Manager Joey Medina and DENR-National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force chief Arturo Valdez (left and right, respectively) supervising the clearing operations as workers take down kilometers of fine-mesh nets and heavy-duty poles of bamboo and anahaw enclosing a huge fish pen in Binangonan, Rizal. Also in photo are personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard tasked to provide security to the operation. ###
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